Thanks very much for the kind words and well done for changing the filter foams in your filtoclear-it’s surprising how many people struggle to re-assemble the unit once they’ve taken it apart!! Best, Ed
Wow- so glad to have found you! I inherited a small neglected water feature with waterfall and pond. I've been hand- scooping muck and thinking... is this really the way? Thanks for validating that sometimes you gotta scoop muck! Excellent video!
H Ha! Thanks Lisa. Yup- in the end what ever the job it almost always comes down to getting mucky and bailing the final sludge by hand!! Thanks for your comment! Best, Ed
i would love to be able to work with you to learn about all of this , ive started watching your videos and just love all the ponds and plants, great job ,and love your videos. keep them coming
Ah thanks! For anyone interested in nature, the great outdoors and plants/horticulture, working with ponds is great fun (apart from the hard work bit!!) Best, Ed
Although a skimmer would be useful to help remove leaves before they sink to the bottom! the shear quantity of overhead deciduous trees means that even a large skimmer will need daily attention and keep blocking in the autumn months. This pond has regular annual servicing and is beautifully clear , despite not having a skimmer! Thanks for watching and commenting, Best, Ed
Seeing that poor fish on his side, mouth gasping, because it was drained so low, made me very sad. I hope he survived. I enjoyed the rest of the video though.
Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting-although distressing to see for anyone not used to working with fish, draining a pond and waiting until the fish are almost dry is the quickest and least stressful way to catch livestock. No fish were harmed in the making of this video!!😁 Best, Ed
Amazing. But why not use sinking organic muck pellets that breaks down the muck at the bottom. Then an organic water treatment plus pond dye. Add more aeration as well ? Is that not a good way to break that down, etc ?
Hi there! In certain situations where a full drain and clean is not possible or practical (very large ponds for example) then the use of such treatments to help speed up the rate of decay of organic matter at the base of the pond can be useful. However it’s really important to validate what exactly the composition of the silt/sediment is- leaf leather, detritus and partially decomposed organic matter will respond much better to such treatments then fine silt (that’s already gone through the bulk of the decomposition process) and mineral based sediments. Physical removal is then really the best method of control. Again with this pond a water dye is unnecessary-the deliberate discolouration of water is intended to cut out light penetration to the water and help prevent single cellular algae that create green water. This pond is well filtered with a healthy amount of uvc sterilisation which ensures the pond water will remain clear without the use of such dyes. As for aeration-absolutely, ensuring a pond is well aerated is important in ensuring a healthy population of microorganisms and essential nitrifying bacteria can proliferate! In this pond there’s a huge amount of aeration that goes on ‘behind the scenes’ as water enters the large filter unit. Additional surface splash from the water blade and circulation from the smaller pressurised filter all ensures in this instance a well aerated pond! Thanks for your comment! Best, Ed
Would be really interested in your thoughts on the best fish for a UK pond. Specifically we want to create a large(ish) nature pond, and though I hear fish are not good for nature ponds, it would be nice to have a little extra life so long as they aren't too detrimental. Thanks
Hi Michael, thanks for your query! For the best chance of water clarity and minimal algae maintaining a fish less pond can have its advantages (chiefly in terms of minimal waste production) However my personal feelings are that the addition of fish in a natural pond- provided these are undemanding and wont require supplementary feeding- is extremely beneficial and all part of establishing a natural eco system in a pond. My fish of choice in such a scenario would be golden Rudd- a small undemanding schooling species that will always behave like a wild fish (they don’t become ‘tame’ like koi or goldfish). They will breed- indeed in certain circumstances as the video depicts above they can proliferate- but if left unfed and through natural predation (assuming you wont try to deter Mr heron!) only a limited population will be able to sustain itself. Fish within the pond will help to keep down little nasties such as mosquito larvae, the nutrients they produce from their waste (which with Rudd will be minimal) will contribute to fertilising any plants you have growing and the visual appeal of some livestock cruising around in the pond is huge. Other additions to think about are green tench- a lovely bottom feeder, although a fish you are unlikely to see frequently unless you are lucky! Hope this helps and best wishes, Ed
Hi Edd great video and always full of useful information, seen a few of yours now and am wondering, Where do you get those water bozzers from? if that's how they are spell, our pound has all of a sudden, sprung a leak, seeing these would be helpful to store the water while we find the leak. any info on them would be great. all the best James
Hi James, they are extremely useful-but pricy! I use a local ish swimming pool stockist called Home Counties pools, based in West Sussex who supply them for me, there’s also an online store who sell similar tanks (called onion tanks) but as I say, they are expensive…www.tanksforeverything.co.uk/water-tanks/above-ground-water-tanks/temporary-above-ground-water-storage-tanks/onion-tanks-temporary-above-ground-water-tanks Best, Ed
Hi. I have an established pond 25+ years! It has a stone surround cemented down onto the liner. Without rain I loose water fairly quickly to a level where cement meets the liner. Without a complete rebuild is there anything on the market that I can reseal the join between the liner and mortar, whilst leaving the fish insitu? Cheers, Rob Sumsion .
