Looking for Pond answers? Here are some quick Pond FAQs.
It’s less about how much (although we could figure that out based on your personal pond) and more about how often. The pond water level will go down 1 to 3 inches in the span of a week no matter how large it is. This is due to evaporation. Less in the cold, more in the heat. Length of stream and/or a lot of splashing in the waterfall could cause more water loss. Recap - each week you will need to add water to the pond unless you have an autofill present.
If you have fish you need to add water if you are using hose water (it has chlorine) and are adding more than 20% of the total volume. Wait - how do you know that? If you know the basic depth of the pond (2 to 3 feet is common) find 20% of that. I know my pond is 36 inches deep (3 ft) so if I am adding 7 inches of water I definitely need to use a dechlorinator as I am adding hose water. It wouldn’t hurt to use it at 5 inches. In addition to that you will need to put in beneficial bacteria to maintain a healthy ecosystem.
The chlorine in hose water burns the gills of the fish and can kill them. What to do if you overfill the pond.
It is a good idea to check it weekly in the Spring and Summer. In the Fall if there are no leaves anywhere nearby you can carry on as usual. However, if there are trees dropping leaves right next to the pond or even nearby, you may have to check it multiple times a day to avoid starving the pump of water and therefore burning it out. A net may be a good idea. Read more about Netting the Pond.
What about? - fish - algae, weird noises?
Make sure there is enough water in the pond. Check the skimmer basket/net to make sure it is not clogged.
If there is not water flowing from the waterfall after you have checked these things, you may need to unplug the pump so you don't burn it out and get help.
If the water is above 50 degrees (generally from May through Oct 15th in Zone 5) feed them only what they can eat in 5 minutes.
Take action now. Read more about fish predators and take action! A predator can cleanout your whole pond quickly. Read How to Keep Heron Out of the Pond.
Algae is a normal part of a healthy ecosystem. Don't let pond algae get out of control! Algaecide is not the answer. Read more about Pond Algae. Figure out what type it is so that you know how to treat it.
Need to understand more about a Healthy Pond Ecosystem? The healthy elements in a pond can be looked at through F.R.O.G.S.S!
Pond FAQs - Just the first step
We know that a pond might be overwhelming at first, especially if you moved to a house with a large pond and koi, but it doesn’t have to be a hot mess. Pond FAQs are just the beginning. We cover so many pond topics on this site that can help you have and enjoy a beautiful pond.
What do other sources have to say about Algae:
Read more pond information here and if you think your system may have a leak read How to measure water loss in your system.
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