How to clean ponds of greenery, sludge and dirt? In place of Nelo
Question from a reader of our website: how to clean ponds from greenery, sludge and dirt?
Answer: Muddy water, thread algae and siltation of the bottom are the most common problems faced by garden pond owners or residents of suburban communities. Pour water to replace it and clean the silt from the bottom. This takes a lot of effort and time, and devices such as pond cleaners are very expensive and not always effective in large areas. And here a reasonable question arises, “Which cleaning method is better to choose?”
To answer it, you need to delve into the matter a little bit by looking at the pros and cons of each method of cleaning ponds and rivers.
Why do water bodies get polluted?
Every pond, stream, river or lake sooner or later begins to overgrow with algae and become shallower, shallower. There is nothing unusual about this. This is a natural process of “aging” of aquatic ecosystems.
It is interesting to note that many scientists consider it even useful from the point of view of biology. Unfortunately, from a visual point of view, there is nothing attractive about this process. The water becomes muddy and green, not to mention smelly. In addition, this process often occurs almost suddenly due to too much phosphate and nitrate.
Where do all these substances in the water come from? They get into the water from various sources: from fertilizers, from plant protection products, with water flowing out of agricultural machinery, leaking septic tanks, sewage, and from effluent that has already been treated. Therefore, we advise caution in the use of chemicals in the garden, as they are not only harmful to us, but also have a negative impact on the entire ecosystem of the site, including water bodies.
Photo 1. Underwater photos of a polluted body of water.
How do I clean a pond, pond and lake?
There are three methods of cleaning ponds of greenery and dirt, after which the water becomes clear again:
- The mechanical method. Its essence is that from the bottom of the reservoir with the help of excavators and bulldozers removed all the silt, dirt, soil sediments. Of course, if we are talking about cleaning a garden pond, it can also be done manually. Mechanical cleaning of ponds is extremely effective and can disrupt the ecosystem in the pond. Therefore, resort to this method of cleaning ponds in extreme cases;
- chemical method. Its essence is to pump chemicals into water which inhibit algae and cyanobacteria growth. This method is cheaper than the first one and also very effective. However, it is the least environmentally friendly. Almost all microorganisms and fish in the pond are sure to die;
- Bacterial method. This is the most gentle method of cleaning ponds. Its essence is that special bacteria are pumped into the pond, which absorb the dirty water, but without disturbing the natural ecosystem. The bacterial method of cleaning water bodies does not affect the nature, but only helps. In addition, it is the least tedious method that does not require much effort from us, as beneficial microorganisms do all the work for us. Although in this case we naturally remove accumulated silt, remove algae and clean the bottom.
More about the bacterial method of purifying ecological water
As mentioned above, special bacteria are planted in a polluted pond. They turn the process of decomposing algae and cyanobacteria into a fermentation process, which helps to quickly clear the pond of greenery, silt and other sediment. All of this overgrowth in the pond is simply put into your food that you break down. This reduces Sthash and the amount of phosphates and nitrates, which causes the water to bloom.
Photo 2. The result of cleaning the water in the pond with the bacterial method. The water became clear again.
The process of bacterial water purification in ponds is very fast. And it is universal. In less than six months, bacteria can clean a lake of any size and depth.
And how are rivers cleaned?
It’s one thing to clean a body of water in standing water. It’s another thing to clean a river that has water flowing into it. Obviously, special bacteria should not be released to solve this problem. So what do scientists suggest in this case?
Fortunately, nature is structured in such a way that it can look after itself and rivers can clean. Although, of course, up to a certain limit.
The river can free itself from unnecessary pollution: if the pollution is not due to the large amount of emissions of nearby factories, after some distance the water stream returns to its original natural purity. Harmful substances are diluted in the river. In addition, they are neutralized by the large amount of water.
Photograph of the 3rd ground silt of the river.
For insoluble heavy substances, another possibility for natural filtration is settling at the end of the body of water. With a fast flowing river, these substances are transported over long distances; with a slow flowing river, the length of the runoff is much shorter. Oxidation by oxygen and assimilation by aquatic organisms and plants free the runoff from harmful compounds.
But the natural filtration system of flow-through drains today cannot cope with the amount of dirt that comes from large industrial plants and agricultural countries, of which there are more and more. Over the past decades, people have still not been able to find effective methods of cleaning water bodies, but the search continues, so new ideas are emerging.
The M. V. Recyclone.”
The solution to the problem of cleaning up rivers came from an unexpected place. British vacuum cleaner manufacturer James Dyson presented the world with a solution to a global problem.
