The Do’s & Don’ts Guide For Pond Upkeep

Having a pond on your property can be rewarding, but you have to manage it to continue to reap the benefits. Ponds are often beautiful and serve as a way to show off aquatic life, but when they're poorly maintained, they can become filled with algae and harmful bacteria, which is unsightly and unhealthy for plant life and animals that you stock the pond with. A dirty pond can also attract insects that can make being around the pond unpleasant. Some types of maintenance will improve the health of your pond, but others will only harm it.

The Do's of Pond Management
One of the best things that you can do for your pond is provide it with the beneficial bacteria that it needs to thrive. The right bacteria can keep algae and sludge away. Bacteria can also help your fish stay healthy. You should also treat your pond with a bacterial product even in the winter. Lots of people think that their pond is healthy in the winter because it looks clear, but the cold also kills off a lot of the beneficial bacteria. In spring, algae blooms because the bacteria isn't there to fight it off. You can stop this process by treating your pond all year long.

Cleaning your filters and running pumps all year is also important. You should clean your filters with a garden hose to get rid of algae. And if you have any questions about what you might be forgetting to do, ask for technical help from an expert from a pond management company in Florida.

The Don'ts of Pond Management
Changing your filters can actually hurt the quality of the water because this actually gets rid of beneficial bacteria that are keeping your algae in check. You should also avoid the temptation of clearing out your pond and starting over if you're unhappy with its health and the way that it looks. When you start over with new water, you get rid of all of the bacteria and the pond is sterile. The water will look good for a couple of weeks, but it will quickly become full of algae bloom.

Don't pull blanket weed off your pond when it's still alive. This kind of weed will send off spores when you tear it, so you'll only see the weed return in a few days. Instead, wait until it has died to pull it off the pond. You should also avoid letting your pond completely freeze over because this creates a seal that doesn't let any new air enter, which can cause your fish to die. You should also stop feeding your fish because they don't eat in the winter and the extra food will only feed algae in the spring. Finally, don't change the filters. Instead, only clean them so that you keep the beneficial bacteria.

If you have a pond, you can also employ one of the pond management companies in Florida to help you keep yours clean and healthy.