Pond Vacuums

[SmithRiverPond]

Hi everyone, I bought my house in Smith River, CA, a few years ago. There was a concrete pond here, but I didn't really do anything with it until this last spring. There are now plants in it and goldfish and I have really been enjoying my pond. This is my first ever pond, so I am still learning. This forum is very helpful.

Is there ever a need to use a vacuum on the pond? If so, any suggestions on the kind to get?

 

[sissy]

well welcome and was the cement sealed ,you don't want to raise the ph .Ponds are fun but addicting too .How big is the pond and lucky you that it was there and now you have it up and running

 

[SmithRiverPond]

Thanks for the welcome Sissy. I have no idea if the cement was sealed. It's been here for probably 15 or 20 years (my guess). We figured that the pond is about 350-400 gallons. The fish that survived the first couple of months are doing quite well. We get over 100" of rain each year, with very minimal freezing. I'm right on the Northern California coast (just south of the Oregon border), so the temperatures are very mild year round.

 

[Waterbug]

The concrete raising pH myth has unfortunately being around the web for many years. Very easy to test and dispel. Sealers, of any kind, are not needed other than to try and stop leaks.

Whether a pond needs to be cleaned depends on who you ask. A ponder with a pond full of large show Koi will say absolutely. A person with a wildlife pond will say absolutely never because the muck adds a lot of life to the pond. Both views are correct. The difference is the Koi owner is putting pounds of food into the pond daily or weekly. The waste piles up faster than it can break down and that's a problem. These types of ponds not only have to be cleaned, they have to be cleaned daily or at least weekly. Which is why they invest in automatic cleaning systems.

In a pond with a small amount of food added has time to convert waste to muck (there is a difference), same process as a compost pile. Muck is still a decaying pile with all kinds of bad stuff, but the many insects that live in it and fish like Goldfish and Koi have adapted to living in such an environment. That is their preferred environment.

The question is what kind of pond you want. Most people want clear water. Muck doesn't really have anything to do with whether water is clear or not, in general. Many ponds with muck are clear, many aren't. Many spotless ponds aren't clear, many are clear. However, removing muck does give you more control. Muck cycles. Gases can collect in it and cause chunks to break off and float around for awhile. Tiny flecks of decomposed organic matter can suspend and make water less clear. Lots of other issues. So muck can cause less clear water from time to time.

If you choose to remove muck I think the choice to vacuum depends on the pond size. A simple net is easier in tiny ponds. For larger ponds vacuums can work very well whether you're looking for a spotless pond. A pond with lots of plants can be difficult to vacuum, or making spotless is difficult. If you're just trying to reduce the depth of muck every five years or so a swimming pool leaf rake is enough. Here's my web page on vacuums.

 

[sissy]

Well you must be doing something right if the fish are happy and healthy and gosh that pond held up well over the years then and surprising there are no leaks after all that time .The cement must have cured well and cement never really cures all the way and only gets harder with time or crumbles if not done right .

 

[taherrmann4]

Smithriver welcome to the forum. I have a pond vac but only use it twice a year and it was quite expensive ($300). I would think that you could use a shop vac if you have a decent size one as this won't be something you use a ton.

If you have any pics of your pond please post some as we like to see what everyones pond looks like.

 

[CometKeith]

Hi smithriverpond and Welcome!!! If you can reach organic materials like leaves with a net then I don't see why you would have to vacuum. Vacuuming might do more harm then good if you disturb the beneficial bacteria that adheres to the sides of your pond. Re cement. It contains lime and lime raises the ph because it is alkaline. Goldfish can take high ph's so I'm sure you are fine with your current setup. It doesn't hurt to get a test kit to measure your ph, nitrites,nitrates, and ammonia. It's good to keep your eye on these things until you have a very good feel for ponding. You always want your ammonia readings to be zero.

 

[addy1]

Shop vacs work great like fishin says. Or just net out any large debris.

 

[Becky]

Welcome to Garden Pond Forums! :wave:

 

[Waterbug]

For more than 100 years concrete and modern mortars have been made with portland cement which when mixed with water creates a different substance from its ingredients through a chemical reaction called hydration.

To say concrete contains lime is to say PVC contains chlorine just because it's a big ingredient in making PVC.

The concrete myth is sooooo easy to disprove. Put a chunk of concrete in water and measure the pH. Done. But I guess its even easier to just repeat what one hears because it sounds smart.

 

[SmithRiverPond]

Thanks to everyone for the help. I'm not going to buy a vac for my pond. I'll keep using the net to remove leaves and other debris. I am also not going to be concerned about it being made of concrete. Fish and plants are doing well. I do check ammonia level and it's perfect. Looking forward to bringing it back to life once we get past winter.

 

[addy1]

Thanks to everyone for the help. I'm not going to buy a vac for my pond. I'll keep using the net to remove leaves and other debris. I am also not going to be concerned about it being made of concrete. Fish and plants are doing well. I do check ammonia level and it's perfect. Looking forward to bringing it back to life once we get past winter.

I use a net to clean mine, made a muck vac, but the net is actually easier to use and I have to sort every scope to save critters.

 

[DoDad]

How deep is it? a shop-vac or muck vac won't clean it at deep depths.

 

[SmithRiverPond]

The deepest end is about 2 - 2 1/2 feet deep. I can get to everything with a net.

 

[Waterbug]

For others, the Silt Vac will work at any depth.

I like simple and just used a net in a couple of ponds. Simpler means you'll do it more often which is always the best method.