Dyson proposed an innovative idea: to create a vacuum floating device that would clean the water of the river on the principle of a household vacuum cleaner – by sucking up dirt and solid substances (e.g., glass waste and chemical insoluble compounds that pollute the water body). With only 3% of the planet’s freshwater reserves, the Dyson project being implemented by M. W. Recyclone can be called very promising.
According to the scheme, the cleaning giant boat slowly moves down the river, with the pollution mechanism being picked up, working in two directions simultaneously. A cyclonic system, similar to Dyson vacuum cleaners, shreds and holds the waste.
Of course, this project is still “raw” and still needs to be worked on. For example, right now there is no installation that can distinguish between plants, animals and garbage, so that flora and fauna do not suffer more from the sewage treatment plant than from pollution.
Plants, technology, and new developments are good, but the problems of industrial waste disposal should not be solved at the expense of nature. Like Ray Bradbury in one of his works, “The Face of the Earth,” when the earth breathes or floods us with ocean waters-just another reminder to man that he is not as all-powerful as he thinks he is. “
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Effective methods of cleaning the pond on the plot – the secrets of a perfectly clean pond
Artificial pond on the plot creates a beautiful and interesting landscape, but requires constant care: the water over time becomes turbid, the soil lags behind the silt, duckweed grows on the surface. Pond cleaning keeps the aquatic environment in perfect condition and prevents future pollution. Let’s look at a few ways to clean your pond with your own hands. Read to the end to choose the most appropriate method of cleaning the pond, based on its capabilities.
Determining how polluted your pond is
The first thing to look at when cleaning a pond is the degree of contamination. The first step is eutrification, a reduction in the amount of oxygen in the water. This happens if you do not remove debris, leaves and branches from the surface of the pond in time. In the second stage, duckweed begins to grow, insects, frogs and other inhabitants appear. The third stage is the emergence of silt, which traps the bottom of the body of water and leads to recurrence. The last, fourth stage is shoaling: the pond is heavily covered with silt, duckweed, various vegetation – complete drying out of the pond is possible.
Determining the degree of pollution helps to choose the necessary cleaning methods and effective means.
Methods for cleaning artificial ponds
There are several ways to clean a pond from pollution:
- mechanical
- chemical
- biological
- ultraviolet water purification.
Each of them is used depending on the time of year, the degree of pollution of the reservoir, its area, volume and other characteristics. Below we will look at how you can clean the water in the pond with each of the methods.
Method 1 – Mechanical cleaning
The mechanical method is used in the first stage of pollution. It consists in the manual removal of debris from the surface and from the depth of the pond. The simplest devices for this can be nets and nets, but there are also more modern equipment:
- Safety and pressure filters. Debris and dirt are sucked up by the pump along with the water and remain in the filters. Clean water flows back into the tank. Over time, filter parts need to be cleaned or replaced.
- Filtrates. These filters automatically move around the surface of the pool. The pump adds debris, which remains in the basket, and the cleaned water drains into the tank.
- A water vacuum cleaner or slide. This device not only collects debris, but also cleans the pond of unwanted vegetation, silt and duck showers. With its help, you can clean a pond with a diameter of up to 10 m. Depending on the model, they come in manual and automatic.
Through mechanical cleaning, you can keep the pond in perfect condition, clean the water and prevent the emergence of vegetation. However, this cleaning method is not suitable for heavily polluted ponds.
Method 2 – Chemicals
The chemical method cleans the water body of algae, prevents the growth of fungi and prevents slime fluff. The principle of the chemicals is that they bring the composition of the water back to normal and decompose silt, duckweed and debris. This method is used for heavily polluted bodies of water where fish and plants do not live.
Sorption treatment is a gentler chemical method. Minerals clean the water of phosphorus because they are placed in flow-through filter chambers.
Over time, the lime washes out from the bottom of the reservoir, causing algae and duckweed to grow more actively. Water purification speeds up the expansion of contaminants, increases the oxygen content of the water and disinfects it from harmful bacteria and microbes. In this case, hated or quicklime is used.
Method 3 – Biological Cleaning
One option for Schlick Lake cleanup is biological cleaning: special bacteria that feed on organic debris and waste contribute to the decomposition of contaminants in the water. This method is effectively used after mechanical cleaning.
