New pond help please!

[Blacksmiths]

I’ve inherited a pond which needs help! I’m not sure where to start, or what to do first. Any advice welcome.

thank you

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for the pictures, those always help. Lots of plants is a good thing but looks like there is also a lot of hair algae and other debris that should be netted out. I see a cord going in to the water is there a pump running? Any info on pump type and size, water depth and dimensions would be helpful. Any fish currently in there-size, number?

 

[Tula]

Welcome to the forum. I agree with @JRS about netting out the debris and learning about the pump. Are there fish in the pond?

 

[j.w]

@Blacksmiths
If no fish in there you could literally drain it all and start over but if you want to add fish sooner then you are just gonna have to get in there and scoop out all the gunk and algae w/a net, plastic rake or shovel or even a pond vaccuum and leave the water in there. It is gonna be a lot of work but you can take your time and do it at your own speed. You will have a lovey pond when all is done. You can take out any plants and put in a tub and lilies will need to be divided as they might have huge tubers if they have been unattended for years. Might make it easier if all the plants are out so you can see the gunk and algae to remove it easier and not harm plants. They will be fine in tubs of the pond water. If fish in there then you will have to leave the original water in there as you don't want to disturb their water quality as that could kill them and hope if there are fish there then there is a good pump running and maybe an aerator also.

 

[GBBUDD]

So glad you went looking for help and not just dove in and started ripping things appart. To me it looks like you have a very mature bog with a over grown pond.

AS was asked is there a

pump? size? gallons per hour?

How deep is the pond?

In the pond area with the hair algae you'll want to pull as much of that out as you can but do not squeeze it as much as possible as as it is it releases spores into the water.

WHAT YOU HAVE IS A POND WITH A GOOD DEAL OF NUTRIENTS AND THAT IS WHY THE THE ALGAE IS GROWING. There is always algae in a pond it just a matter of how much and as the plants start growing will the out compete the Algae for the available nutrients.

So first thing i would do is to try and clean up the hair algae in the pond. Then see what you can find for pipes and or pumps.

An air stone with a strong air pump will help to limit algae growth. I'm talking a air pump like a nitto 45 and a rubber bladder or an elongated diffuser stone. Even though the moss is really cool in the Bog area plants that grow fast is what you want. And moss does not grow fast . Maybe plant some water cress in there and for now don't worry about it growing out of control as it more than likely will but it is very easy to pull out, and it will battle the algae for the available nutrients.