Cleaning silt etc. from bottom of pond

[Lisak1]

Gotcha. I'd suggest you start a new post to get more responses, but I can get you started.

Tell us a bit about your pond - how big, what kind of filtration, fish - how many and what kind and how big - what kind of aeration are you using, what kind of treatments have you done. Basically anything you can share about your pond will be helpful!

Emptying is usually the last resort, but if you truly have so much debris in the bottom that you can't scoop it with a net then emptying may be the only solution.

 

[Kathi]

It’s about 1500 gallons.....12 gold fish that are big ......I have a pump hooked up to the uv clarifier and hooked up to a waterfall filter with bioballs. I don’t have any plants I have had bad luck with plants!

 

[Lisak1]

I don’t have any plants I have had bad luck with plants!

You'll never have a complete eco-system without plants in the pond. What have you tried? We'll make some recommendations and not only will your pond function better, it will be prettier!

 

[GBBUDD]

I agree with lisa . no plants = an imballance

 

[Casbah]

It was waving green algae and now it’s brown!

I'm a total noob to ponding; I've had fish before but not on this scale. My pond was neglected for at least 10 years before I started to clean it and the fight with the sludge began. Your pretty green hair algae is covered with it and that's why it's brown. I can look in my pond and see exactly the same, even on the roots of my plants.

Dunno how you got where you are but I'm more than happy to share my efforts and outcomes.

 

[Kathi]

Right now I’m trying to filter all the brown dead algae out

 

[GBBUDD]

we call it dead!!!!!!
plants and algae call it super foods

 

[Sisha]

Put on your old shoes and get in there and start cutting and ripping ALL the lilies out. I removed 7 wheel barrow loads from mine, sorted out the rubbish from the viable plants, put in a large black tub, kept 6 and sold the rest. The $400 paid for a pump upgrade and 2 different coloured lilies. My originals are loving the room.

 

[AndyB]

My pond is 25 years old and was originally 4 feet deep, it is now not more like 2 feet deep. The bottom is full of mud and roots. The lilies that were originally in bags have spread throughout the pond.
Is there a correct or better still an easy way to clean it out. My biggest fear is loosing the Lillies.
I've included a a late fall shot and one from summer.
View attachment 124283View attachment 124284

I ripped out all the Lillies except I left 2 feet x 3 feet of mud and roots. Should I refill the pond?
PS I never drained the pond

 

[AndyB]

Put on your old shoes and get in there and start cutting and ripping ALL the lilies out. I removed 7 wheel barrow loads from mine, sorted out the rubbish from the viable plants, put in a large black tub, kept 6 and sold the rest. The $400 paid for a pump upgrade and 2 different coloured lilies. My originals are loving the room.

I was going to control the 2x3 foot Lillies by a muck vacuum and pucks and ripping out Lilly roots every year