Hi there Rob, thanks for watching and commenting. Unfortunately this is quite a common issue I encounter and sadly there’s no real permanent fix other then re-lining the pond and ensuring the pond liner is sufficiently large enough that it comes up behind the stone work to a height at or above max water level, or the pond is made slightly smaller to free up enough pond liner to lift behind the stonework. Pond paints and resins (G4 is an excellent sealer/resin) painted over the stonework/mortar join between mortar/stone will perhaps solve your issues on a short term but would not be a long term fix. It’s all but impossible to guarantee a water tight seal between something solid and immobile such as rock and something flexible and giving such as pond liner and so correct design and installation is the best approach. Hope this helps, Best. Ed
Thanks Henry- sometimes away from the camera it can be a really hard slog and winters are no fun, but in general I’m very appreciative that I’ve been able to carve a career of sorts out of what I love doing. Thanks for watching and commenting! Best, Ed
I am working on my pond little smaller than the one you are working on. I have emptied the water. please advice what vacuum to use to remove the muck and debris.
Hu there, thanks for watching and commenting and my apologies for not responding sooner!! Im a big fan of the Oase pondvac5 and as a general pond vacuum this works very well! Best, Ed
Hi Steven, thanks for watching and commenting- in general pond cleaning can be undertaken any time of the year, however during the coldest winter months its rather unpleasant getting in ponds! Additionally if you have livestock in a pond they don’t really want to be disturbed during the winter months and neither do any overwintering amphibians. For a ‘fish only’ pond/koi pond with minimal if any native wildlife any time when the water temp is above 10.c (March through to November ish) is fine- but if its a wildlife/mixed pond with lots of native wildlife you need to be a little more careful with timings. Early spring can be a little awkward depending on how you time it- if you have lots of visiting amphibians, spawning could be an issue- either try and catch it on a warm day before any spawn is present, or if spawn is present carefully salvage this and replace once you’ve worked on the pond. If you DO have lots of spawn then trying to clean a pond whilst there are lots of tadpoles in can be a real challenge- best not to bother in this case and wait until mid summer when they (majority) will have left the pond. It goes without saying when cleaning out a pond try and salvage as much life as possible- a bucket or two of silt/sediment saved and put back in the pond will benefit the pond by introducing lots of microorganisms beneficial to the pond for re-establishment. Try and save as much of the ‘cleaner’ water as possible to top the pond back up with once clean- rather then just filling with 100% tap water if feasible. Hope this helps! Best, Ed
Thanks for taking the time to expand on when it is better to clean out a pond, I do much appreciate it. I think for our pond a mid-summer job is called for. Thanks once again. Cheers, Steve
Hi James, thanks for watching and commenting! I know where your coming from and would usually tend to agree with you, but I think part of the charm of this particular pond is its more natural ‘wildness’. Now the pond is lovely and clear seeing a huge shoal of Rudd cruising around is quite something and the minimal demands they put on the pond-as opposed to messy carp- means maintenance is much less! Best, Ed
Hey Paddy, cheers for watching and sorry if I missed out that detail-pretty self explanatory though! I drain ponds simply via a sump pump (or a pond pump would do at a pinch) and then once down to the mucky stuff at the bottom it’s over to the pond vac and buckets and bails! A more recent video might cover the actual draining part and useful equipment in more detail: Extreme clean! How to clean your pond! ua-cam.com/video/ZWPoZHxDoaE/v-deo.html Best, Ed
