Can I Put Clorox in My Pond?

Adding Clorox to a koi pond will kill the expensive fish.

Clorox appears in laundry detergents, disinfecting wipes and toilet bowl cleaners. Clorox comes with a warning on the label because it is a poison. Consider ecological factors before adding Clorox to water used for anything other than household cleaning.

Garden Ponds

If you are looking to remove algae or unwanted plant life from your cement garden pond, it is acceptable to remove fish, drain the pond and use Clorox to scrub the pond walls. While Clorox will evaporate rather quickly, use a de-chlorination product if you plan on putting fish back into the pond immediately.

Warning

Clorox is poisonous to fish, microorganisms and animals such as birds that may drink from your pond.

Clorox, or sodium hypochlorate, is highly poisonous to humans, plants and animals. Inhalation of fumes can cause irritation of mucus membranes and can cause chemical burns on your skin.

Misconceptions

Clorox is corrosive to most metals. Do not use Clorox to regularly clean pond filters, aeration equipment or other pond equipment. Consider using more eco-friendly means to clean these areas, such as steam.

References

• Clorox: Cleaning Products
• Pondlady: Duckweed and Waterfern
• Koi Pond Spring Cleaning
• InChem: Sodium Hypochlorate

Resources

• Garden Pond Filter