Here, eco-friendly pond care experts, Envii, recommend four simple steps to protect your pond in a heatwave
Heatwaves can place extra stress on any garden pond and knowing how to protect your pond during hot weather is becoming increasingly important.
A pond’s biggest challenge during the heat is maintaining its oxygen levels. Oxygen in your pond is vital not only for the fish living in there but preventing algae blooms and keeping water clear by breaking down sludge.
Warm pond water naturally holds less dissolved oxygen than cold water and so as the temperature increases, the oxygen levels will decrease.
Here, eco-friendly garden and pond care experts, Envii, recommend four simple steps to help keep your pond healthy and protect its aquatic life during hot weather:
1. Maintain oxygen levels
A pond’s single biggest challenge during the heat is maintaining its oxygen levels. Oxygen in your pond is vital for not only any fish living in there but preventing algae blooms and keeping water clear by breaking down sludge.
Signs your pond is low on oxygen include:
- Foul odours – a stagnant or “rotten egg” smell
- Water discolouration – brown, grey, dirty looking water often signifies an overload of decaying matter.
- Excess algae – sudden, large algae blooms of thick floating foam
- Gasping fish – fish gathering at the surface looking to gulp air
- Lethargic fish – reduced activity or refusal to eat
- Crowded fish – fish that are gathering near pumps or waterfalls/fountains are looking for oxygenated water
How to increase oxygen levels in your pond
- Increase water movement with shelves made of rocks for water to roll off, a water feature or fountain or a small waterfall.
- Add aquatic plants – many pond plants – especially submerged varieties – release oxygen directly into the water through photosynthesis.
- Run pumps and filters 24/7 – avoid turning pumps and filters off at night and leave them running 24/7 to maximise circulation in the water.
2. Keep your pond clean
- Oxygen in the pond breaks down organic waste, fish waste and debris. Low oxygen levels means waste isn’t breaking down as fast and can cause sludge to form. Excessive sludge decreases oxygen levels further.
Envii’s Sludge Klear is a natural pond sludge remover that users millions of beneficial bacteria to break down and target pond sludge. These bacteria work by dislodging the sludge and releasing it into the water column, where your pond filters can catch and remove it.
3. Keep your pond cool
Warm pond water naturally has less oxygen than cold water, so you need to aim to keep your pond a consistent temperature. By doing so, you’ll create a cooler environment for your fish so they don’t overheat, but you also won’t lose any extra oxygen.
Create shade
The best way to try to manage your pond’s temperature is by introducing shade. You can do this by placing a gazebo or a UV sail over the pond, particularly at the hottest parts of the day, or by adding floating plants with broad leaves.
Increasing shade coverage also keeps algae at bay, as algae thrives off UV as well as depletes oxygen levels.
4. Manage evaporating water
Evaporation of your pond water will occur quicker the hotter it gets. A pond needs dechlorinated water, so if you have a water butt collecting rain, use the rainwater to fill your pond. Alternatively, you can just use a hose pipe, or watering can but ensure you are removing the chlorine from the water.
Envii’s Chlorine Klear is a highly concentrated, food-grade pond dechlorinator that instantly removes harmful chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals from tap water when topping up ponds with a hose pipe. Perfect for large volumes; just 500ml can treat up to 12,500 litres of water, making it one of the most powerful dechlorinators available.
Remember everything is a cycle
The life cycle of a pond is fascinating but remembering that everything leads back to oxygen levels is the key to a healthy pond.
Negative cycle
Warm weather → Lower oxygen levels → Slower breakdown of waste → Sludge build-up → Even lower oxygen levels → Fish stress and algae growth.
Positive cycle
More pond plants → More shade → Cooler water → Higher oxygen levels → Healthier fish and clearer water.
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For more information or to shop the full range, visit www.envii.co.uk