Best advice for cleaning ponds is to try and salvage and store as much of the original pond water as possible-to return back to the pond once cleaned Tthink about times of the year- if your pond is a wildlife pond and you have visits from amphibians then perhaps delay cleaning the pond until after they have spawned and the tadpoles have transformed and left the pond (mid/late summer) or before they have spawned Jan/Feb, if it’s mild. Get yourself plenty of good quality buckets (you’ll need them!) and an old dust pan and brush is useful for scooping up the muck from the bottom of the pond. Wear gloves and a pair of waders will be very useful! Again if a wildlife pond hang on to a small amount of the sediment from the bottom and return this to the pond once clean-lots of beneficial microbes etc in there. Check carefully for pond life such as dragon fly larvae/beetle larvae, snails etc and hang onto these. Amphibians will return back to the pond so as long as you’re getting rid of the muddy sludge in your garden don’t worry too much if any amphibians take a ride in the buckets along with the sludge- just be gentle! Hope this helps and good luck! Best, Ed
Hi there-apologies for the slow response! These holding tanks are great aren’t they?! I purchase them through Home Counties pools in Horsham, West Sussex and they’re called easy tanks. Not cheap though; the 500gallon variant costs almost £300 and the larger 3000 gallon unit I have approx £1200.... Wish I could find a stockist online or a little cheaper but thus far have only been able to source them through Home Counties pools. Hope this helps! Best, Ed
Hi there, thanks for your comment! Had I of recorded every second of working on this pond it would have made for a very longwinded and boring video! As part of the service the surface of any pond I work on is always given a thorough surface skim-have no fear, any leaves you could see in this video would have been removed off camera! Best, Ed
Somewhere discreetly in your garden-it’s fantastically nutritious and great spread around borders and dug in once dried. A very good natural fertiliser!
Pond vacs have their uses but sometimes it’s quicker just to roll your sleeves up, get mucky and bail out the muck once the pond has been emptied! Thanks for watching! Best, Ed
Hi Ricky, Thanks for watching and your question- and a good one at that! I’ve electro fished in the past- chiefly small sections of river and larger lakes and although an efficient way to catch fish its not without its risks. In a small contained pond such as this it makes much more sense to drain and physically catch livestock which has less potential to cause long term harm to fish- particularly as the pond required a full drain for cleaning purposes in any case. Thanks for your comment! Best, Ed
Disappointing that after the pond clean, needed due to lack of maintenance, you return to so much foliage floating around. I know people are busy but 5 mins to clear leaves isn’t such a big deal. I guess it keeps your business running though.
Thanks for watching and your comment. A big pond like this can be difficult to keep clear of leaves and other floating debris. Plus the whole property is set in a woodland and surrounded by lots of mature trees so leaf fall is always an issue. A skimmer would be beneficial in this pond for sure- but will still require regular maintenance to keep it operating efficiently. Best, Ed
You have such a good helper. Bless him.
Dave is godsend!
Thank you for this video, it's answered many questions I had about my own pond which is in a similar state. 👍
This is such an interesting video. What a beautiful garden and pond. Stunning job you’ve done ✔️
Thanks for your lovely comment!
Fabulous job on my pond Ed. Thank you!
My pleasure Ed! Look forward to seeing how your pond develops in the future.
Best,
Ed
Another great video. Just changed the filter sponges on our Oase Filtoclear 30000....the koi look happy. Keep up the great work.
Thanks very much for the kind words and well done for changing the filter foams in your filtoclear-it’s surprising how many people struggle to re-assemble the unit once they’ve taken it apart!!
Best,
Ed
Wow- so glad to have found you! I inherited a small neglected water feature with waterfall and pond. I've been hand- scooping muck and thinking... is this really the way? Thanks for validating that sometimes you gotta scoop muck! Excellent video!
