Restoring a small Pond with low energy usage
Question:
I just moved into a house with a small pond, somewhere between 50-100 gals. It was neglected for about a year. It has water, sand, rocks, algae, decayed plant matter and 4 goldfish in it.
I’m looking to turn it into a pond that is as eco-friendly as possible. I don’t want a waterfall or anything showy. My goals are to have a healthy pond with low energy use that is a good habitat for birds. I’d like to put frogs in it but suspect the sides are sloped too steeply. We’re in Portland, OR so a solar-powered pump is not a good option.
Can you make some recommendations? I’ve read a little about ponds: just enough to be bewildered.
Regards,
Lucinda
Answer:
The Pond actually does not have to use any energy at all if you do not want a fountain or waterfall and if you do not put anymore fish in it. Additionally, do not feed the ones that are in there now (they will get what they need by catching bugs and munching on algae and plants).
To clean it up, you want to use a very fine mesh skimmer net to fish as much debris out of the bottom as possible.
Then to help clean up the rest and to help keep it clean in a totally natural way use any of a variety of available Barley products and Beneficial Bacteria.
Make sure you have lots of Pond Plants in it, too take up the poisons and nutrients produced by the fish waste.
If mosquitoes are a problem in your area, throw in a Mosquito Dunk...another natural product that prevents larvae from hatching. Each dunk lasts about 30 days.
Oh, and very important, always add De-Chlorinator when topping off the Pond with city water (fish can survive adding just a little at a time for a while, but it burns their gills and eventually they cannot take up enough oxygen to live).