When it comes to pond maintenance, several factors play a role. Many people look at a pond and don’t realize how much work it takes to maintain a pond adequately. However, if you’re a pond enthusiast, you know ponds need a lot of care. Each pond is unique, and you have to know what works. In this article, we’ll go over five fundamentals for pond maintenance: water, habitat, community, harvesting, and pond aeration. Following these steps will help give you the pond you’ve always wanted.
Water
The life of any pond is, of course, water. If you don’t have your water optimized for pond life, it will not survive. Moreover, your pond will start to look dirty and even develop foul odors if you don’t keep it clean. You can think of water on many levels, such as soft or hard water. You can even break it down into pH and alkalinity levels. Keeping your water balanced is key to proper maintenance. Make sure that you research the correct levels to have in your pond. Doing this will keep your pond thriving and your fish happy.
Habitat
Whether you have largemouth bass or another type of fish in your pond, you must consider the proper habitat for them. Each species of fish is different in its habitat needs. You want to add comfortable surroundings to keep your fish happy. The last thing you want is a small pond filled with too many fish. Your fish need space to grow and feed. When adding rocks and plants to your pond, keep a balance of cover and open space.
The Community
When you have a community of fish in your pond, you must consider the needs of each fish. One example is largemouth bass. Bass thrive on forage fish. Since you have to feed your bass with a variety of bluegill and other forage fish, you must also remember to provide for these forage fish. When you do, they will sustain your bass as they grow. This will keep your pond thriving with fish life.
Harvesting
As previously mentioned, you don’t want to overcrowd your pond. You could end up disrupting your pond’s pH, acidity, and alkaline levels. In addition, if your pond is overcrowded, you will see more fish waste that can contribute to dirty waters. Harvesting works to control the fish population in your pond. Depending on your overall goals, you will have to remove some fish from your pond. Keep in mind that if you want big fish, you need to make room for those healthy fish to grow larger. Once you’ve stocked your pond with fish, it takes about three years to implement your first harvesting season.
Pond Aeration
Finally, aeration is probably the most crucial element for proper pond maintenance. Your fish need oxygen to survive, so installing an aeration system will help them live a long and healthy life. Any open body of water will have a natural source of aeration, such as the wind. This is not enough to properly aerate your pond. Proper pond aeration will help keep those waters moving at the bottom and surface of your pond. The water movement will also prevent stagnant water that could result in foul odors and pond muck. Depending on the location of your pond, aeration can be done by adding an electric pond aerator. To learn more about the benefits of pond aeration click here!
