Advice on cleaning an existing pond

[Capt Jack]

I purchased a home in central Utah with an existing pond (one of the determining factors why I wanted the home)

After all the fix-ups required for moving into a home, I'm ready to tackle the job of getting this pond running. The pond is approx 18' x 12' with a 10' waterfall, approx 2600 gals, it is lined with river rock of various sizes. It is completely dry and appears to have been neglected for some time. I have removed all of the dry leaves, however the bottom is filled with about 2-3" algae and other pond scum. I am attempting to remove the scum with a large shop vacuum and using the debris for garden fertilizer. It's a tedious job especially to navigate around the river rock, but am making some progress.

My concern is, even though I'm removing a lot of scum that has collected over the years, I know that I will never remove it entirely, even if I power wash the rocks and bottom liner. Some of the algae is bound to be alive and will soon appear again. I know there is lots of products available to keep the water clear and clean, but want to get it started with as little algae as possible. Can I fill it, get it running and put some chemicals in to completely kill the algae before adding plants and fish? If so, what kind of algaecide do you recommend that just won't give me more deposits on the bottom? Any and all advice would be appreciated.

 

[sissy]

what shape is the liner in and do you know how old the liner is and what kind of liner and if it is loosing water .10 foot waterfall may mean a nice sized pump depending on how wide it is .Does it have a filter .For an algaecide use peroxide it is the safest thing you can use

 

[Capt Jack]

what shape is the liner in and do you know how old the liner is and what kind of liner and if it is loosing water .10 foot waterfall may mean a nice sized pump depending on how wide it is .Does it have a filter .For an algaecide use peroxide it is the safest thing you can use

The liner appears to be in good shape, don't know how old it is, don't know if it leaks til I fill it up and run the pump. It appears to have an adequate pump, and yes has filter and skimmer. The water fall is 10' long, not high.

 

[sissy]

that wouls still take some water to make it move to aerate the water .Can you tell if the liner is epdm or pvc

 

[JohnHuff]

Do not use algaecide or any chemicals! The algae will clear away by itself. And don't think of algae as a bad thing. It consumes ammonia, which kills fish. The only reason why algae overwhelms a pond is if there is an overabundance of nutrients in the water. Think of algae as nature's detoxifier.

 

[mrsclem]

It might be best to try to remove the rock on the bottom. Rocks will just hold more gunk once you get the pond running. Cleaning will be much easier.

 

[dieselplower]

I agree with mrsclem on removing the rocks and also advise against trying to kill the algae.

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome & congratulations on your new home AND pond! How exciting!

I am going to start by asking a few questions, which will give us more info to help you now and in the long run.

1. is this your first experience with a pond?
2. have you had previous experience keeping fish in an aquarium?
3. sounds like it is lined -- can you tell what kind of liner it is [EPDM, PVC, plastic.....]?
4. how much sunlight does/will it get?
5. how deep is it?
6. do you plan to keep fish, plants, both?

Mainly trying to get an idea of your experience level, here [and I'm NO expert, BTW!], but that gives us an idea where to start.

And I'm going to start by NOT even addressing your questions/issues about the algae.....yet, anyway. First things first.....and algae is for later, after the pond is getting established.

• First thing I would focus on [like you are] is getting the pond all cleaned out. Rocks are nice, but on the pond floor they can harbor unhealthy bacteria, and they make it harder to clean the gunk out -- I would get them out of the pond and use them around the pond instead.
• clean it all out, then fill it and check for leaks -- you'll have to assess the waterfall for leaks as well -- let it [the pump] run for a few days and see what happens with the water level -- if you think you have leaks, you need to address that before going any further. Your pond [and pump] has been unused for a while, so there's no telling what condition the liner is in. Same for the pump. Most of the time, if you have a leak it's going to be with the waterfall.
• get the pond going, stocked, planted, whatever your plans are.....
• THEN I would worry about the algae issues --- by NOT worrying about the algae. Algae is normal and healthy. How much you have and what you are willing to tolerate will depend on many factors like how much sun, how much you feed the fish, whether you have plants.... As previously stated, most on the forum don't use or advocate the use of chemicals, but for the suspended algae ["pea soup" kind], UV lights work well. Also, placing a basket filled with folded quilt batting [it's just formed, fluffy polyester -- you buy it in craft departments] where your water can flow through it, like under the falls -- it's wonderful for filtering out the algae. The algae that blankets the pond walls is the GOOD algae and the fish graze on that.

Oh, and last but not least, we LOVE pictures, so if you have any we sure would love to see what you've got!

 

[CometKeith]

Capt Jack, Welcome to gpf=garden pond fanatics! All great advice above. For someone new to ponding the first urge is to have everything clean and pristine so you can show off your pond to friends and family. In reality it can take up to a year to have a well balanced pond that is fully cycled with plants that are beneficial to your pond. The most important thing for the beginner is to have healthy water for your fish and this does not always equal an attractive pond. Fish love algae and after a while it will go mostly away when your pond is established. Also as stated above chemicals are not really needed if you know what you are doing. I would read up on how to cycle a pond so you can learn how ammonia is converted to nitrite and then nitrate. The other thing is do not be tempted to add a lot of fish to your pond until it is fully cycled. It is always better to take it slow in the beginning. Remember more fish always equals more work!! Good Luck!

 

[Capt Jack]

OK! Thanks for all of your replys, soooo, more infor about me and the pond. I am a former biology teacher so understand about thr good bacteria and algae. I have had numerous aquaria and raised some fish. I build and maintained my own outdoor pond with waterfall 10 years ago. I have only that experience, and the pond wasn't this large. My main concern is the accumulation of all the sediment as pictured below. I have already vacuumed a good share of this and used it as fertilizer for the garden. The existing water now in the pond is from an extra dose of my lawn sprinklers needed to soak in grub killer on the lawn, the pond has been dry.

Above pic shows the liner, it's a heavy duty rubber.

As you can see here, there's a lot of rock! I might wash them, but no I'm not going to take them out, so the rocks are going to stay.

Waterfall

Skimmer

 

[JohnHuff]

That looks like a very wide but shallow pond!

 

[Capt Jack]

That looks like a very wide but shallow pond!

At the deepest point, probably 2-2 1/2 ft

 

[JohnHuff]

At the deepest point, probably 2-2 1/2 ft

Well, mine is no more than 2.5" ft deep either so yours should be OK. Look forward to seeing pics of it filled up! The rocks are an interesting feature. I haven't seen a pond with such a rocky bed, but it should be OK too as long as you don't disturb them.

 

[sissy]

looks like epdm 45 mil liner so that is good .i have seen people clean it with a power washer with the low pressure nozzle .