An important step once the pond is built is to ensure you thoroughly clean the dirt and sediment from the rocks and pebbles and remove all dirty water before filling. This may take several rinses to complete. Rapid Clear Flocculant is recommended once cleaned and the system is turned on to help clear any finer dirt particles, and using the Rapid Clear Fine Filter Pads in your Skimmer will greatly assist in the first few weeks.
When starting up an ecosystem pond we recommend adding a full dose of bacteria to seed the filter system with either Clean for Ponds or Maintain for Ponds. After this, continue with regular doses of Maintain for Ponds using either the Automatic Dosing System for ponds up to 12,000 litres or for larger ponds, by adding small amounts from the pump bottles every few days.
For Pondless systems, use regular doses of Prevent for Fountains either through the Automatic Dosing System or the pump bottles.
Don’t forget to add plants to your pond or Pondless system. Plants play a vital role in your pond’s ecosystem. As the aquatic plants start to grow, they will absorb the nutrients in the water. This means they will naturally start to out-compete the algae for the nutrients, reducing algal blooms. You will notice the water becoming clearer as your plants grow and algae is reduced. Another benefit that plants provide, particularly water lilies, is that they shade the surface of the water, keeping it cool while cutting down on the growth of string algae and green water.
An ecosystem pond can take up to 12 months to balance itself, so you can expect to see algae issues in those first 12 months, with string algae being the main challenge for new pond owners. Depending on the severity of the algae, you can either let it go through its cycle and manually remove as much as possible, or treat the pond with Clear for Ponds or SAB Stream & Pond Cleaner to eliminate the algae from the system.
Beneficial bacteria support your pond’s nitrogen cycle by effectively reducing fish waste, organic plant material, sludge, and excess nutrients, while promoting a balanced ecosystem.
These microorganisms naturally occur in rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. While they may also be present in your pond, there might not be enough to sustain a healthy water environment. A healthy balance of good bacteria in your pond helps keep it clean and healthy for the benefit of your fish as well.
It is recommended to rinse and clean your Biofalls or Wetland Filter once to twice a year in order to remove the sludge and excess silt that can build up. The key to a good filter is to have well-established populations of beneficial bacteria, so you don’t want to be rinsing and cleaning too often as you will continually destroy the established bacteria colonies. You don’t want the filter sponges to be clean like new.
Biofalls cleaning is performed by first turning off the pump, then rinsing the filter media with water from your pond or a water tank. Never use chlorinated mains tap water as this will kill all living beneficial bacteria colonies that have taken time to establish. Once cleaned, ensure you add your next dose of bacteria directly to the filter or via the Skimmer.
Wetland Filters will require an annual cleaning to remove sediment build up from the Snorkel. This can be done using a sump pump. Once the wetland is empty, you will then need to use another pump situated in the pond to begin hosing large volumes of water over the wetland area. This flushes any sediment build up into the Centipede and Snorkel while the pump in the Snorkel continually removes the dirty water. Once cleaned,ensure you add your next dose of bacteria directly to the filter or via the Skimmer. Refer to our blog Why Choose a Wetland Filter?
UltraKlean Pressure Filters will require more regular maintenance, with a backwash to be performed as required depending on the pond conditions. As a general rule, this should be done every 2-4 months. We also recommend opening the canister annually, to inspect and clean the Bioballs and replace the UV globe if it has been running 24/7. A reminder to never use tap water as the chlorine will kill off all the beneficial bacteria that have developed in the Bioballs.
The cleaning of your mechanical Skimmer or intake bay should be performed as often as required, based on the conditions and surrounds of your pond. You will need to inspect the Skimmer basket regularly to begin with, until you understand the cleaning requirements. You will also need to regularly check the Filter Media Mat in the Skimmer - which is designed to prevent any larger debris from passing to the pumps and filters - ensuring this is cleaned when required. Your pumps should also be removed, inspected, cleaned and rinsed annually.
Pondless Waterfalls / Stream Maintenance
Pondless Waterfalls require very little maintenance, with the main task being to ensure any fallen leaves and debris are removed from the stream or reservoir area.
If string algae appears in the stream, it can be treated with Prevent for Fountains or SAB Stream & Pond Cleaner to eliminate it from the system. In severe ongoing cases, we recommend adding an IonGen System to control and maintain the algae.
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