If you’ve been around a well-maintained pond, you know it can be a beautiful and relaxing addition to any garden. The gentle motion of the water, the fish swimming around underneath, and the tranquil sounds of a fountain makes it a great place to relax and enjoy your garden. Many people with well-maintained gardens like to put hammocks or lawn chairs near their ponds and relax next to them. Some people like to keep game fish in their ponds, so they can easily pull a fish out for their dinner.
If you’ve been around a poorly maintained pond, you probably had a much worse experience. When not maintained properly, these ponds are virtually indistinguishable from a swamp in your garden. Moss and algae start to slime their way up the rocks, your fish don’t grow and reproduce, and the pond starts to smell. Any of that sound familiar? Those are the signs of a pond that has not been maintained properly. When not maintained well, a pond is not a great addition to your garden.
You Have to Pump the Water
Out in the world, natural ponds are fed by underground streams and rainwater. When combined with evaporation and water seeping into the underground water table, the water in ponds cycles constantly. If you have a favourite fishing spot, you’ve probably seen this in action. The water at these natural ponds tends to be full of fish; some algae and moss grow, but there aren’t too many insects or unwanted smells. That happens when the water cycles regularly. But what about the ponds that do smell bad? What about the ones that are full of insects and thick green algae?
Essentially, bad smells develop when plants and animals in your pond begin to decompose anaerobically. They decompose anaerobically when there is not very much oxygen. That happens when the decomposition takes place under water or in very wet conditions. Anaerobic decomposition is what makes landfills smell so bad. The other kind of decomposition, aerobic, takes place in the presence of air and does not smell bad. That’s why well-maintained compost piles don’t smell bad; they have an appropriate mix of air.
Your pond is the same way. Your plants and fish will die at some point. That’s one of the inevitabilities of life; however, they don’t have to smell bad. Why choose OASE pond pumps? Pumping the water is one of the first steps to making sure that your pond does not smell bad, and your fish live long, healthy lives.
When you pump your pond water, you introduce oxygen into the environment. It’s a common misconception that fish breathe water. They actually breathe oxygen just like every other living creature. However, their gills enable them to remove the oxygen from the water, but oxygen has to be present. Pumping the water introduces that oxygen.
It’s a cruel fact of life that your fish and the plants around your pond are going to die. During the autumn, leaves will fall off the trees. When you mow the lawn, grass clippings might land in your pond. This is not a problem in and of itself, but when the leaves and plants sink under the surface of the water, they cannot decompose aerobically. Since they’re underwater, they have to decompose without enough air. That’s going to contribute to off-smells. The smell of decomposition attracts many pests, such as rodents and insects, but when you pump the water, you can remove this detritus with a filter.
You Have to Filter the Water
Pumping your pond water is just the first step. You have to also filter it to remove the debris that might have fallen into your pond. That debris, when it decomposes, creates bad smells and attracts unwanted pests. Also, anaerobic decomposition releases gases that fish cannot breathe. So, if enough debris is allowed to sit around at the bottom of your pond and decompose, you’ll start to see your number of fish dropping. The build-up of methane gas in the pond water will damage the health of your fish.
You Have to Clean the Pump and the Filter
Your pump and your filter are going to be working pretty hard to keep your pond clean and clear. They’re going to be pumping large amounts of dirty water, making it clean. If you have hard water in your area, you also run the risk of limescale build-up on the pump and filter. If limescale or detritus are allowed to build up in your pump, it will become less effective. Eventually, it will stop working altogether.
For that reason, when you buy your pump, you should also invest in some cleaning products. One of the products many people find useful is the pump descaler. This is a substance you mix with water. Soak your pump in the solution to remove the limescale build-up. You can also clean your pump with a special cleaning solution designed specifically for the unique demands of an outdoor pond.
You Should Think About a Skimmer
Since one of the biggest problems is debris sinking to the bottom of the pond and decaying, you should think about ways to keep it from ever sinking to the bottom. A pond skimmer, automated or not, is a device that removes debris from the surface of the water before it has a chance to sink down. You can use a manual simmer, which is just a net on a long pole, or you can use an automated one. An automated skimmer floats on the surface of your pond, scooping up debris that has fallen. With a skimmer, you can cut down on how much your pump has to actually filter, which will extend the life of your pump.
Basically, a well-maintained pond can be a boon to any garden. It is a tranquil gathering space that adds a certain sophistication. However, a pond has to be maintained well. If it’s not maintained well, it will begin to smell and attract bugs. Maintaining a pond is not difficult, but it does require dedication. You need to make sure to pump and filter the water regularly. You should also consider skimming the water for debris.