5 tips for a beautiful & healthy pond

A pond in the garden is more than filling a hole with water, and adding some beautiful water plants and fish. It does require some attention and maintenance, but with our 5 tips, it works perfectly!

1. Aquatic plants

Aquatic plants, such as water lilies and oxygen plants, are essential for the bacterial decomposition of organic waste. This includes fish excrement, leftover fish food and plant debris. Growing oxygen plants are very important for an attractive pond. As they grow, they absorb many nutrients from the water, keeping the pond clear. Water plants, like perennials, also need maintenance. Remove brown leaves regularly and prune plants that have grown too large. Do you not give your aquatic plants the necessary attention? Then the acidity level can rise, which disturbs the natural balance of the pond.

Of course, when you say pond, you also say algae. By adding some oxygen plants to the pond, floating algae will have less chance to grow. They cloud the water but also prevent sunlight from reaching your plants. Thread algae can clog up the filter. It is therefore better to treat the pond with an anti-cyst algae agent in spring and autumn.

2. Fish

Expansion of the family

In addition to flora, there is of course fauna in the pond, which is provided by the fish. fish! A new pond needs some time to find its balance, so wait about 4 to 6 weeks after construction to give the fish a new home. This way you can be sure that the water plants are properly attached and that there is a bacteriological balance, and thus a healthy environment for the fish.

Spring may be synonymous with new life, but we do not
We do not recommend adding new fish to the pond in the spring. After the winter, the resistance of the fish is weaker and when you expand your fish family, the new inhabitants can bring diseases that can kill the original ones.

Caring for the fish

In autumn, you should feed the fish less. As soon as the water temperature drops below 6°C, the fish need very little energy. Feeding them too much makes no sense and will only encourage algae formation.

3. Water quality

With a healthy pond, good water quality is of great importance! Especially after the winter, the balance in your pond can be lost. 

Always check the following values:

A water pump with water filter contributes to good water quality. Run it 24 hours during the spring and summer months as the filter needs to be continuously supplied with oxygen-rich water. If you do not do this, the bacteria colony will die off and this will prevent the growth of your oxygenated plants (which can also cause more algae to grow).

During the winter months, you should turn off the water pump. There is no point in leaving it running, as the plants will not absorb any CO2 anyway.

During winter, a water layer with a constant temperature of about 4°C forms. Fish and other animals can survive in this layer. Do you leave the pump running? Then this water layer will be mixed with the cooler pond water. This will cool down the overall temperature of the pond, which can be threatening to the fish.

4. Keep the pond free of ice

During the winter months, not only the garden goes into rest mode, but also the pond.

The fish hibernate and the water plants also go into winter mode. You can therefore leave the pond to its own devices. It is very important not to let the pond freeze over. If an ice layer forms on the pond, excess CO2 cannot escape and the acidity level will rise. Is it still icy cold and the pond has partially frozen over or is it snowing? Then remove the snow with a broom because fish and aquatic plants also need sufficient light during the winter months.

5. A clean pond floor

A beautiful pond begins with a clean pond floor. If too much waste lies at the bottom of the pond, it will start to rot, increasing the likelihood of acidification. This affects the biological balance, which in turn causes fish mortality and algae growth.

You get the idea: a clean bottom is of great importance! Therefore, regularly clear the pond of fallen leaves. By hanging nets over your pond you can save yourself a lot of tidying up and it also protects your fish from herons.

In a nutshell:

There are plenty of tricks to keep your pond beautiful and healthy all year round. It starts with choosing the right water
It starts with choosing the right water and oxygen plants for good water quality, but regular maintenance is not to be underestimated either! Water and oxygen plants may do a lot of good for your pond, but they also create organic waste, such as dead plants and leaves. So regularly clean your pond so that these plant remains do not pollute the bottom and disturb the balance. Pond maintenance may seem like hard work, but once you get the hang of it, it's child's play! Do you like having a pond in your garden but not the additional maintenance? Then you can enlist the professional help of a gardener! They are not only masters in garden maintenance but also have good knowledge of the pond.

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