While some types of algae are fantastic for a pond, both aesthetically and for the ecosystem, sometimes too much can get a little unsightly. Accumulated debris such as leaves, fish poop, and other backyard detritus can easily make the bottom of your pond murky, messy, and mucked up. If you’ve ever stared at a massively dirty pond-floor, wondering what to do that won’t cost an arm and a leg, that Shop-Vac sitting in your shed may be your new best friend. A Shop-Vac’s portability and strength make it ideal for a big outdoor job like pond-cleaning, allowing you to suck up that unwanted sludge without getting your hands (too) dirty.
However, there are some important considerations to remember. Because a Shop-Vac vacuums up literally everything it encounters, you’ll need to take some extra steps to protect your pond’s inhabitants and ecosystem. The best plan is to use the vac only when the pond water has been largely drained and all its residents have been removed to prevent any accidents. Give your fish friends plenty of aeration and let them hang out in the removed pond water while you work. Make sure you submerge your filter medium in the same water so that you don’t lose the beneficial bacteria colonies you’ve worked so carefully to maintain. Once the water and critters have been evacuated, the remaining sludge and gross-ness can be removed directly from the bottom floor. Remember not to Shop-Vac all the algae! Some of that green stuff helps the pond maintain a healthy, thriving community. When the cleaning is complete, carefully return your fish, pond water and filter to their rightful places. You may need to top off the water, since a significant amount probably has gone out with the sludge -- be sure to use some water conditioner follow up by checking your pond’s chemistry for a day or two to ensure that nothing is severely out of balance.