The painting or bioplato is the vegetated area of the main basin. These aquatic plants, such as cargolite or bogweed, not only decorate the pond area, but also form a “filter”: the water from the pump passes through the culprit plant and enters, purified, into the main pond. This process is repeated cyclically, as a result, the water is oxygenated and becomes transparent. Preferably, the current should be weak so that the water is purified evenly.
Another device of the biological method is a floating island, which contains zooplankton. Passing through it, the water is purified and becomes more transparent.
Powders and liquids designed to shred the water body organically affect microscopic algae and stop photosynthesis. They are very easy to use – just sprinkle the powder on the surface or add the liquid to the filter. They are especially effective when using chemicals for disinfection and clarification. That’s the answer to the question of how to clarify the water in a pond with fish.
The biological method is easy to use if crustaceans and fish live in the pond. The above remedies do not threaten the safety of the pond’s animal life at all.
Method 4 – cleaning with ultraviolet light
The use of devices with an ultraviolet lamp is absolutely safe for the inhabitants of the pond. Special lamps are immersed in the water, under the influence of ultraviolet rays the water is disinfected, microcracks and microorganisms decompose like bacteria. This method is universal and fast. The model of the lamp should be chosen depending on the degree of contamination, and if the pond is large enough, you may need several of these lamps.
Video description
This video clearly describes the cleaning of the pond at the site: 5 secrets of a clean pond
Changing the water in a reservoir
In some situations, water treatment may not be effective in the final stages of contamination. In this case, the question of how to clean the Schlick and Ennenwiede pond is solved only by a complete or partial water change. The water level is gradually lowered and the plants and fish are moved into the aquarium. The borders, walls and bottom of the pond are then cleaned. The formation of normal microflora will take time, but this process can be accelerated with chemicals. Only after that, its former inhabitants can return to the “new” environment. The water will quickly darken, but also quickly cleaned – this will allow the organisms to adapt to the environment.
Preventing environmental pollution in an artificial pond
Maintaining a pond on the property takes a lot of time and effort. Therefore, it is important to create conditions that prevent water pollution. Let’s look at some recommendations on how to keep your pond in perfect condition:
- Creating shade over the pond. To avoid excessive evaporation of water and loss of oxygen, it is necessary to create shade over the pond: plant low trees or ornamental shrubs.
- Installation of ventilation. Even if there are no fish in the pond, this device is necessary: it saturates the water with oxygen and helps to maintain an optimal climate in the aquatic environment. It slows the formation of silt, algae and dirt in the pool.
- Creating borders of stones, tiles or concrete around the pond. This decoration of the borders of the pond not only prevents the banks from clogging, land and debris getting into the water, but is also a decorative solution.
- Frequent and thorough mechanical cleaning of the water. Collecting debris, leaves and twigs from the surface does not require much effort and time, but perfectly prevents the development of serious pollution. It is easier to clean the pond at the first stage than to achieve the need to change the water in it.
- Water Level Control. To maintain the balance in the vicinity of the pond, it is necessary to monitor the water level, which can change due to climatic and weather conditions: strong warming or prolonged rains.
- Fish settlement. Some species of fish, such as white amur or silver carp, are able to clean the pond of silt. They are unpretentious about their environment and are not expensive to keep. However, an excess of food in the pond is another reason for its rapid pollution.
Video description
What kind of sanitizers for an artificial pond see in this video:
- Controlling the operation of the devices. Filtering and cleaning devices can fail over time. Therefore, it is important to monitor their performance and in time to replace the necessary parts, clean filters and cleaning crickets.
Briefly about the main things
Artificial reservoir on the site requires the creation of special conditions, proper and adequate care. It is possible to maintain a cheap climate with ventilation, sanitary and useful plants. If cleaning of the pond is required, you can get rid of environmental pollution in the following ways:
- Mechanical – to remove debris from below, from the walls and surface of the pool using plants, nets, loops, and various filters.
- Chemical – to solve problems related to Schlick, small algae, entomofauna and improve the composition of the water in the pond. Cleaning with lime, sorption treatment and the use of chemicals.
- Biological – the goal is to maintain the natural microclimate of the reservoir. Construction of bioplates, floating cleaning islands, use of special bacteria, powdered and liquid substances, as well as disinfection and facilitation of medicines.
- UV cleaning is a versatile and fast way to disinfect water. UV lamps are immersed in the pool, UV light prevents the development of algae and harmful microbes.
Comprehensive use of cleaning agents and methods will help you quickly and effectively achieve the desired result – a perfectly clean pond. However, you need to keep in mind the safe concentrations of substances in the water in order to control the work of the cleaning equipment.
