how to keep pond water clear without a filter

The more oxygen you can provide to your waters, the happier they’ll be in the environment. Running water prevents mosquitos from breeding. Stocking guidelines may differ slightly per individual species. Sorry for the slow reply! Whether or not your pond should use a filter will come down to the amount and type of pond fish you have stocked, the size of the pond, and the amount of waste and debris your pond accumulates. Mike. I have various questions, all to see if I can cut down on the gunk & need for so much filter-cleaning. Thank you so much for visiting the site, and for the compliment! If the muck is constantly causing the filters to clog due to being stirred up, and you wanted to reduce this, simply vacuuming around the shallow banks and areas closest to the filter pump/in-take may be a good way to reduce filter cleaning. Why is my Koi Pond Foamy? The problem with pond vacuums is they’ll also suck up small animals, such as tadpoles, newts, and frogs, so care should be taken during cleaning. Bay 2: Blue matting – This is an excellent filter media as it has a large surface area giving it an excellent bio-mass retention. 4. Clean your pond pump and pond filter when you ... more and growing quickly you will need to maintain your pump and filter regularly to ensure the filtration system can keep up with the increase in waste. ), and inside are 5 adult goldfish and a myriad of frogs, newts and an occasional turtle. Alternatively, you could try installing a regular skimmer system to catch floating debris before it sinks, or check into a floating lake skimmer system designed for water bodies with changing annual water levels. ‘Dirty’ water doesn’t always mean unhealthy water, and many wildlife ponds I’ve worked on have been very mucky but still have had good general water quality. If so, were the fish happy and healthy? I’d say the system is good, but just be sure to keep a close eye on your water quality parameters over a 6-12 month period and note any potential problems with pH or water quality; and adjust accordingly. This is excellent information, thank you! As well as this, water from our mains supply has high levels of both chlorine and chloramine – both of which are highly toxic to aquatic life. Let me know if you have any other questions! Your pond has a natural system of water … Pond filters can save you time from having to do a lot of manual pond cleaning. And what plants and species can also be part of that pond as a filter? Is there anything else I should add to keep the fish alive during the winter? Not only is overfeeding a waste of money, but it will hurt your water quality and decrease oxygen levels, as well. Once this is done shall i still treat the water for the fungal problem? Could I ask, was the pond around a long time before you added the filter system? Yeah, it’s much easier to find larger commercial air compressors in the USA as ponds are, in-general, larger than their UK-counterparts. If you do not keep fish, a filter is not absolutely necessary, however, such a pond filter will keep the water clear and it is installed in no time. Pond without filter or pump? I have a small wildlife pond which seems to be balanced ( except after the frogspawn has started to decay, when it temporarily becomes nutrient enriched). A skimmer is a mechanical filter. On the other hand, in a pond with only small fish, or no fish at all, the bio-load will be relatively small, so healthy water can sometimes be maintained with good maintenance and natural biological filtration (bacteria). Are there any plants you'd recommend? If we don't keep up with it, your turtle's water will very quickly get dirty and smelly, and your turtles will become ill. How to Keep the Water in Your Turtle's Tank Clean. It is rain-fed only (no filter nor spring).The goldfish reproduced this summer and there are a few little ones in the mix now. If you have a fish pond, water changes are an effective way to reduce excess nutrients and harmful substances (like ammonia and nitrites) that can rapidly build-up. Does concrete work for this? Could I ask what type of minnows you’re looking at here? I am intending on using both a solar filtration kit and pond plants. How to Keep Pond Water Clean . I try to keep on top of comments a few times a week, but it’s been a busy end of season for me, so I’ve been a little slow on the website side of things! Fish are rudd and tench plus one larger common carp about 4lbs weight. Buying through links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission. It may be more natural than a plastic filter box, but it still requires an electrical pump to move sufficient water through the main plant chamber for filtration to occur. Solar-powered pumps aren’t going to be as strong as their electrical outlet powered counterparts, so you’ll be limited by the amount of water you can even push through a filter. Flow will stop insects laying eggs in the water, which will contribute to waste, and will also provide more oxygen for beneficial bacteria to break down waste. May 17, 2020 - How to keep a pond clean without a filter system, as well tips for maintaining clear pond water, good water quality, and low waste. I hope it’s the same for you. If your water quality test results are showing low ammonia and healthy parameters, more plants likely would not help much and would be more a personal choice. It gets cleaned out like once a year. It’s always very interesting to hear from someone with a much larger pond and less common fish species. Even though these bacteria populations comes naturally with ponds, the highest concentration will be within your filter box, which is why they’re so important for heavy bio-load systems. However, you can skim it out with a net like you mentioned as well! The best method would be to add a form of aeration, such as a fountain or air pump, and then clean just the top layers of sludge every few months, leaving a small amount behind. How to Keep a Duck Pond Clean Naturally . Muddy water becomes clear with just a few household items Here are a few ways to keep your pond water crystal clear … ***Pond Filtration*** Do I need a filter on my fish pond? However, due to the enclosed nature of ponds, and how easily waste substances can build, it’s very difficult to maintain good water quality as stock levels increase. The goldfish has now sadly died. If so, my guess is that your pond already has a huge quantity of biological filtration (natural bacteria) present throughout the whole system due to its size and maturity. It’s wonderful to hear feedback from readers . 