Professional Tips for Your Water Feature Maintenance

Water feature maintenance is incredibly important. While it can be easy to get carried away in the beauty of water features, it's vital to keep in mind the value of having a good water maintenance routine.

There are many different facets to water feature maintenance. Depending on the type of feature you have, the location, and the climate, your maintenance needs will vary.

Today, we explore the reasons why water feature maintenance is highly important, and cover a few products available to simplify the process and help to keep your water feature in top condition.

Why water features need maintenance

 Your water feature is an investment, and it's a good idea to regularly maintain it to ensure it looks its best.

Ponds, streams and waterfalls have an intricate ecosystem that can very easily be thrown out of balance, potentially leading to problems such as algal blooms, fish stress and water quality issues.

A neglected water feature can quickly become an eyesore and a space for mosquitoes to breed.

Here are some of the main reasons to keep on top of your water feature maintenance:

To prevent algae growth

Algae can quickly take over a water feature if it's not kept in check. String and green algae are two of the most common types of algae to grow in ponds.

This pesky inconvenience cause problems such as clogging filters, making the water murky and affecting the health of your fish.

Algae often occurs when there's a build-up of fish waste, fish food, or other decaying debris. You can keep pond algae in check by installing a high-quality pond filter and regularly emptying the filter basket, manually removing excess debris with a pond net, and adding debris-reducing treatments to your pond water.

To ensure good water quality

It's important to test your water regularly to ensure it meets the required standards. Depending on what type of water feature you have, this might mean testing for ammonia, copper, or checking alkalinity levels. You can test your water with a simple water test kit.

Having a good filter and pump in place can help to keep your water healthy. These products circulate the water, removing waste and debris.

To keep fish happy and healthy

Fish are often an essential part of a water feature, and as living things, it's vital to keep them healthy and happy. A good water maintenance routine will help to ensure that your fish are happy and stress-free.

Happy fish like to snack on mosquito larvae, algae, and other bits of debris that might find its way into your pond.

To stop mosquitoes from breeding

If you neglect to maintain your pond for too long, you may notice an influx of mosquito larvae. Not only are these pests a nuisance, but they can also carry diseases.

You can prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your pond by maintaining good water quality, keeping the water moving with a pump or aerator, and regularly removing debris.

Check out our article on How to Stop Mosquitoes Breeding in Your Outdoor Water Feature for more information.

Water feature maintenance products

There are many different water feature maintenance products. What you need for your pond will depend on a number of variables, including the size, type, and location of your pond.

Here are some water feature maintenance products to keep your pond in top condition:

Pond filter

A pond filter is an important part of any water feature maintenance. There are many different types of filters available on the market. Depending on the size and type of your pond, you might need a Biofalls Filter, Pond Waterfall Filter, UltraKlean Pressure Filter, or a Submersible Pond Filter.

Pond filters help to remove debris and waste from your water, keeping it clean and clear.

Beneficial Bacteria

Aquascape Beneficial Bacteria is designed to effectively reduce sludge, fish waste, organic plant material, and excess nutrients within a pond. This cuts back your pond maintenance time. It contains eight pure strains of concentrated beneficial bacteria and is safe for fish, pets, and wildlife.

SAB Stream & Pond Cleaner

Combining enzymes with concentrated beneficial bacteria, SAB Stream & Pond Cleaner helps provide clean, clear and healthy water conditions within a feature. It reduces ammonia and nitrates, and contains a powerful phosphate binder. Coming with a measuring cup and dosage guide, it's super simple and easy to add this treatment to your water feature.

Maintain for Ponds

Aquascape stocks a number of "Simple Solutions Treatments for Ponds" products, including Clean for Ponds, Clear for Ponds, and Maintain for Ponds. This treatment contains a a powerful blend of flocculent, phosphate binder, beneficial bacteria, and pond detoxifier. The phosphate binder locks up excess nutrients while the flocculent clears cloudy water as it clumps suspended debris together. Maintain for Pond also includes lithotrophic, heterotropic, and photosynthetic bacteria strains for healthy pond water.

Automatic Dosing System

Don't have time to manually apply water feature maintenancetreatments? You may like to consider our Automatic Dosing System. This system automatically adds water treatments to your pond, so you won't need to worry about setting a schedule for doing it manually, or having to figure out how much to put in each time. The control panel is fully programmable and the system can be adjusted to suit your pond's specific size.

Pond nets

Pond nets are incredibly handy for keeping leaves and other debris out of your pond. We recommend using a pond net with a fine mesh to catch smaller pieces of debris. Nets with extendable handles are particularly easy to use for larger ponds, allowing you to stand on the edge and move the netting over the pond's surface. These nets also have the handy feature of being able to safely move fish during thorough pond cleans.

Learn more about water feature maintenance on our comprehensive pond maintenance page. Remember, if you don't have the time to complete regular water feature maintenance yourself, you can always contact a local Certified Aquascape Contractor (CAC) to lend a hand. Our CACs are experienced with water feature creation and maintenance, and can provide assistance.