We often hear in August: “How can I get rid of scum that is ruining the look of my pond and smells terrible?”To understand what you are facing you need to know about the natural processes at work. Once you understand what nature is doing then you can more easily manage your pond.
Ponds and lakes, whether natural or man-made, have a natural life cycle. They start out as clean open bodies of water, enter middle age with weeds and algae growth, and finish their old age as shallow bogs or marsh. This is the normal cycle.
In a purely natural environment a pond life cycle takes decades if not hundreds of years to complete. So why do ponds in our landscapes fall into old age so fast? Because our landscape introduces nutrients and conditions that do not allow a pond or lake to maintain its health.
The result is unattractive algae growth, aquatic weed infestations, foul smelling water, and poor conditions for fish. Our landscape ponds are dying a premature death. A pond or lake in a landscaped area will need our assistance. Nutrients enter the pond from run-off water draining into it. Nutrients from fertilizers, grass clippings, etc. are a huge factor in unbalancing the pond oxygen content.
While chemicals to control algae can give temporary relief, they usually aggravate the root problem. Oxygen is the answer. Chemicals should only be used as a “shock” to get a bad pond in order once aeration equipment is installed.
Aeration equipment, floating fountains, aerators, circulators, and diffused air systems, are most often the easiest and most cost effective manner to get a pond or lake in balance and keep it there.
Aeration and fountain equipment causes water to circulate and oxygen to diffuse into it. The more circulation the better. There are many forms of aeration equipment; the selection of which will depend on pond size, depth, and purpose.
Once oxygen levels are stabilized then the bacteria population can handle the in load of nutrients from the surrounding landscape. Now Nature will be assisting the pond to maintain a long life, not speeding its death.
