Pond Kit Maintenance
HOW DO I KEEP THE WATER CLEAN, AND NOT GREEN?
Every pond kit comes with a pond guide that gives you tips on water care, specific to how you might be using your pond. If you are creating an artificially decorated pond with no aquatic life contained in the water, you could simply use small amounts of bleach or chlorine to treat the water, and run a very low maintenance pond. If you have fish or water plants, you are creating your own little biosphere. Once established, many pond plants will help keep the water clear. Check out our What about algae? FAQ section for more!
HOW HARD IS IT TO GET MY NEW POND ESTABLISHED?
The most important part of any pond is to establish a natural ecological balance, the same way it works in nature. Once this natural balance is achieved, a complete cycle will take place. The fish waste and dead vegetation will be consumed by bacteria, snails, & zooplankton. They eventually convert the waste into a form of fertilizer that the plants can use. This cycle is fairly easy to establish, but depends upon stocking a pond with the right amount of fish, plants, maintaining good water quality and enough sunlight for the plants to thrive. There is more detailed information in our Aquatic Gardening section below.
I WANT A LOW MAINTENANCE WATER FEATURE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
The lowest maintenance is generally achieved by using artificial decorations, limiting exposure to direct sunlight, and adding small amounts of water treatments to control the bacteria which feed the growth of algae, etc. With fish and live plants, the right combination can help filter and clean the water, while the wrong combination will have the opposite effect.
WILL MOSQUITOES BREED IN MY POND?
Mosquitoes breed in calm water. Having a pump in your pond to keep the water circulating adequately helps greatly. However even with a large pump, small pockets of still water are often present in the pond where they can breed. Not to worry, mosquito larvae are a favorite natural food for small koi and goldfish, so they will keep your pond free of mosquitoes. If you choose to not have fish you can use Mosquito Dunks, a natural, safe way to control mosquitoes.
WHAT KIND OF MAINTENANCE DOES THE LINER REQUIRE?
The liner is designed to give you many years of worry free use. There is no regular maintenance required at all. When cleaning is required, simply wipe the liner with a damp cloth. Never use any detergent or other cleansers if you have fish or plants, or ever intend to.