4 Tips for Small Pond Spring Cleaning

With the arrival of spring, it's crucial to undertake some maintenance on your backyard pond. This responsibility ensures crystal-clear water and the health of the overall ecosystem. Regardless of your pond size, it's important to remember that Mother Nature is constantly at work, attempting to reclaim your pond and transform it into a marshy swamp. We've devised four tips that any homeowner, golf course, or HOA association should perform before the hot summer months. These will help ensure the pond's life and prevent toxic and unsightly algae outbreaks during the dog days of summer. 

Pond Dye

Nuisance algae blooms usually occur in the summer when the weather gets hot. All it takes is a day or two of unusually warm weather to start a chain reaction that will choke the life out of any body of water. Sunlight can penetrate deep into the water, giving nuisance algae the food and energy they need to flourish. Pond dye can help prevent an algae outbreak. It colors and shades the water so that the UV light, which algae love to feed on, can’t enter the water column. If you’re not a big fan of the unnatural colors of some pond dyes, shop around. Some brands offer a very subtle color change depending on how much you add. Remember that most pond dyes only last around eight weeks before retreatment is required. Heavy rainfall can shorten the lifespan of a dyed pond to a month or less. 

Mechanical Maintenance

Most ponds have filters, aerators, and other mechanical devices responsible for aesthetics, irrigation, or keeping the pond healthy. Spring is the perfect time to check and ensure the mechanical parts are in good working condition. Spending an afternoon checking the mechanical parts of your pond can save you time, money, and trouble later down the road.

Chemical Treatments

While some chemical treatments can help keep your pond healthy and algae-free, they only attack the symptom, not the root cause of the outbreak. Many pond owners dump gallon after gallon of expensive and potentially toxic chemical treatments into their ponds, harming the delicate balance of the ecosystem and potentially poisoning fish, wildlife, and humans. The leading cause of algae outbreaks is organic matter from the trees and shrubs surrounding the pond. As the fall and winter months go by, the leaves and dirt are blown by the wind onto the banks of the pond, where all it takes is a gust of wind to cause them to sink to the bottom.

Landscaping

Cleaning the leaves, grass, and debris around the pond's edges that have accumulated over the winter months is another great way to help maintain your body of water. If left uncleaned, this organic debris will enter the water via the wind or the next rain storm. As the weeks pass, the organic matter will go down to the bottom and deepest part of the pond. This area cannot support the beneficial bacteria that break down organic matter. As such, algae outbreaks will become more common as they feed on the hot sun's rays, as well as the leaves and nutrient-rich muck at the bottom of the pond.

Professional Pond Cleaning

Pond dye, mechanical maintenance, and landscaping the outer perimeter of your pond can only help so much. You'll need to call the professionals to keep your pond healthy and looking its best. American Underwater Services will bring in our underwater vacuum device that will suck up the muck, dirt, and organic matter that is causing your discolored water and nuisance algae outbreaks. Once the muck is removed, it can be used as an excellent organic fertilizer for your garden area.

American Underwater Services

We have over 25 years of experience helping owners maintain their ponds, keeping the water clear and beautiful. Call us today at (817) 377-8512 to learn how we can help clean your pond water by removing organic sediment that can cause unsightly algae outbreaks.