1 Hornwort Bunch - 5+ Stems | Ceratophyllum Demersum. I dont have a lot of money but bought a second hand 160 x 160 fibreglass pond. Historically both rudd & tench have bred in it – I worry now that it is so clean and clear will this hinder the fish breeding (they must feel very exposed now!)? In other words, barley straw should help prevent planktonic algae from growing, which will help keep your water clean and clear. © 2020 Pond Academy. And pond plants help consume those excess nutrients so algae and pond weeds can’t get out of control. New pond owners might not be as cognizant at first, but there’s plenty of time for you to understand what your water garden needs to stay clear and healthy. There are ways to clear your pond water without using any of these harmful chemicals. The only time we’d suggest keeping fish in a pond without a filter is with lightly stocked goldfish in a heavily planted pond with regular maintenance. I would urge you to treat your entire pond rather than just quarantining the one fish, as fungal infections can take some time to show up and it may be present in the rest of the pond without showing visible signs yet. Would love to know any answers to the 2 questions in earlier post about pond vacs too. My pond I’d about 6ft x 5ft and have a lot of fish (they keep spawning and producing more babies) and not sure what I can do about that, But my pond has started to lose water so I have turned off the pump to investigate and I was wondering how long would it be safe without the pump and filtration system on., just to add to the problem I’m going away for 3 days, any advice would be very helpful. Now I put a new barley straw bundle in both of my little garden fish ponds in the spring as part of my regular small pond maintenance schedule. If I do do that should I add an aereator to run during the winter months when filter is off? Any fish that browse on the bottom primarily for food will contribute more than fish that hunt equally on all levels. If I was in your situation, and building on the above advice, I’d firstly take a broad range water quality test and take note of readings for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH and KH (alkalinity). However, when a ponds waste levels exceed the ponds biological filtration capacity, the eco-system will begin to suffer as oxygen content lowers and water quality degrades. Your water may be clear, but your fish might be acting differently, which can signify that something might be a little off in your pond’s water. A pond rake, while excellent for removing debris and weeds, might not be the best option to remove sludge as the tines can puncture your pond liner. Seemingly small things like air temperature shifts, more leaves than usual falling into the pond, etc. However, my long-term concern here would be the potential for high pH swings in the absence of carbonates. Rain water contains dissolved carbon dioxide (as carbonic acid) which will eventually deplete your alkalinity/KH buffer, reduce bacteria efficiency (they require carbonates), and open the system to potential pH crashes. This is a more natural type of filter which works by slowly pumping water through a concentrated section of plants, which will work to absorb substances as the water passes through. When refilling your pond, be sure to dechlorinate the water if you are using tap water. 7) Any kind of plants will help remove excess nutrients (and to an extent, the actual sludge), but they will also drop foliage, seeds, and pollen which will contribute to the bottom muck. Pond plants will ensure that excess nutrients and harmful substances are absorbed, whilst also working to keep away nuisance algae and weeds. The best time to clean a pond of sludge is the end of autumn in preparation for winter where ponds freeze over, as this is when fish are most vulnerable. Yes the pond is well established, it was enlarged about 15 years ago so has been in place in its current state since then. I plan to keep the ice at bay this winter to keep oxygen levels up, and I’ve been skimming the leaves off the surface this fall (I live in Pennsylvania). As a side benefit, a pond aerator will help provide movement to the surface of your pond, which effectively stops mosquitos from breeding in your pond and prevents algae from overtaking the surface. It also indicates that the levels of muck/gunk are not so high that they’re causing major issues, so the decision on whether to lower them would be another of personal preference. While there’s no hard and fast rule of when you should consider a filtration system, just keep in mind that the more fish you have, the more waste is produced through excrement and wasted fish food. 28 Mar 2019 Landscape Services. And I also saw your link about the Pond Fishes that eats larvae to prevent mosquitoes. Pond filters are useful in ponds that have a large population of fish, because they remove waste products from fish and any plant debris, helping keep the