Is a small pond hard to maintain?
All ponds need regular maintenance to prevent them silting up and turning into bog gardens. Small ponds need a complete overhaul to remove debris every five years, while large ponds need thorough cleaning every 10 years.
Pond Plants
Planting some submerged and floating plants in your pond can help as they act as natural light filters, creating shade for the pond, reducing sunlight, in turn helping reduce algae growth. Pond plants also remove nitrate and phosphate from the pond which are the vital nutrients algae needs to grow.
A pond needs to have some level of water movement or it will eventually begin to stagnate. Aeration provides a pond with fresh oxygen, nutrients, and water flow, which helps prevent a build-up of substances in any one area.
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- Nuisance vegetation. Nuisance aquatic vegetation is by far the most common problem landowners experience with a pond. ...
- Poor fishing. I often get calls from pond owners claiming their fish numbers are too low or they do not have the quality of fish they had in the past. ...
- Nuisance wildlife.
It is easy to tell a balanced pond, the water is clear, plants flourish and the fish are active and healthy. In an unbalanced pond, the water is often cloudy or a murky green colour, plants are decaying, and the fish sit on the bottom of the pond or even die.
If done thoughtfully, the construction of a small pond can be a way of dealing with soggy spots or rain runoff in a backyard. The presence of the water can help create a microclimate in your garden that can be beneficial to plants growing nearby and can help keep your yard more moderate during those hot summer days.
Preventative steps such as aeration, adding bacteria and some basic maintenance should keep your pond water healthy for your fish although certain circumstances might necessitate additional treatment or steps.
Remove any debris that has accumulated in the pond, such as leaves or branches. Check the water level and add water if necessary. Check the pump and filter system to make sure they are working properly. Check the pH level of the water and adjust if necessary.
Since wildlife ponds are not generally cleaned on a regular basis, covering the bottom with rocks or gravel is perfectly fine. In fact, it provides tiny openings that encourage microbial life to bloom.