Struggling with your pond’s water quality?

Here are a few ideas and suggestions to help get you back to enjoying your pond, instead of working on it:

Make sure your filtration—pump and filter—is correctly sized for your pond. If you don’t know the volume of your pond, here’s a simple formula:
- Measure your pond volume (in cubic feet) – length x width x average depth
- A cubic foot equals 7.48 gallons, so take your total pond volume x 7.48 = total gallons
Your pump should circulate the entire volume of your pond at least every two hours. For example, if you have a 1,000-gallon pond, you need a pump that is rated at 500 gallons per hour.
If you have a filter that needs to be disassembled to be cleaned, you may want to invest in a pressurized filter with a back-flush valve. A simple turn of a handle flushes wastewater out of the filter, making it easy to clean.
If you have been using a submersible pump with a foam pre-filter, and it has proven to be a hassle to extract from the pond to clean, consider getting an external filter.
If you’ve been experiencing green water, install a UV Clarifier in-line to remove suspended algae BEFORE the filter.
Conduct a partial water change in the spring and fall, or anytime you are restarting or shutting down your pond, and be sure to add a dechlorinator if you are using municipal tap water.