A natural pond can help beautify your garden or backyard. However, keeping it clean can seem like a challenge — especially if you’re used to using pumps, filters, and chemicals. Thankfully, there are many natural methods you can employ to keep your pond clean.
Opt for a High-Quality Pond Liner
Remember, a high-quality pond liner means a thriving pond. Your pond’s liner should last you many years without frequent maintenance, because changing a pond’s liner can be the most daunting maintenance task for natural pond owners. By opting for a high-quality pond liner that prevents unnecessary sun damage, puncture, and tears, you will be saving yourself future money, time and headache. BTL Liners fabricates AquaArmor liners with pliable forming materials, strong HDPE weaving, high oxidation and ozone resistance as well as an NSF-61 certification.
Don’t Overstock Your Pond with Fish
It is very important to be mindful of how many fish live in your pond. Fish eat a lot and produce significant amounts of waste as a result. This waste is an eyesore. In large amounts, it can also produce poisonous compounds like ammonia that threaten the ecosystem of your pond. If you do choose to stock your natural pond with fish, keep their population fairly low to ensure that your pond stays healthy and clear.
On a similar note, you don’t want to overfeed your fish. Uneaten fish food present in your pond’s water can release nitrates that harm fish and cause algae blooms. Avoid spoiling your fish with food and treats they may not eat. To keep your water clean, do not feed them anything that contains phosphates.
Change Out Water Regularly
One of the simplest ways to keep your pond clean without a filter is by changing out your water regularly. You can safely switch out up to 30% of the total water volume in your pond without negatively affecting its fish and plants.
Removing old water is highly effective since you’re directly removing contaminants and debris and replacing it with fresh, clean water. Just make sure you dechlorinate any new water first, so that it is safe for your pond and its inhabitants.
Clean Your Natural Pond Manually
If you choose to go this route, you can simply clean anything unsightly by hand, with a net, or even with a toilet brush. Remove solid fish waste, uneaten food, unwanted algae, and rotting plants to ensure that your pond’s ecosystem stays in check. A small amount of decay is to be expected in any natural pond, but these bad substances can add up and release ammonia in the water when left unchecked. You should also remove any decorations, or ornaments from your pond periodically to clean them.
Be preventative instead of reactive. The cleaner you keep your pond, the less need there is for any filtration unit.
Stock the Right Plants
Having the proper aquatic plants in your pond is another great way to keep your water clean. In fact, many submerged plants can serve as natural filters and help draw poisonous substances out of your water created by the fish. Likewise, stocking some floating plants in your pond can help keep your algae growth in check.
No pond is truly complete without a diverse ecosystem of plants. Hornwort, water lettuce, blue iris, and water hyacinth are all great options for filtering your water, as these plants help remove excess nutrients and nitrates in your pond.