H Ha! Thanks Lisa. Yup- in the end what ever the job it almost always comes down to getting mucky and bailing the final sludge by hand!!
Thanks for your comment!
Best,
Ed
really enjoyed this clip as a new pond owner
Thank you and enjoy your new pond!
Best,
Ed
i would love to be able to work with you to learn about all of this , ive started watching your videos and just love all the ponds and plants, great job ,and love your videos. keep them coming
Ah thanks! For anyone interested in nature, the great outdoors and plants/horticulture, working with ponds is great fun (apart from the hard work bit!!)
Best,
Ed
Very nice 👌🏻 decent pond that
Very enjoyable video :-)
Thank you very much!
It’ll never clear until it has a skimmer. The leaves are sinking to cause the silt.
Although a skimmer would be useful to help remove leaves before they sink to the bottom! the shear quantity of overhead deciduous trees means that even a large skimmer will need daily attention and keep blocking in the autumn months. This pond has regular annual servicing and is beautifully clear , despite not having a skimmer!
Thanks for watching and commenting,
Best,
Ed
What are the water storage vats you have got? Where can I get some from, there awesome!!! 👌
Seeing that poor fish on his side, mouth gasping, because it was drained so low, made me very sad. I hope he survived. I enjoyed the rest of the video though.
Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting-although distressing to see for anyone not used to working with fish, draining a pond and waiting until the fish are almost dry is the quickest and least stressful way to catch livestock. No fish were harmed in the making of this video!!😁
Best,
Ed
Amazing. But why not use sinking organic muck pellets that breaks down the muck at the bottom. Then an organic water treatment plus pond dye. Add more aeration as well ? Is that not a good way to break that down, etc ?
Hi there! In certain situations where a full drain and clean is not possible or practical (very large ponds for example) then the use of such treatments to help speed up the rate of decay of organic matter at the base of the pond can be useful. However it’s really important to validate what exactly the composition of the silt/sediment is- leaf leather, detritus and partially decomposed organic matter will respond much better to such treatments then fine silt (that’s already gone through the bulk of the decomposition process) and mineral based sediments. Physical removal is then really the best method of control. Again with this pond a water dye is unnecessary-the deliberate discolouration of water is intended to cut out light penetration to the water and help prevent single cellular algae that create green water. This pond is well filtered with a healthy amount of uvc sterilisation which ensures the pond water will remain clear without the use of such dyes. As for aeration-absolutely, ensuring a pond is well aerated is important in ensuring a healthy population of microorganisms and essential nitrifying bacteria can proliferate! In this pond there’s a huge amount of aeration that goes on ‘behind the scenes’ as water enters the large filter unit. Additional surface splash from the water blade and circulation from the smaller pressurised filter all ensures in this instance a well aerated pond!
Thanks for your comment!
Best,
Ed
Would be really interested in your thoughts on the best fish for a UK pond. Specifically we want to create a large(ish) nature pond, and though I hear fish are not good for nature ponds, it would be nice to have a little extra life so long as they aren't too detrimental. Thanks
Hi Michael, thanks for your query! For the best chance of water clarity and minimal algae maintaining a fish less pond can have its advantages (chiefly in terms of minimal waste production) However my personal feelings are that the addition of fish in a natural pond- provided these are undemanding and wont require supplementary feeding- is extremely beneficial and all part of establishing a natural eco system in a pond.
My fish of choice in such a scenario would be golden Rudd- a small undemanding schooling species that will always behave like a wild fish (they don’t become ‘tame’ like koi or goldfish). They will breed- indeed in certain circumstances as the video depicts above they can proliferate- but if left unfed and through natural predation (assuming you wont try to deter Mr heron!) only a limited population will be able to sustain itself.
Fish within the pond will help to keep down little nasties such as mosquito larvae, the nutrients they produce from their waste (which with Rudd will be minimal) will contribute to fertilising any plants you have growing and the visual appeal of some livestock cruising around in the pond is huge.
Other additions to think about are green tench- a lovely bottom feeder, although a fish you are unlikely to see frequently unless you are lucky!
