How to Care for Garden Ponds

Your pond can be crystal clear all year with proper care

Now that you've dug the hole and set up your garden pond, the hardest part is over, right? Unfortunately not. Caring for a garden pond is an ongoing job, but it's worth it when you are rewarded with the calming sounds of a gurgling fountain and a crystal clear pond at the end of a long, hard day. There are a number of different strategies you can employ to make sure that your pond is well cared for season after season.

Things You'll Need

• Fish
• Plants
• Barley straw
• Pond filter
• Skimming net
• Dechlorinator

Instructions

1. Skim off any leaves or other debris that has fallen on the surface of your pond every couple of days. Do this even more frequently during the fall. This is really one of the easiest and most important things you can do to care for your garden pond. When leaves and other debris fall on a pond, they sink to the bottom and decompose. This releases chemicals that can start to rob your pond water of oxygen. This, in turn, kills off the helpful plants and bacteria that keep your ponds ecosystem healthy.

2. Add a water feature such as a waterfall or fountain. These keep a good mixture of oxygen in the water, allowing it to be used by both animals and plants in the water. In addition, a constantly moving body of water is much less attractive as a breeding ground for mosquitoes or other water insects.

3. Keep a selection of beneficial water plants growing in your pond. Plants such as water lilies and bulrush also help to oxygenate the water and circulate vital nutrients through the pond ecosystem. They also provide shelter for fish and other aquatic creatures and help the pond from heating up too much.

4. Stock your garden pond with fish and other aquatic animals, such as snails. These animals eat algae and other plants that grow in the water, helping to keep it clean and clear.

5. Install a pond filter. There are biological, chemical and mechanical filters. These filter out suspended materials in the water.

6. Condition the water with dechlorinator. The chlorine present in tap water is harmful to both pond fish and plants. A decchlorinator breaks down harmful elements in the water and makes it safe for aquatic creatures.

7. Drop a mesh pouch full of barley straw in the pond every three or four months. As the straw decomposes in the water, it releases chemicals that retard the growth of algae.

Tips & Warnings

• Give your pond a cleaning once a year. Springtime is good to do this, as this is while the pond is still "asleep" and the bacteria and other macrobiotic life have begun their yearly life cycle.

• When using any type of electrical equipment around water, be sure to use a GFCI grounded plug to prevent accidents. Don't allow your pond to ice over in winter, as this may harm your fish.

References

• Pond Care - BBC
• Algae and Ponds

Resources

• Dr. Foster & Smith - Pond Care