A pond that is natural is essentially a pond that is self-sustaining, filtering itself, without actually having a filter.
In other words, a pond without some sort of electrical filter must have a natural filter of some sort.
So, how does a natural pond stay clean? There are a few ways this can happen.
Let’s take a look!
Don’t Overstock
To begin, keeping a natural pond clean means making sure not to overstock!
If you have too many pond critters, it will just be impossible to keep up with waste.
And, there probably will not be enough air to go around, too. The two combined will ensure a dirty pond and more than likely, your pond wildlife will become sick!
Instead, choose carefully to include a few:
- Decorative koi
- Mosquito fish (to help keep these pond-loving pests at bay)
- And perhaps some frogs
And leave it at that!
If you would like to keep more critters in your natural pond, you could also always make it bigger!
Aerator
Aqua habitats (and aquatic life) are always better with an aerator.
While aqua habitats can filter themselves reasonably well (and can even oxygenate themselves with plants), having an aerator is sure to help improve water life!
Literally, these provide a constant source of oxygenated air.
The effects will be more flourishing plants (literally faster, greener growth), and healthier, livelier aquatic animals!
Monitor Water Level
Ponds sometimes require water to be added.
Similar to a standing container of liquid, water evaporates and is always evaporating quickly. Thankfully, your pond is hopefully being replenished naturally with rainwater.
That said, you should be diligent in verifying the water level during bouts of hot or dry weather!
Generally, you will often see water-marks left on the side as the water level decreases.
The Bottom line is, if your pond decreases more than a few inches, you may want to use a hose or pump to give the plants and animals in the pond more fresh water!
The More Plants the Better (Within Reason)
When it comes to helping natural ponds stay clean, plants are a must – as they are a natural source of oxygen and, more importantly, feed off debris and decomposing organic matter!
As is the case with wildlife, a proliferation of plants can result in a crowded, and possibly dirty environment.
With not enough oxygen or an abundance of plant debris, the health of plants and wildlife could be in jeopardy!
Nonetheless, keeping a natural pond clean usually calls for a considerable number of plants. These should be robust, wet-loving species.
Some, such as those listed below, may even outproduce oxygen:
- Arrowhead
- Hornwort
- Waterweed
- Water Sprite
- Eel Grass
- Water Crowsfoot
- Micro Sword
- Water Wisteria
- Red Rotola
- Horse/Mare’s Tail
Clean Debris From Your Pond on the Regular
In fact, cleaning a pond too often can cause significant disruption to the natural balance of the water.
Instead, you only need to lightly cleaning, or remove the major debris, and/or items floating in the pond on a regular basis.
By this, I mean, leaves, bark, trash, that type of stuff.
Otherwise, eliminating these items, if you allow them to, they will either just rot away, or simply clog up the water. That said, you will want to do clean quietly and carefully.
In a Natural Pond: it a is best to not disturb the soil/water much!
Deep-Clean Your Pond Once a Year
It is recommended to perform a deep-clean of your pond about once a year.
This is to remove any submerged algae or debris that has settled in the bottom of the pond system.
A natural pond is designed to primarily be self-sustaining, but often a yearly service is needed to keep everything in balance!
So, How Do You Deep-clean a Natural Pond?
With a gentle yet firm hand.
During this process, if it’s feasible, you might want to relocate any pond animals (temporarily) to a tank.
This way, you can completely remove the sediment or any waste it may harbor! Once the sediment is completely excluded, you can then spray off any scum from the sides and bottom of the pond with a hose.
Feel free to leave some of the algae, as a balanced amount of algae can be healthy for a pond (providing O2).
After this, you can spray down any rocks, tubing, or any decor.
Once everything is sparkly:
- Then you can put fresh, new sediment down on the floor of the pond
- Then put back any objects you’ve taken out to clean, and – if applicable – restart your aerator.
- Once everything has settled back down, it can return any critters you’ve removed back in the water!
Give Your Pond PH a Look
Finally, it is important to assess the pH level of the pond, aka, the water’s acidity vs. alkalinity.
If the water is too acidic or alkaline, the pond plants and animals will begin to feel uncomfortable and stressed.
If the pH level is too far out of the recommend, their health is going to be compromised (and they risk life-threatening alkalosis and acidosis).
Most plants and animals will prefer a pH of 6-9.
Interesting fact – the natural pH of fish is around 7.4. Therefore, the closer the pH is to 7.4, the better off the fish will be. A pH around this level will help keep fish health issues at bay!
Remove Fish Food Promptly
Fish food can be one of the major potential health hazards in ponds.
If you have fish in your pond, feel free to feed them more than enough, but be sure to not typically have any leftover.
Fish food can degrade rapidly and ultimately enhance the water quality and or even make some aquatic organisms sick!
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever wondered, ‘how do natural ponds stay clean?’, now you know!
They remain clean through a combination of plants, regular debris removal, and pH monitoring and overall water level.
If you have a natural pond, good luck!