Three Ways to Keep Your Pond Healthy

Having a pond is a great way to add biodiversity to your land, and it can provide hours of entertainment for the people who visit it. Taking proper care of your pond will help keep it healthy and safe for both wildlife and people. Here are three ways to approach your pond management.

Add Floating Plants

Introducing floating plants to your pond doesn’t just add natural beauty. Floating plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and convert it to oxygen, which enters the water through the plants’ roots. Clusters of floating plants can also provide areas of shelter for fish and other small aquatic animals to use for mating, laying eggs, and protecting their babies. Floating plants are also able to absorb toxic and heavy metals through their roots, making the water safer for wildlife and humans. Consider adding pondweed, hornworts, and water lilies to your pond for aesthetics and health.

Increase Pond Aeration

If the dissolved oxygen levels in a pond are too low, its ability to sustain plant and animal life is reduced. All living things in a pond require oxygen to survive, and many pull that oxygen directly from the water. To improve levels of dissolved oxygen, a pond can be aerated. A fountain in the center of the pond helps with aeration, and also adds visual interest. Other types of aeration include paddlewheels and diffusers. In addition to adding oxygen to a pond, these types of aerators also reduce stratification in a pond, allowing oxygen and heat to be moved from the top of the pond to the bottom. This helps provide oxygen to animals that live in deeper water, and also prevents the formation of muck on the bottom of the pond.

Clean Your Pond

Begin cleaning your pond by using a pond rake or net to remove surface debris. Doing this regularly will keep the debris from settling to the bottom of your pond. In a healthy pond ecosystem, beneficial bacteria help keep the water clean and clear. Bacterial concentrations can become out of balance, so periodically adding some beneficial bacterial to your pond water can help restore that equilibrium. For larger ponds, automatic cleaning systems such as a pond vacuum or skimmer can keep your water clean without as much manual labor.

Properly maintaining your pond water will allow it to teem with varied animal and plant life, and bring great pleasure to the people who visit it. Pay attention to what care it needs to keep it as healthy as possible.