Do You Really Need a Pond Cleaning Company in Tampa Bay?
More than just a wonderful addition to your home, a backyard pond is an ecosystem that teems with life, wonder, and beauty. It is important to maintain the harmonious balance between the pond’s water, rocks, plants and animals which is best achieved through regular cleaning. Whether you intend to do the grunt work or hire a company like us at Focal Point Ponds, here is what you need to know about pond maintenance.
The Importance of Tampa Pond Cleaning
Ecological Balance
Your pond’s ecosystem is a delicate balance between the fish, plants, and other living organisms coexisting in the water. The signs of a healthy ecosystem include clear water, thriving plants, minimal algae, and happy fish. Maintaining the best possible environment for aquatic life eliminates the algae blooms, fish kills, and foul odors that make your pond an unpleasant place to hang out.
Clear Pond Water
Directly correlated to the health of your pond ecosystem is its cleanliness. Without clean water, your pond won’t be able to support the plant and fish community that makes it a paradise. Whether we help you implement this with the right pump, filter, skimmer combo or by providing a deep clean, we need to remove the accumulated debris, excess nutrients, and sediment buildup that pollute the water. The improved water quality will cause less stress on your fish so they can thrive.
Aesthetic Appeal
For a pond to become the focal point of your garden, you can’t have dirty, murky water with excessive algae growth on rocks or the water's surface. Nor do you want muck building up on the rocks and liner. Regular pond maintenance includes removing the leaves, twigs, fish waste, and other debris in the water as well as pruning overgrown aquatic plants. A clean and well-maintained pond will not certainly elevate the look of your surroundings and your enjoyment.
Why Does My Water Still Look Murky After a Cleaning?
After the efforts and results of a strong brush scrub, squeegee, power washing, and vacuuming muck, leaves, and any other decomposing debris from your drained pond, you might expect your water to be crystal clear, but there are a few factors to consider.
If you have fish that were temporarily moved, some of that water may have been transferred to their holding tank and then pumped back into your clean pond to reduce the stress and shock on the fish. It can take some time for this water to be cleaned and filtered by your system as it gets going again. While all best efforts may be made to clean your liner, it's not the same as washing dishes because there isn't a drain in the bottom of our pond. The only way to get the remnants out are by vacuum and letting the pump cycle the remnants through with the new water.
If any new rocks have been added, depending on the variety, it's possible that sediment is also going to appear in the water and take a while to settle or be filtered out. In all, this process could take 2-4 days before your water looks as good as you expect. Be patient and let your ecosystem run it's course. Fresh water, a flushed filter and a clean base will allow you to see the great results within a few days of the cleaning and hopefully, with the right care, they'll last for many months.
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![the remnants of leaves in a backyard pond after being drained]()
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Methods of Pond Cleaning
Unless you're working on a very specific problem which you can identify such as filamentous algae (the stringy kind) or you've tested and found your nitrate levels are too high which leads to slow and lazy fish, we can offer some general cleaning packages that will keep your pond in tip-top shape. If you do discover you have a more specific issue that needs addressing, let's test your water so we can provide a more targeted approach. Below are common proactive methods we recommend to achieve a healthy pond environment for your aquatic plants, fish, and any other wildlife.
Besides removing the natural debris that may have fallen into your pond, our team can test your water quality to gauge its overall health. Using a water testing kit, we can keep track of the ammonia, pH levels, nitrite, chlorine, and copper in your pond to help prevent problems before they occur. Balance is key. We backwash your filter if that is an option, and we clean all your filter media. It's hard to recommend a frequency for these tasks as this depends greatly on the size and style of your pond. Cleaning the filters as often as possible is usually best for your fish and water, or at a minimum every 4-6 weeks.
Deep Cleaning
Dark or opaque waters and thick layers of sludge at the bottom are signs that your pond needs to be deep cleaned. We’ll safely transfer your fish to a suitable holding tank, drain the pond, power wash the pond rocks, and gently clean any exposed liner to get rid of the muck and algae, plus remove sediment, fish waste, leaves and other yard debris to restore the pond to its original condition. In medium to large ponds, this procedure can be performed once a year to give you a fresh start (say around Spring time) to provide your fish a healthy habitat that they will love for the remainder of the year.
Biological Filtration
Our specialists can install biological filtration systems that naturally filter out impurities and maintain water quality. We can use natural tactics such as incorporating plants like water lilies and cattails to absorb heavy metals from the water. Adding a skimmers will remove an over abundance of dust, pollen, dead plant debris and fish waste allowing healthy bacteria and microorganisms to break down pond waste. If there are pockets of your pond that fill up faster with unwanted materials, adding a jet or aerator can help with the water flow which in turn keeps bacteria from growing as it avoids stagnation and cycles towards the filter.
Call Now for a Pond Cleaning Consult
Because a well-kept pond is not just a beautiful water feature but also a living ecosystem that deserves care and respect, it requires dedication, patience, and good understanding of underlying processes to get the most out of it. From monitoring water quality to ensuring the right bacterial levels to simply cleaning all your filters regularly, Focal Point Ponds can reduce the amount of work you’ll need to do to your pond, and save you time and effort while maximizing the wow-factor or a well kept waterscape.
