Pond & Water Feature Maintenance

Nature Ponds 

To keep a nature pond well balanced the right quantity of pond plants must be maintained in the pond to allow nature to thrive and to keep the water relatively clear. To achieve this the surface water of the pond must be covered around two thirds in pond planting. This can be achieved using a marginal, deep water and floating pond plants.

We use a variety of plants to achieve this including lily plants, oxygenating plants like hornwort and spreading marginal plants like Veronica Beccabunga. All these plants need to be maintained to ensure they do not overtake the others just like weeds in your garden!

Regular maintenance of trimming back plants and removing excess debris from the pond, de heading the lily plants will ensure your pond stays healthy for many years.

When the pond gets excessively overgrown a full clean is required, on nature ponds the ideal time to do this is in the winter months after the Autumn fall. This is when all plants have died back and most of the nature has migrated form the pond to the surrounding area of the pond like newts and frogs. Pond insects are at there lowest levels so the minimal disruption to pond life is achieved. This also allows time for the pond to re establish for the following season.

Although not essential a nature friendly pond pump is always welcome as this adds movement and oxygen to the pond so it does not go stagnant.

If your nature pond needs attention or requires regular maintenance from us please call, email or fill out the enquiry form below.

Koi & Fish Ponds

Keeping a fish pond requires more regular maintenance than a nature pond. Pond pumps need to be kept clear of debris, filters need to be regularly serviced, UV bulbs need to be changed at least every 12 months and water tested on a regular basis to ensure you don't run into bad water quality problems.

The pond pump we would advise to be taken out of the pond once a month and open up the cage or surround of the pump and clear it of any debris. Check the inlet of the pump that there is nothing obstructing the impellor which could slow or stop the pump working.

Filters require cleaning on a regular basis this does vary from filter to filter and you will find a routine that suits the pond and equipment. The most common mistake is the cleaning is done with a hose from mains water, this is very detrimental to the filter media and disrupts the bacteria that ensure the water coming back into your pond is of good quality for the fish. Always clean your filters using pond water!

Ultra Violet UV lamps should be changed at least every 12 months, we advise this to be done at the start of the spring season as the bulb is at its strongest for the first 6 months of its life span.

Regular water testing can help with preventing sudden large swings in water quality. For example one of the biggest problems can be a PH crash where the water drops to acidic levels and this can very quickly be fatal for your fish. 

As with a nature pond keeping a fish pond clear of debris is important, regular netting of leaves and trimming of plants is advised.

Especially for pump fed Koi ponds (those without bottom drains) as they are more sensitive to unhealthy environment we recommend they get cleaned out once a year to ensure debris build does not cause any disease.

If you would like help with looking after your koi or fish pond we provide a variety of services including pond cleans and regular maintenance, please call, email or fill out the enquiry form below.

Water Features

We often get called out to water features that have deteriorated in performance over time or have stopped working all together. It is possible for us to strip them down clean out the reservoirs, flush out the pipe work and service the pumps and get them back to there full running capacity. If you require this service please call, email or fill out the enquiry form below.

Common Pond Problems

Water Loss

 

 

 

 

A pond can loose water for a variety of reasons, whenever we have enquiry for a leaking pond we ask the customer to switch off all the pond equipment fill the pond up to its usual level and monitor the level for a day. If the pond stays up it means there is a problem with the equipment or features outside of the pond for example a broken pipe or leaking waterfall.

If the level continues to drop with everything isolated it means there is a leak in the lining. Whatever the case may be we can do a site visit asses the problem and fix the leak. Should the liner be very old or of poor quality we can also estimate the replacement of this using the best solution and materials possible. Please call, email or fill out the enquiry form below. 

Green Water  

There are several causes for green water in the pond, in a nature pond a lack of planting is the most common problem and as above covering the pond with two thirds of cover will help clear the water.
On fish ponds the most common cause is the age or failure of the UV bulb or unit. UV bulbs start to loose there power after 6 months which is why we always recommend changing them at the start of the season. If the unit is not working at all then there will be nothing to clump the algae together so that it can be removed by your filter.
Water quality can also affect the water for example high PH can cause algae blooms, and with this so can overstocking of the pond or tipping the capacity of your filter system as your fish grow what once might have kept your pond clear may no longer be the case.
If this is a problem for you we can do detailed analysis of the pond and rectify the issue of green water. Please call, email or fill out the enquiry form below.

Brown Water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This usually means the pond is well overdue a good clean out!

Loosing Fish

If you have followed the steps talked about above and all water tests are coming back good then it probably means your fish have parasites. This can be caused by a dip in water quality, introducing new fish or be bought into the pond on other animals transferring water from another pond on their bodies e.g. ducks and frogs.

Time is of the essence to treat this as early as possible, we advise if possible to catch some of the fish and bring them to the shop where we can analyse a skin scrape of the fish and provide you with a detailed course of treatment to get your Koi or fish back to good health. For more serious cases or larger fish we can arrange for a Koi expert to visit the pond.

Should you require any other advise or help with your pond please get in contact.