5 Signs It’s Time to Hire Professional Pond Cleaning Services

The right professional pond cleaners have the expertise to safely and efficiently remove debris and pollutants from your water feature without harming its ecosystem. This will keep your pond healthy and beautiful all year round!

Your pond or water feature is your backyard oasis. It’s where lily pads float lazily, and the sun glints off darting koi. But, just like your fridge or oven, it needs cleaning.

Debris Buildup

Over a year, various types of organic debris enter your pond. Leaves, twigs, and dirt slowly create their way to the bottom of your water body, leading to a buildup of muck or sludge over time. This organic material decomposes, releasing nitrates and other materials that diminish water quality.

This can also reduce oxygen levels and lead to fish kills. The good news is this is a preventable issue that can be avoided by regularly cleaning out your pond.

Pond vacuums are available for homeowners to remove this debris, but the task is often too big and messy for DIY pond maintenance. You may need professional pond cleaning services for a complete pond cleanout.

Poor Water Clarity

Water clarity is a good indication of the overall health of your pond. A pond with poor water clarity can be due to sediment runoff, nutrient pollution, and algal blooms.

A pond with low water clarity can hurt aquatic ecosystems. The turbid water can smother nearshore habitats and bury benthic communities while restricting light availability, which inhibits plant growth.

In addition, water turbidity can lead to a decrease in dissolved oxygen levels. Plants need oxygen to perform photosynthesis, but when the plants and algae die, they decompose in an anaerobic process using dissolved oxygen. This can lower dissolved oxygen rates drastically. Adding an aeration system to your pond can improve water clarity and increase dissolved oxygen levels.

Algae Blooms

Algae are plant-like organisms that sustain marine life and serve as the foundation of our food web in fresh-water and salt-water ecosystems. When they multiply out of control and turn the water green, blue, or brownish red, they are called “algae blooms” (also referred to as “red tide”). Some of these algal blooms produce toxins that make people, pets, and wildlife sick when they come into contact with the water.

Warm, slow-moving water and high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients — which get into the water when fertilizer, animal waste, or runoff from cities and towns enters lakes, rivers, and oceans — can promote the growth of cyanobacteria, which are the organisms that cause harmful algal blooms. These blooms look like foam, scum, or mats on the water’s surface.

Fish are Gasping at the Surface

A pond is a beautiful addition to any landscape. It can be a serene place where lily pads float languidly, and sun glints off darting koi. But it can also become a murky swamp, full of suffocating algae and clogging debris.

A pond is comparable to any other outside house addition you might do. Without pond maintenance and constant care, your pond will transform from the envy of the neighborhood to an eyesore that cannot support the survival of the koi you now have in it.

The best way to check for these issues is to test the water’s pH, ammonia, nitrates, and phosphate levels with a kit or liquid testing and the oxygen levels (using a fish tank aerator).

A pond should be cleaned regularly to ensure proper function, water quality, and beauty. When signs like murky water, sludge accumulation, or a foul odor appear, it’s time to call a professional! Cleaning prices vary based on the size of the pond and the level of cleanup required. Fountains are another factor in cleaning costs and can add between a hundred dollars annually for maintenance.

Poor Fish Health

It’s natural for almost any lake or pond to grow algae when conditions are right. But too much can be harmful to fish and plants. This is because algae decomposes and releases harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrates. These toxins can also lead to poor water clarity.

A promising sign that it’s time for a cleaning is when your fish seem lazy or unhealthy. Parasites, bacterial infections, or fungal diseases can cause this. It’s best to test the water and follow professional recommendations for treatment.

Another sign that it’s time for a cleanup is when you smell foul odors from the pond. This can be a sign of stagnant water or high levels of hydrogen sulfide, which is toxic to fish.