water clear. Using a proper pond filter you can keep your pond water beautifully clear and clean. The barley straw works to naturally keep aquariums and fountain water clear—without the need for synthetic chemicals. This is a reason that stagnant ponds are often green and smelly, as the lack of aeration makes an ideal breeding ground for algae, mosquitoes, and slow-digesting bacteria which produce the smell of rotten eggs. A bog filter isn’t going to be able to provide enough filtration for heavy stocked ponds or koi ponds, so in these cases, you would still need to install a regular filtration system. I’d hazard a guess and say they’ll continue to breed without trouble, as water quality in my experience is the main limiting factor rather than clarity, especially in such a large and mature pond as yours. Beneficial bacteria which are at the heart of a ponds biological filtration system require large amounts of oxygen to function efficiently. I have a filter but with a recent power outage, I was not happy with my pond's coloring--my fish survived, but the pond is directly under the sun and turned a lovely shade of green. Having said that, by combining the steps above to maintaining a pond without a filter, and utilizing a solar pond pump with filter setup (which could potentially double as your filter and aerator), could be an effective way to keep your pond crystal clear without using any electricity! When I restart in April/May is it safest/best to add bacteria, or do I re-test the water before re-starting it and then see? How to keep water clean without running pump and filter? You can increase the number of beneficial bacteria in your pond by providing an adequate substrate for the bacteria to grow on and providing sufficient oxygen through aeration. How To Keep Pond Water Clear Naturally. The micro-organisms keep the water clean, and keep it from smelling. Even without a filter for a few months, I think your water quality would likely hold strong, and you may not even see a drop in water clarity until Spring when temperatures begin to rise and wildlife and fish become more active. A bit of bottom sludge is good for a pond as it acts as a natural fertilizer, but too much can cause water clarity problems, so we recommend cleaning out a layer of sludge at least once a year to combat this. You could add one, or a combination of the two, as both will help with the main issue of winter – lack of gas exchange! Benefits: Adds oxygen, creates surface movement, improves beneficial bacteria, and deters mosquitoes. What are some methods to keep pond water clear without a filter? You can safely change up to 30% of the total water volume in the pond without negatively affecting the fish or plants. In-fact, for a wildlife pond without a filter, we’d say at least 60% of your pond should be populated by pond plants for maximum benefits. Is using a beneficial bacteria product absolutely necessary? This process is called the nitrogen cycle, and will occur in all ponds with enough oxygen, organic waste, and room for bacteria to populate. Utilize A UV Sterilizer For prevention, we recommend installing a high quality pond net which will help catch fallen leaves and twigs before they can sink in the pond and contribute to sludge. That makes it get dirty very quickly. you will run out of algae! And should I treat the whole pond with it? So, if you’re ready to go for it, let’s look at how to keep your pond clean without a filtration system. I’m very glad to hear the site has been helpful to you! Hi, thanks for getting back to me. 7. As well as this, algae can quickly overtake a stagnant pond and mosquitoes love laying their eggs in slow moving water – both of which you should try to avoid to you want a clean pond. Pond water will become often turbid and dirty after a lapse of time. Thankfully, there are many natural methods you can employ to keep your pond clean. In terms of the filter, I’d advise you empty it out until spring. Since the majority of sludge in many ponds is due to fallen leaves and twigs, installing pond netting or a skimmer system is an easy way to prevent is getting out of hand in future. All ponds need some cleaning and maintenance to keep the water clear, but once your pond reaches a state of balance, cleaning and maintenance should stay at a minimal. A more manual way is to use a telescoping pond net or pond rake to remove debris. 6. Even though they’re very efficient in natural wildlife ponds, they’re not always the best choice for ponds with fish. For overwintering your fish, you should try to find a way to keep the water mixed up during the winter, so that it doesn’t freeze. Adding pond plants is one of the best long-term ways to keep pond water healthy and clear; and the more you can add, the better! Two weeks ago I opened my pool (21' round that came with the home I bought last winter), and with some help was able to get it up and running. One small barley straw bundle lasts all summer. Hear feedback from readers % of it is also one of the best ways to clear your pond re-colonize clean. Must consider the amount of surface water, and it only takes a minutes. Water is seldom clear for very long and changing the water test look... Remove excess waste substances are absorbed, whilst also working to keep pond water clear naturally, without using proper... Volume in the pond every week, and can remove any harmful how to keep pond water clear without a filter... I should add to keep your ponds pump, or more manual is. Quality checks, just wondering if you would like to make a may... And without using a filter system Hyacinths floating water garden enthusiasts understand the basic operation necessities... Hi love your site very interesting, just to be sure to pond. 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