Pond cleaning and maintenance
Leaves, mud and rain – what now?
ANY pond which is not roofed-over will build up sludge from leaves, aquatic plant leaves and other matter entering with the air (keyword particulate matter). Natural ponds and small lakes have the same problem and silt up more and more – a process, which can possibly take years to several centuries and cannot be prevented. In other words, this means that any non-draining pool, pond or lake has a limited lifetime. But this is exactly what you don't need in your garden pond. To prevent this from happening you need to take steps.
Leaves turn to sludge
A mechanical removal of leaves from trees and plants is a big help! But do something for your pond under the water surface too: the sinking leaves can form a thick layer on the bottom and slowly get broken down by bacteria, which uses up oxygen. JBL SediEx Pond has been designed to promote and accelerate the removal of sludge. It consists of two components: Firstly of highly active cleansing bacteria which decompose organic matter, and secondly of active oxygen which makes this decomposition possible in the first place. Add these two components to the sludge layer inside your pond. The added oxygen will make the bacteria slowly break down your sludge. Unfortunately the bacteria and the oxygen are not enough for thicker sludge layers. There you will need to resort to mechanical means and remove the sludge with a rake or a shovel. A lot of pond owners are completely caught by surprise that from the initial depth of180 cm only 80 cm of free water is left!!! Then there is only one thing for it: cleaning the complete pond right down to the bottom. If you want to avoid this we highly recommend you remove the sludge little by little, since this stresses your pond less than in ONE violent action.
When algae die off
If you have used the anti-algae agent of your choice and the algae have died off, these algae start to release the nutrients they have bound into your pond water. That’s just the right moment for a partial water change, ideally carried out with a pond sludge remover! If you haven’t got one and don’t want to buy one, ask your specialist shop for a loan tool!
Partial water change
You don’t normally need to change any water in your pond. The rain refills it or you use tap water during dry seasons to top it up. This is not ideal because rainwater gradually softens your water, making it low on minerals, but this is the reality.
Refilling evaporated pond water is not without its pitfalls: only pure water (which means H2O) evaporates from your pond, the minerals remain there and your water becomes richer in minerals (harder). If you then regularly refill tap or well water with a hardness of X, this hardness increases the previous hardness of the pond water. Neither fish nor plants like too hard water. It is therefore more useful to change part of the water instead of always refilling it.
Partial water change to combat discolourations
Has your pond water turned brown or yellow? With a partial water change you “dilute” the substances which cause water discolouration, your pond becomes crystal clear again and after 3-5 partial water changes no longer shows any colouration. Ideally you should carry out the partial water change with a sludge remover. If you haven’t got one and don’t want to buy one, ask your specialist shop for a loan tool!
Here’s how to carry out a partial water change
Drain the water out of your pond with the help of a submersible pump. Use this water with its many useful nutrients for your garden plants! Ideally connect a sludge remover during the suction procedure. But spread the pond sludge over your beds and under your garden plants and not over your lawn, to avoid the impression of a dug up garden. It’s the best you can do for your shrubs and other plants!
Drain out water until the water level has gone down about 15 cm and refill with tab or (suitable) well water. Treat the new water with the JBL BiotoPond water conditioner to neutralise harmful substances, such as heavy metal. Dose the water conditioner according to the amount of pond water you have changed.
Partial water change to counteract heat
Especially in shallow ponds, long hot periods can result in water temperatures above 30 °C. Then it’s time to take action, preferably in advance. Shading the pond with water lilies and their numerous floating leaves helps to avert a further increase in water temperature. A partial water change with significantly cooler tap or well water will also help. This step allows you to reduce the water temperature below the critical 30 ° limit simply and immediately.
