Simple Tips For Cleaning Your Pond

The winter can be harsh on our garden ponds, so the spring is the perfect time to clean and refresh them, ready for fish and other wildlife to enjoy during the warmer months.

We have put together 5 simple tips to get your pond back into a sparkling clean condition, as well as a few products that can help to make the task less stressful.

Drain the water

Remove any fish and existing wildlife, then pump any water into buckets or the surrounding landscape. This will make it much easier than trying to scoop out any debris from a full pond.

Rinse the inside of the pond

The easiest way to do this is to use a pressure washer. This will ensure that any pebbles and gravel is cleaned too, without too much effort. Take this opportunity to remove any plants that need repotting or separating. 

Don’t scrub too hard

A little algae can be beneficial to building your own ecosystem, so try not to scrub away too much when you are cleaning. If there is excess silt, this can be removed at the same time, but leave a little at the bottom.

Clean any filters

If your pond works with a filter system, it is important to clean these in order to keep them running efficiently. 

Acclimatise your fish

Once you have refilled your pond with water, it is important to get your fish used to the new temperature again. Put your fish in a bucket of water and gradually add some pond water so that the temperatures become quite similar, then you can release your fish back into their home. 

What can I do between pond cleans?

• Between cleans, try using mud balls to keep the water in good condition. These are made with sludge-eating microbial properties that will leave your pond naturally clean and bright.
• Adding a pond clear treatment will help to improve the water quality and increase the filter performance for removing waste products.
• A pond care super booster is adaptable and will utilise any volatile fatty acids, ammonium, nitrate and organic acids that might otherwise be harmful to pond life.