Perfectly clear pond water in Minnesota? Yes, if you use beneficial bacteria! Be ready for that graduation party by starting now. Here are the details…
You can have very clean pond water! But how, you ask? Here is the short version:
You need to be on offense! Algae, which is the main cause of cloudy water, is a plant just eating nutrients in your pond water. If there are lots of nutrients available, your pond will have lots of algae. Be proactive and start adding beneficial bacteria now! The bacteria breaks down excess nutrients so algae can’t use it.
What do I do?
Ponds are all about balancing the ecosystem.
First, remove unwanted debris like rotten leaves; trim back plants, & spray the rocks.
Second, add bacteria. An automatic dosing system will do this for you and will keep your pond clean and clear even while you go on vacation or go to work! We highly recommend these systems but if you enjoy working with your pond, beneficial bacteria can be added by hand, too.
Add beneficial bacteria every week starting with a special blend called cold water bacteria. Even better- add it every day for the first 2-3 days after your pond is up and running.
The longer story about pond water:
A pond is a living community of organisms and bacteria are a big part of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Every living organism on the planet (or your backyard pond!) is competing against other things in the food web, or nutrient flow. Each piece needs food, light, air, and space to grow. A clean pond can and should be a healthy pond. It means we are carefully controlling desired species that will out-compete the undesirable ones.
The goal of having perfectly clean pond water may be a bit unrealistic because healthy does not mean sterilized. If you want a sterilized pond, it will look a lot more like a pool with nothing living in it. But if your goal is “healthy pond“, then we can do something! A healthy pond will have clear water, living fish, living plants, and living bacteria. You may see a few dead leaves dropped into the water and rotting but, never fear! Your bacteria will take care of that in a few days!
Beneficial bacteria do your cleaning work for you. Aquascape’s beneficial bacteria mixes contain a specific blend of bacteria that will colonize the pond ecosystem quickly. This is a key part to maintaining clean water! Once a healthy population is established, it is much, much easier to keep your pond looking great!
In spring, as soon as your pond is up and running, add cold water bacteria. Do this at least weekly, and if you really are on top if it, add the bacteria daily for the first few days after the pond is turned on. As the water warms up, add warm water bacteria. (Different species can handle different temperatures.)
As the weather warms up, different species of algae start to grow. If you find yourself with a big colony of string algae, sprinkle Waterfall & Rock Cleaner directly on the algae. (This is the link to the professional grade stuff which works very well.) You will notice foaming and bubbling as the bacteria starts to work. Make sure the water keeps flowing. This provides additional oxygen to the fish and plants as the bacteria works.
As Greg Wittstock has always said, “Work with Mother Nature, not against her.“
Clean ponds and clear water are attainable! If you have further questions or need some help cleaning your pond, please give us a call!