Mulm, autumn leaves and the excretions of the pond inhabitants ensure that the pool floor gets dirty on a regular basis, which has a negative effect on the water quality. It is therefore necessary to thoroughly desludge the garden pond once a year, but without making it completely sterile.

Desludging the garden pond is time-consuming

Viewed over the course of a year, quite large amounts of sludge accumulate from uneaten food, dead plant parts and fish excrement, which settles on the pond floor and makes the water cloudy and green. Even with otherwise exemplary pond care, you will hardly be spared manual removal of this rubbish. The ideal time for this is the beginning of spring.

Preparing to remove sludge

For a relatively simple and, above all, complete cleaning, it makes sense not only to pump the pond completely dry, but also to remove at least the large plants from the tank. It is a good idea to take this opportunity to cut back the aquatic plants that have grown too luxuriantly, transplant individual plants to another location and remove the algae, especially on the edges of the banks.

Sludge removal and cleaning of the pond basin

You now have the option of using a special pond vacuum cleaner to remove sludge. Appropriate devices can be rented in specialist shops or in any larger garden center and are either equipped with a larger collection container or drain the sludge directly outside the pond border via a drain hose. Depending on the make and model, not all the water has to be pumped out when removing sludge with a vacuum cleaner, but the traditional method of cleaning using a shovel, bucket and wheelbarrow will be easier and more thorough.

Some data of sludge vacuum cleaners for smaller ponds with low pollution:

  • Power consumption: between 1,400 and 1,800 watts;
  • Tank size: 30 to 80 l (also two-chamber tank) or direct drain pipes;
  • suction height: two to four meters;
  • current prices: between just under 100 to 300 euros;
  • Empty weight: 4 to 15 kg

Garden pond cleaning and ecosystem

Apart from the fact that the removed sludge is excellent for adding to garden compost, you should not completely remove it from the garden pond. After all, it forms a vital root base for aquatic plants and contributes to the biological balance in the ornamental pond. Exaggerated cleanliness would therefore be out of place, because nature is perfectly capable of regulating itself.

Category:

Garden design