Hope this helps and best wishes,
Ed
@@CrystalClearAquatics Thanks so much for the reply, that is extremely helpful. Golden Rudd it is!
You’re welcome!
Hi Edd great video and always full of useful information, seen a few of yours now and am wondering, Where do you get those water bozzers from? if that's how they are spell, our pound has all of a sudden, sprung a leak, seeing these would be helpful to store the water while we find the leak. any info on them would be great. all the best James
Hi James, they are extremely useful-but pricy! I use a local ish swimming pool stockist called Home Counties pools, based in West Sussex who supply them for me, there’s also an online store who sell similar tanks (called onion tanks) but as I say, they are expensive…www.tanksforeverything.co.uk/water-tanks/above-ground-water-tanks/temporary-above-ground-water-storage-tanks/onion-tanks-temporary-above-ground-water-tanks
Best,
Ed
@@CrystalClearAquatics hello Ed. Thanks so much for the info, will look today . Have a great a great week ahead. James
Hi. I have an established pond 25+ years! It has a stone surround cemented down onto the liner. Without rain I loose water fairly quickly to a level where cement meets the liner. Without a complete rebuild is there anything on the market that I can reseal the join between the liner and mortar, whilst leaving the fish insitu? Cheers, Rob Sumsion .
Hi there Rob, thanks for watching and commenting. Unfortunately this is quite a common issue I encounter and sadly there’s no real permanent fix other then re-lining the pond and ensuring the pond liner is sufficiently large enough that it comes up behind the stone work to a height at or above max water level, or the pond is made slightly smaller to free up enough pond liner to lift behind the stonework. Pond paints and resins (G4 is an excellent sealer/resin) painted over the stonework/mortar join between mortar/stone will perhaps solve your issues on a short term but would not be a long term fix. It’s all but impossible to guarantee a water tight seal between something solid and immobile such as rock and something flexible and giving such as pond liner and so correct design and installation is the best approach.
Hope this helps,
Best.
Ed
@@CrystalClearAquatics thanks Ed, fancied that might have been the answer! Thanks again, keep up with your reports, always interesting!
I wish I had your job.
Thanks Henry- sometimes away from the camera it can be a really hard slog and winters are no fun, but in general I’m very appreciative that I’ve been able to carve a career of sorts out of what I love doing. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Best,
Ed
I am working on my pond little smaller than the one you are working on. I have emptied the water. please advice what vacuum to use to remove the muck and debris.
Hu there, thanks for watching and commenting and my apologies for not responding sooner!! Im a big fan of the Oase pondvac5 and as a general pond vacuum this works very well!
Best,
Ed
Thanks for sharing. What is the best time of year to clear out a pond?
Hi Steven, thanks for watching and commenting- in general pond cleaning can be undertaken any time of the year, however during the coldest winter months its rather unpleasant getting in ponds! Additionally if you have livestock in a pond they don’t really want to be disturbed during the winter months and neither do any overwintering amphibians.
For a ‘fish only’ pond/koi pond with minimal if any native wildlife any time when the water temp is above 10.c (March through to November ish) is fine- but if its a wildlife/mixed pond with lots of native wildlife you need to be a little more careful with timings. Early spring can be a little awkward depending on how you time it- if you have lots of visiting amphibians, spawning could be an issue- either try and catch it on a warm day before any spawn is present, or if spawn is present carefully salvage this and replace once you’ve worked on the pond. If you DO have lots of spawn then trying to clean a pond whilst there are lots of tadpoles in can be a real challenge- best not to bother in this case and wait until mid summer when they (majority) will have left the pond. It goes without saying when cleaning out a pond try and salvage as much life as possible- a bucket or two of silt/sediment saved and put back in the pond will benefit the pond by introducing lots of microorganisms beneficial to the pond for re-establishment. Try and save as much of the ‘cleaner’ water as possible to top the pond back up with once clean- rather then just filling with 100% tap water if feasible.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Ed
Thanks for taking the time to expand on when it is better to clean out a pond, I do much appreciate it. I think for our pond a mid-summer job is called for. Thanks once again.
