I thought it would be good, as well as fun, to have a
discussion on pond tips, maintenance and plants.
We put in our pond in 1997, and are still learning
and striving to make the pond maintenance easier.

Please add all your maintenance ideas, improvements, and clever ideas,
for ponds, and gardening tips...photos
would be helpful as well.

I'll go first, we have a bottom drain and gravity fed system.
The problem with a bottom drain is they can get
clogged with plants, leaves and stones that the koi
deposit on the pond floor from digging in the pots.
In order to unclog the drain we used to put the shop
vac down the pipe and blow all the stuff out.

This is the way my head groundskeeper (Cliff) solved
this problem and it works fabulously.
Get a long strong nylon cord, tie (very tightly) a rag to the end of the cord,
then tie another cord to the other end of the rag... Pull
the cord through the drain, then tug on the cord
from the filter side and then tug from the pond side, the rag will pull out all the stones and leaves etc...

the cord (that comes out from the bottom drain is tied to our dock in the back and the other end of the cord
is lying along side filter tub.
the cord remains in the pipes all the time and the tied rag is along side the filter tub.
He also has a knot in the cord, when he sees the knot he stops tugging on the cord so that the rag on the other end
stays just outside the bottom drain.
Note, in order to be able to do this the dome on the bottom
drain has to be removed. We have a 45* and a 90* angle on
our bottom drain plumbing.

He does this a couple/few times a week, as it's easy to do, just pick up the cord and give it a few tugs...actually
this time of the year he gives it a few tugs every day,
because of all the droppings from the oak trees.

I hope this is clear, if not I'll do a drawing.
Note: make sure the rag is strong and tied very securely
to the nylon cord...

The heavy cord and rag stays in place all the time, 24/7 -- 365 thus,
it's always ready for a tug to loosen anything that accumulates in the drain.
In the past, when the pumps slowed up, he always thought
it was because the filters needed cleaning, when in fact it was gunk in the drain.
Think of it as 'pond floss' :)
So far, it's the single best maintenance trick, to date, that he ever cliff-rigged. :)

Anybody else have any pond tips?. We have several,
but would like to hear about others.
come on, this is easy. :-)

One of the best tips I have is to know your source water. If you use city water look up the city water reports. My city tests the water yearly and I found out the water is high in phosphates. High in phosphates means high algae so this report was valuable and I cut down the frequency of water changes.

Next- Do not underestimate the importance of veggie filtration. You can add watercress, WC, and many other plants in your pond, in floating planters, and in your filters or filter ponds that will help keep your pond crystal clear.

Have tree whirlybirds but no skimmer? Use a garden hose to move them to one section of the pond and then use a leaf skimmer remove them.

No bottom drain, no pond vacuum and a mucky pond bottom? Take a debris handling pump, hang it by a rope and go over the bottom of the pond with it. Stir the bottom up a little with a net to get the debris moving a little as you pump the muckiness out.

Need pond shade and want pond plants without using shelves or plants that sit on the bottom of the pond? Look up floating planters. Easiest floating planter in the world is to take a piece of styrofoam from Home Depot or Lowes- paint it black, cut holes to fit your annual pots and place pots inside the hole. Viola! Cheap floating planter.

Can't make a waterfall to save your life? Take the discharge pipe from your pump- put a 90 degree elbow on it place on edge of pond over a spill rock. Plant a creeping juniper or plant, vine or tree that hangs over the pipe and hides the discharge pipe. Very natural looking without the fuss.

These are some of my tips from years of ponding. Right now my set up includes skimmer with UV light, bottom drain, settling pond, and large veggie filter. Maintenance is very easy but even without the bells and whistles you can still keep a clear pond.

Most important- build it as big as you can. When you can use it as a swimming pool you have met your goal. lol

Lisa

Second biggest tip is to have goldfish instead of koi in most ponds. Koi require more water, more depth and more filtration and many are stunted and unhealthy out there in ponds that are much too small. Goldfish can be just as colorful and friendly, cost less to buy and maintain and reduce water quality stresses.

2) Test the water regularly and at the same time of day. That way you should not have any major surprises. Keep a log of test results, any treatments added, and water changes.

3) Plants, plants and more plants. I have mechanical and biological filteration but nothing beats plants. They help keep the water parameters where you want them, and they look beautiful. It's a win-win.

I am pond-side everyday. I am always tweaking, moving, and planning. I am currently in the middle of a waterfall rebuild. If anyone says they want a pond, I tell them, 'You will love it."

The rope is long enough to cover the entire pond, and he holds it tightly to walk
around the 'slippery' pond.
No more slipping and sliding and -- and 'going under!"