The garden with the pond gleaming in the middle looks beautiful. But such a decorative element of landscape design not only pleases the eye, but also requires efforts to care for it. If you do not apply such efforts, the pond will quickly become like a swampy puddle.
The negative impact of the process on the pond
Flowering water is one of the signs that something is wrong with the pond. This phenomenon is the result of the activity and productive propagation of phytoplankton, blue-green algae, or scientifically - cyanobacteria. These microorganisms are the cause of not only a violation of the decorative appearance of an artificial reservoir, but also a violation of its ecosystem.
Important! No need to worry if the pond begins to bloom with the advent of spring, because such a process helps to restore the ecological state of the reservoir after winter. It is worth worrying if the process drags on for more than 2 weeks.
The surface of the pond turns green, becomes covered with a film, starts to smell unpleasantly, a gradual waterlogging occurs. The process is fraught with the fact that algae, growing, cover the surface, do not let light and oxygen flow into the reservoir. The development of the plants in it ceases. Fish living in such conditions begin to die.
Causes of Blooming Water in a Pond
The water that started to bloom is regarded as a consequence. Only knowing the reasons why this happens will help to avoid such a process.
The provoking factors that can cause the appearance of a green color of the liquid include problems associated with:
- strongly stagnant water in the bowl of an artificial pond;
- water leaves from trees, pollen and other organic matter polluting it;
- an overabundance of food for fish and rotting processes associated with this;
- improper application of fertilizing for plants;
- illiterate arrangement of a waterproofing system;
- raising sludge from the bottom as a result of the vital activity of fish.
Did you know? In Ancient Rome, Guy Tsilniy Maecenas became the creator of the first heated pool of the Jacuzzi type among the most famous on the planet. It happened in about 1 BC. e.
Preventive measures
To avoid the negative impact on the state of water in the pond of the above factors, a number of preventive measures must be taken in a timely manner:
- regularly during the seasonal period, clean the upper part of the reservoir from accidentally caught organic components, get rid of algae that have managed to grow excessively;
- with the advent of spring, fish should be fed with high-protein food, which will allow them to recover quickly after overwintering;
- it is also recommended in the spring to carefully inspect fish in order to identify and isolate sick individuals;
- if before the beginning of the winter period, a complete drainage of water was not carried out, and fish were not determined for wintering, then in the spring it is mandatory to inspect the pond bowl to identify possible damage;
- for lack of ability to systematically remove elements polluting the pond, it can be covered with a net.
To clean an artificial reservoir in a timely manner is a reliable way to deal with flowering water, which helps to prevent waterlogging. It is recommended to periodically completely clean the pond, while all the liquid is drained, livestock is determined in tanks, its bottom and walls are mechanically cleaned of silt and algae.
How to clean blooming water
If the pond is still green, especially in the summer, this should serve as a signal in order to immediately begin to fight for its salvation.
Important! Regular pruning of trees and bushes located near the pond will significantly reduce the risk of water pollution.
Several methods are known that are effective against waterlogging of a reservoir:
- Manually clean the pond: remove unwanted plants from coastal areas - both weeds and crops with signs of overgrowth. With a net, remove leaves and branches of trees that are visible on the surface, other elements that accidentally fall into a body of water. Using a fan rake to free the top layer from duckweed and those algae that are overgrown.
- To lower its volume completely or some part - the procedure that is carried out if manual cleaning did not bring the expected result. Thinning of all plants in the pond and removal of weeds on the shore should be performed. Fish are let into fish tanks specially prepared and filled with water, and plants from a reservoir are also placed. Further, the entire contents of the bowl are lowered, it is cleaned of sludge and plants intended for removal. After that, you can fill in new water and return fish and plants along with the liquid from the tanks to the artificial reservoir.
- Install a cleaning filter, which will help maintain the balance of the ecological system of the reservoir at an appropriate level, remove harmful elements from the water and saturate it with oxygen. A three-stage filter cleaning system (mechanical, biological, based on ultraviolet radiation) is capable of both removing garbage from the pond and depriving harmful plants of the nutrition necessary for their development. There are 2 types of filters: flowing are used in large ponds, pressure - in small decorative reservoirs. They can only help in conjunction with manual cleaning.
- Clean using a skimmer - a pump-type device for filtering water and further determining the detected dirt in a special basket, through which debris is removed on the surface of the pond. Skimmers are distributed depending on the area of use - at the bottom, near the coast, on the water surface. But with the help of this device it is impossible to clean the bowl of the reservoir from the accumulated silt on it, which makes it an additional way.
- Clean with a water vacuum cleaner, the functioning of which is identical to the principles of the ordinary. Under the influence of the device, the liquid is drawn in from the bottom and filtered, after which the extracted dirt enters a special dirt tank. Such devices are manual and automatic, moving along the bottom without human intervention.
- Disinfect with UV lamps, which is an additional way to combat waterlogging. These lamps are capable of destroying harmful microorganisms, preventing the filamentous and blue-green algae from growing. With all this, they do not affect the chemical composition of water and the formation of the natural microflora of the reservoir.
- Populate crayfish and suitable fish speciesthat will help keep the water clean in a completely natural way. To such guardians of purity is cupid.
You can also plant special plants:
- for growing on the shore of a pond (cattail, iris) - they prevent the growth of weeds;
- for the design of the water surface (lilies, water lilies) - eat beneficial substances from the water, which is a serious obstacle to the nutrition of harmful vegetation, and also does not allow overheating of water in a hot period;
- for life under water (elodea, pinnacle) - they take root in the soil of the pond, which prevents harmful algae from growing.
If you take care of planting special crops in a pond in time, then they will soon grow, and the less food will be supplied to blue-green algae and weeds in the coastal zone.
Video: water in a pond blooms
Means against flowering water in the pond
To combat the flowering of water, chemicals are also used. But the use of such drugs should be carried out carefully, since it can cause the death of all living creatures in the pond. Therefore, chemicals are recommended for use only in extreme cases. They can be purchased only in specialized stores and used in the spring after the pond is completely cleaned a couple of weeks before fresh water and animals are introduced into it.
Important! Water vacuum cleaners are suitable for cleaning a bottom made of concrete or covered with a film, but are contraindicated for use in a reservoir where pebbles were used to equip it, especially less than 1 cm in diameter.
More gentle for cleaning is the use of a solution of potassium permanganate or brilliant green at the rate of 0.1-0.2 g per 1 m³ of water. The most environmentally friendly means that prevent the flowering of water from appearing are special bioadditives containing many bacteria that can restore the ecosystem of the reservoir and solve the problem of flowering water in it.It's nice to relax in the country, where there is an artificial pond. But he requires careful attention. Preventing the pond from swamping and blooming is not so difficult. The main thing is to prevent this process much easier than to fight it after.