Lots to process here, a response this evening (or tomorrow depending how much work I take home lol)
New to ponds - here are my test results
- Thread starter dscl
- Start date
A few more things to consider...
Now that you've had the pond professionally cleaned, are you interested in learning how to do this yourself in the future? Not everyone has the time for that, but I assume that since you are here, you have more than just a passing interest in your pond. You will find that by doing your own minimal maintenance (which many of us find very relaxing), your pond will actually be healthier year-round when compared to the once-a-year professional clean-ups.
Do you have or want live plants in your pond? If you desire a more natural look, then you will discover that having a large number of plants actually helps with keeping the pond clean, and your fish will eat certain types of plants, which gives them a more varied diet.
Are you a DIY type of person? If so, you may be interested in sharing pictures of your current filtration, and let folks here suggest improvements you can make to the setup and filter media. Many types of filters are set up with a bare-minimum that wouldn't effectively filter 1/10 of the pond they are supposed to be rated for, but with some changes, they can be very effective.
The next two go together... 1) do you need your pond to be 100% crystal-clear at all times, and 2) how do you feel about using chemical additives in your water? The more natural a pond, the less likely that the water will have that sparkling look all the time - however keep in mind that clear water is not a sign of healthy water! Most ponds will get a brownish tea-colored tint to the water at times, especially at the beginning of Spring when everything is starting to wake up. This usually clears itself, it is just part of the natural cycle of things.
Yep, there's a lot to process, but it sounds like this is a new hobby for you, so don't be put off by it... Once you get a handle on the basics, the rest comes easy!
Now that you've had the pond professionally cleaned, are you interested in learning how to do this yourself in the future? Not everyone has the time for that, but I assume that since you are here, you have more than just a passing interest in your pond. You will find that by doing your own minimal maintenance (which many of us find very relaxing), your pond will actually be healthier year-round when compared to the once-a-year professional clean-ups.
Do you have or want live plants in your pond? If you desire a more natural look, then you will discover that having a large number of plants actually helps with keeping the pond clean, and your fish will eat certain types of plants, which gives them a more varied diet.
Are you a DIY type of person? If so, you may be interested in sharing pictures of your current filtration, and let folks here suggest improvements you can make to the setup and filter media. Many types of filters are set up with a bare-minimum that wouldn't effectively filter 1/10 of the pond they are supposed to be rated for, but with some changes, they can be very effective.
The next two go together... 1) do you need your pond to be 100% crystal-clear at all times, and 2) how do you feel about using chemical additives in your water? The more natural a pond, the less likely that the water will have that sparkling look all the time - however keep in mind that clear water is not a sign of healthy water! Most ponds will get a brownish tea-colored tint to the water at times, especially at the beginning of Spring when everything is starting to wake up. This usually clears itself, it is just part of the natural cycle of things.
Yep, there's a lot to process, but it sounds like this is a new hobby for you, so don't be put off by it... Once you get a handle on the basics, the rest comes easy!