What is Pond Sludge and How Can I Control it?
Every garden pond will get pond sludge, unfortunately, it is inevitable, but. what exactly is pond sludge?
It is a build-up of several organic materials such as plants/leaves that fall into the pond water, fish waste, dead algae and dirt, as well as inorganic matter like uneaten fish food. What the sludge is made up of depends on what is around the location of your pond. All this build-up occurs in the form of a thick green/brown/black mud that sinks down to the bottom of your pond.
Image: The Pond Guy
A little bit of sludge is unavoidable, but if it builds up too much, it can be very problematic for your fish. This thick mucky sludge becomes too dense for oxygen to pass through which means less oxygen available for beneficial bacteria and fish to thrive. Since the beneficial bacteria cannot do its job, more sludge and undesirable bacteria builds up and the water will become toxic to the living organisms in your pond like plants and koi fish. The greater the amount of pond sludge, the more contaminated the water becomes and the harder it will be to get rid of
How should you control the sludge?
If you find that sludge is building up quicker than you can manually get rid of, try looking to a pond water treatment to regularly add to the water. A pond sludge solution like Pond Rescue Anti Sludge works as a beneficial bacteria that will help to break down the harmful constituents that build up in the pond and pond filter and encourage the growth of harmful pathogenic bacteria. By adding treatment you will see improvements in the look of your pond and also prevent bad smelling pond water. Because this is a healthy bacteria and not chemicals, your koi fish and plants will not be harmed. All Pond Solutions Pond Rescue Anti Sludge is easy to use, inexpensive and does not take much time before it begins to take effect.
When you find that the pond sludge is under control, there are precautionary measures that you can take so that it does not get to a harmful level again: It is a good idea to have a pond net which will stop some of the unwanted debris, like leaves, from entering the pond in the first place. It is also important to have a pond filter and to keep that pond filter working and clean. Be sure to perform cleaning and maintenance checks on any pond filter at least once a month.