DIY Project: Pond Troubleshooting and Tips

A Few Simple Tips for Pond Owners

Ponds and water features are a beautiful accent to any outdoor living area or garden, and ponds often draw instant attention from guests. Everyone enjoys a beautiful, soothing water feature. But when you are having pond problems, your water feature may turn from a soothing escape into a troubling mess. By following these simple guidelines, you can avoid most pond problems and make owning a pond easy and enjoyable throughout the year.

  1. If you have fish, be careful not to overfeed them. Fish eat every time they have the opportunity. A good rule is to feed them 2 to 3 times weekly, and no more than they can eat in 5 minute. It’s actually better to feed fish less than more. If they’re not overfed, fish will eat the pond’s natural algae and help to keep it under control.
  2. Change the water minimally. City tap water and well water contain phosphates which are an attractive food source for algae. Changing large amounts of your water at regular intervals introduces more phosphates into your pond and therefore more algae.
  3. Keep ground runoff out of your pond. Try to keep water runoff from entering your pond. Water that has come in contact with the ground may collect mud, silt, oil and chemicals that can pollute your pond. Rainwater from rain harvesting systems or rain barrels, however, is fine to use because it only comes in contact with your house roof and a pre-filter.
  4. Clean the filter pads in a Biofalls® filter only once a year. Cleaning biofilters too often is a common mistake. All of the good bacteria that live in your pond make their home in these filters. When you clean the filters, you kill the good bacteria. If your filter is sized in proportion to your pond, it should only be cleaned once a year during your spring clean-out or if the filter clogs. After cleaning the filter, make sure to continue beneficial bacteria treatments.
  5. Clean skimmers out regularly. Skimmers are mechanical filters. Therefore, the cleaner they are, the better they function.
  6. Clean debris out of your pond. Debris that is allowed to break down creates extra nutrients in the pond which can cause pond discoloration. Make sure to remove debris from both the top and bottom of your pond. 
  7. Add beneficial bacteria to your water. Most ponds found in nature contain good bacteria and enzymes that help balance the pond water chemistry and reduce unwanted algae. Bacteria must occasionally be added to man-made ponds, depending upon pond size, type and location. It’s best to follow the directions on the product bottle. You may need to add more bacteria after cleanouts and after new installations, during algae blooms in spring and summer, and during periods of heavy rain to help combat newly introduced algae. 
  8. Add pond plants. Aquatic plants not only add beauty to your existing pond, they naturally increase the water quality as well. Aquatic plants use nutrients in the water from which algae would normally feed, thereby depleting the algae food source. Plants also provide food for fish and shade for the pond. We recommend 30-40% of the water surface be covered by aquatic plants.
  9. Have patience with your water feature. Water issues may appear overnight, but getting rid of them takes a bit longer. Understand your pond, follow the simple guidelines above, and enjoy your water feature! 

 

 

 

 

Troubleshooting 4 Common Pond Problems

There are four common problems that pond owners report: green water, brown murky water, string algae and tea colored water. By following a few simple rules, you can avoid these common problems (see the article “A Few Simple Do’s & Don’ts for Pond Owners). However, if you all the sudden discover your pond has one of the four common problem, here are some solutions to help.

  1. 1. Is your pond water green? If you have a new pond, green water is normal within the first two months of installation. Tap water or well water used to fill the pond may contain large amounts of phosphates, which are a natural food source for algae. Do not worry! Add good bacteria, such as Aquaclearer® to your pond and be patient. The water will eventually clear up as the bacteria deplete the food source for the algae. If you have an established pond, make sure you are following the suggested guidelines on the front and continue using beneficial bacteria on a regular basis.
  2. 2. Is your pond water brown and murky? Brown, murky water is normal for new installations and is caused by dirt on the rocks and gravel. Add EcoFloc® to the pond and clean the skimmer filter mat daily for the first 2-3 days. This product will bind all of the small particles together so they can be caught and removed by the filter pads. A second option is to wait 2-3 days for the dirt to settle to the bottom of the pond, resulting in a brown coating of mud on the bottom.
  3. Do you have string algae in your waterfall or pond? String algae are bright green, stringy algae that cling to rocks, usually in the waterfall area. If you have a pond, remove as much of the algae as possible by hand. Then use EcoBlast®. Follow the EcoBlast application by adding S.A.B. This product is widely used as a preventative measure for ponds with regular string algae problems. A more natural approach to get rid of string algae is to use barley in the Biofalls®. The decomposition of barley produces a chemical that kills string algae. Good products to use are Bitty Bales and EcoBarley Pellets. The only drawback to these products is the amount of time required for the product to start working. Most start to work within 3-4 weeks and continue to work for 4 weeks or more. If you have string algae in your pondless waterfall, you may also use AlgaeBlast® which easily kills string algae with one simple product. But do not use AlgaeBlast if you have plants or fish as it will kill them as well!
  4. Is your pond water brown but clear? This condition is often described as tea colored water. You must remove the source of the discoloration which is debris that has been left in the bottom of the pond. After removing the debris, add carbon to the Biofalls®. Carbon will extract bad odors, color and dangerous chemicals from the water. It is only good for 4 weeks and should be disposed of after that time.

If your pond problem is not listed above, call us at (770) 590-1700 or come by our Kennesaw showroom to speak with one of our water gardening experts. All of the products recommended above are regularly carried at Stone Forest or we are able to acquire them for you. Feel free to ask us for help when troubleshooting your pond problems. Most importantly, please be patient with your pond or water feature. Although pond problems can creep up over night, the solutions take time to work.