Own cozy pond is the dream of any summer resident who paints an idyllic picture with a crystal clear surface reflecting the glare of the sun. But we must not forget that any pond quickly blooms and becomes polluted, and the summer cottage raises the question - how to clean a pond or a small reservoir? After all, only careful care guarantees you a clean, transparent pond with healthy inhabitants.
Causes of pond pollution and solutions
Poor waterproofing
Sometimes pollution of a reservoir can be associated with a violation of the waterproofing system. A concreted bottom or walls can crack, and soil begins to enter through the cracks. The main cause of cracks may be subsidence of the soil or improper preparation of concrete mixture.
We eliminate the leak by closing the cracks with sealant in two layers - now the pond will be tight
To eliminate this problem, you need to drain the pond, clean the cracks and cover them with sealant in two layers. In case of major damage, it is necessary to clean them and cover them first with mastic, and then with a second layer of sealant. But such repairs are not a guarantee that the concrete foundation of the pond will not crack again. The surest way to eliminate leaks is to lay a special plastic mold.
Algae control
The appearance of greenery on the surface of a reservoir becomes one of the main problems in caring for it. The water surface begins to turn green due to the growth of small algae. Algae only worsen the appearance of the reservoir, but do not harm its inhabitants. Algae ponds should be cleaned regularly, chemically, biologically or mechanically.
You can mechanically remove algae with a rake, winding and pulling them ashore. The biological method involves planting along the shores of a reservoir of plants that contribute to shading and the creation of adverse conditions for the growth of algae. The chemical method is more radical and involves the use of special substances - algaecides or dyes.
Each type of drug affects a specific plant, so you can get rid of some species without affecting others.
The use of special filters
Cleaning ponds and ponds with the help of special filters is the most convenient and efficient way. It is enough to put a cleaning filter with a pump and periodically clean it. Filters come in both ordinary mud filters that purify water from large debris and silt, and biofilters with an ultraviolet lamp that prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and help prevent fish diseases.
The principle of operation of cleaning filters consists of suction and filtering water through skimmers, with filtering debris from the bottom and surface of the pond.
The filter, of course, helps out. But to use it you need to bring electricity, and this is not always possible
And here’s how you can make a filter yourself:
Use of specialized vacuum cleaners
Do-it-yourself pond cleaning is possible with the help of a special vacuum cleaner that collects garbage both from the surface of the pond and from the bottom. The principle of operation of a vacuum cleaner consists of suctioning water, filtering through a special filter and removing already purified water through a hose on the other hand.
Cleaning the pond from the sludge is carried out using a bottom vacuum cleaner, it resembles a regular, but without an internal cleaning filter. The bottom vacuum cleaner sucks water inward into the chamber and when it is filled it automatically turns off, the tank must be emptied of sludge.
How to prevent the appearance of turbidity in a pond?
Timely cleaning of reservoirs by the above methods will serve as a guarantee of the purity of the water surface and the health of its inhabitants. But if the pond is heavily contaminated, it must be emptied of water, the bottom, algae and pitfalls must be cleaned with a hose, and then filled with clean water.
Sometimes sludge can rise from the bottom, and the water in the pond darkens or acquires a dark shade, for example, due to the activity of fish or a large pressure of water. To prevent this, you can add special chemical compounds to the water focculants, which contribute to the sedimentation of turbidity at the bottom of the pond.
When water becomes cloudy due to silt, the surface of the pond acquires a brownish tint
Winter-spring planned care
Depending on the volume of the pond, the question of the wintering of the inhabitants is being decided, nothing threatens the fish in the large pond, it’s enough to help them a little. If you have a small pond, the fish will have to be relocated to your home aquarium. Caring for the pond in winter consists in pre-cleaning it from debris, preventing the freezing of the entire surface of the water.
To prevent the accumulation of harmful underwater gas and the access of oxygen to the ice, it is enough to make one large hole and make sure that it does not freeze or lower the special heater, and for small ponds it is necessary to empty all the water for the winter.
A hole in the pond in winter will help fish and algae breathe oxygen
But when spring warm days come, the need arises to put the pond in order after a long winter. Check wiring and pump. Remove the net from the surface, if it was, remove debris and clean the pond.
In the last month of spring, you can plant plants. It is more convenient to plant them in baskets or boxes, it will be enough to remove them when cleaning the pond. It is also worth feeding the overwintered, weakened underwater plants with special fertilizers. A small bag with top dressing is placed in a layer of gravel under the plant.
In the spring, they begin to feed the fish as soon as they begin to rise to the surface of the reservoir. At this time, the fish are weakened, so 1 time in 2-3 days they give a dry artificial food, adding chopped worms and daphnia
All these simple events will help you enjoy the beauty of your pond for many years.
