Leaves in the pond

[Kurtkoinut]

I apologize in advance if my searches overlooked this answer. I tried but never found my question.

I've read plenty about others using big nets, etc to keep the leaves out of the water. I've also read that it's not good to let them pile up on the ponds bottom. The one thing I cannot find, is why. Aside from pump clogs, what other issues can the leaves cause?

 

[brokensword]

anytime you have decaying biomatter (leaves are just one type), you have the risk of unbalancing your pond. Bacteria growth lags to the decomposition cycle. And especially in winter as the bacteria go dormant (or die back), the decay process continues with the release of toxic gases, which, if not allowed to escape through the ice, can claim the lives of your fish. The idea is to keep as much decaying organics out of the water column as possible so the balance can be maintained. These organics also promote the free floating algal blooms so many detest, don'tcha know?

Hope this helps.

 

[Kurtkoinut]

Very good answers. Thank you very much!!

Now to go clean my pond.....