Cheers, Steve
Beautiful pond but needs some koi or more larger fish with colour imo
Hi James, thanks for watching and commenting! I know where your coming from and would usually tend to agree with you, but I think part of the charm of this particular pond is its more natural ‘wildness’. Now the pond is lovely and clear seeing a huge shoal of Rudd cruising around is quite something and the minimal demands they put on the pond-as opposed to messy carp- means maintenance is much less!
Best,
Ed
I was hoping you explained how you actually drained the pond.
Hey Paddy, cheers for watching and sorry if I missed out that detail-pretty self explanatory though! I drain ponds simply via a sump pump (or a pond pump would do at a pinch) and then once down to the mucky stuff at the bottom it’s over to the pond vac and buckets and bails!
A more recent video might cover the actual draining part and useful equipment in more detail: Extreme clean! How to clean your pond!
ua-cam.com/video/ZWPoZHxDoaE/v-deo.html
Best,
Ed
Nice
Thank you!
Any advice on cleaning a relatively small wildlife pond?
Best advice for cleaning ponds is to try and salvage and store as much of the original pond water as possible-to return back to the pond once cleaned Tthink about times of the year- if your pond is a wildlife pond and you have visits from amphibians then perhaps delay cleaning the pond until after they have spawned and the tadpoles have transformed and left the pond (mid/late summer) or before they have spawned Jan/Feb, if it’s mild.
Get yourself plenty of good quality buckets (you’ll need them!) and an old dust pan and brush is useful for scooping up the muck from the bottom of the pond. Wear gloves and a pair of waders will be very useful! Again if a wildlife pond hang on to a small amount of the sediment from the bottom and return this to the pond once clean-lots of beneficial microbes etc in there. Check carefully for pond life such as dragon fly larvae/beetle larvae, snails etc and hang onto these. Amphibians will return back to the pond so as long as you’re getting rid of the muddy sludge in your garden don’t worry too much if any amphibians take a ride in the buckets along with the sludge- just be gentle!
Hope this helps and good luck!
Best,
Ed
Those Bowser's look handy where could I purchase one from?
Hi there-apologies for the slow response! These holding tanks are great aren’t they?! I purchase them through Home Counties pools in Horsham, West Sussex and they’re called easy tanks. Not cheap though; the 500gallon variant costs almost £300 and the larger 3000 gallon unit I have approx £1200....
Wish I could find a stockist online or a little cheaper but thus far have only been able to source them through Home Counties pools.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Ed
why did you leave all the leaves floating in the pond?
Hi there, thanks for your comment! Had I of recorded every second of working on this pond it would have made for a very longwinded and boring video! As part of the service the surface of any pond I work on is always given a thorough surface skim-have no fear, any leaves you could see in this video would have been removed off camera!
Best,
Ed
Sorry if I missed it, but where do you discard the sediment after removal?
Somewhere discreetly in your garden-it’s fantastically nutritious and great spread around borders and dug in once dried. A very good natural fertiliser!
So very handsome dude
Vacuum out the mud ..
Pond vacs have their uses but sometimes it’s quicker just to roll your sleeves up, get mucky and bail out the muck once the pond has been emptied!
Thanks for watching!
Best,
Ed
Why don't you electro shock the fish to catch them???
Hi Ricky,
Thanks for watching and your question- and a good one at that! I’ve electro fished in the past- chiefly small sections of river and larger lakes and although an efficient way to catch fish its not without its risks. In a small contained pond such as this it makes much more sense to drain and physically catch livestock which has less potential to cause long term harm to fish- particularly as the pond required a full drain for cleaning purposes in any case.
Thanks for your comment!
Best,
Ed
Disappointing that after the pond clean, needed due to lack of maintenance, you return to so much foliage floating around. I know people are busy but 5 mins to clear leaves isn’t such a big deal. I guess it keeps your business running though.
Thanks for watching and your comment. A big pond like this can be difficult to keep clear of leaves and other floating debris. Plus the whole property is set in a woodland and surrounded by lots of mature trees so leaf fall is always an issue. A skimmer would be beneficial in this pond for sure- but will still require regular maintenance to keep it operating efficiently.
Best,
Ed
Nice
Thanks!