4 Maintenance Tips For A Thriving Wildlife Pond | OrganicPond
Warm weather and long hours of sunlight can cause stress for pond owners when the beauty of your pond suddenly changes! Algae presents, weeds increase, water clarity is reduced or, worst of all, fish suddenly die. It’s best to always be mindful and proactive about the condition of your pond so you don’t find yourself trying to recover the splendor that you enjoyed for the past few months. Here are four simple tips that can help you keep your pond properly maintained and looking beautiful all year round.
Have a Variety of Plants
The introduction of a diverse group of plants will help your pond in many ways. Trees, bushes, and other plant life around the edges of your pond also add important shade to your pond. Certain plants bring in different types of wildlife to your pond to help boost its ecosystem and support your pond’s health.
Lillies and other large floating plants enable frogs to lay eggs. Frogs are important to pond health because they feed on algae and can help keep it under control. Planting cattails and other low vegetation around your pond can provide shelter and cool shade that will bring in a large variety of songbirds and ecologically important predators like snakes. If you were to introduce flowering plants you will see more pollinating insects. These bugs will attract all manner of birds, small mammals, and reptiles to feed. Helping fish and frogs to establish themselves is great as many species feed on algae.
Introduce the Proper Fish
Fish are a very important factor in the health of the water, and they are great indicators of your pond’s ecosystem. Fish help keep the ecosystem of your pond in balance, assist in keeping it clean and make it look more beautiful with their aesthetic. Fish dying is a major red flag.
There are a lot of great and beautiful options of fish to add to your pond. It all depends on what you’re looking for in the fish you add and how much space you have. Make sure not to overcrowd your pond with too many fish. This can upset the environment causing issues to your pond and will likely lead to the demise of the fish. When in doubt, start off with fewer fish than you think because they will also be reproducing in the right ecosystem.
Some fish are very delicate, they have to have a certain temperature to thrive in your body of water, or certain other elements such as plants to be able to properly survive. A great organic product to help manage algae and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) in ponds with sensitive fish is the OMRI-certified product Phycomycin® SCP Algaecide/Cyanobacteriocide. Treating adds >13% bio-available oxygen to the water. Another Certified Organic Algaecide that’s safe to use is Pak 27, especially in water bodies with Koi and trout.
Control Algae
You should note that having some algae is natural and healthy. It’s actually crucial for your pond’s ecosystem, health, and proper functioning. Fish and other aquatic species feed on it. But there is a happy medium to algae. Having too much can become a major issue and eyesore. Algae thrive with light and warmth. That’s why you’ll see algae blooms in the hottest times of the year.
A great way to manage algae growth is to limit the amount of sunlight that hits the water. One great way to do that is with pond dye. Pond dyes block the wavelengths of light that are necessary for photosynthesis. The upper two feet of the water column remain productive and provide food for fish. Organic Pond’s proprietary blends are manufactured using the densest, commercially available dye on the market. pureBLACK™ pond dye offers a reflective natural-deep black tint. It is excellent at creating a surface reflection around golf greens and scenic backdrops. Another option is pureBLUE™ pond dye, which colors your pond a brilliant natural blue (not a light tropical tint.). It is up to 20% more powerful than most other gallons and at least that to all quarts (so-called super quarts). One gallon will dye a one-acre pond 4 ft. deep depending on flow-through, etc. for 5-6 weeks.
Pump Up the Oxygen
Last, but not least, adding more oxygen to your pond is very helpful to manage bacteria without harming fish. Oxygen depletion can occur due to overabundant organic decay which consumes oxygen. Depletion can also happen through seasonal temperature fluctuations, such as when summer temps cause the water column to stratify.
Adding an aeration pump to your pond is a great solution to increase water motion. Aerators pump diffused air from the bottom of your pond up to the surface, pushing air through the decaying organic matter where it is most concentrated and stagnant. Browse a great line of Vertex Aerators for ponds and large lakes to increase water clarity, reduce odors and muck, as well as eliminate thermal stratification and stagnation. Self-cleaning flexible membrane openings prevent clogging in the dirtiest of lakes. Superior materials, advanced engineering, and attention to detail ensure Vertex’s products are built for rugged dependability.
Use these simple tips to keep your wildlife pond clean and clear! If you’re having additional problems and need extra help, Organic Pond is here for you! We can match you to the right product that will be safe for your fish, the wildlife the pond supports, your family, as well as the lawns and gardens that your pond may irrigate. Professional advice and feedback is always free. Call (888) 986-9995 or send pictures of any pond problem or concern you’re facing to jim@organicpond.com
We treat ponds ourselves and know the issues and difficulties that pond owners face. We have the products and techniques to solve such problems without the concern of harming any wildlife. Organic Pond Owner, Jim Selke is dedicated to helping Homeowners, Property Managers, Businesses, Commercial Contractors, Municipalities & Military Bases with their pond care needs. Call 888-986-9995 anytime and join our newsletter for tips and discounts!