Steps in pond cleanup procedure:

• We set up a tank to put your fish in. If you have have large koi we will secure the tank to keep them in it, and run airlines in to them, to provide needed oxygen.
• We unplug your pump and any other equipment, and we drain the pond.
• We begin pressure wash as soon as possible, and when we finish pressure washing we flush the gravel to remove old dirt, dead algae and other debris. Flushing the gravel is necessary so that your pond stays clean for more than a week or 2. It does make cleanups with gravel more expensive, because it adds hours to the job. Many pond services skip this step.
• While pressure washing and gravel flushing are being done, I will probably be supervising your fish, pruning your plants, dismantling filters that need cleaned, and moving things out of the guys' way.
• I will also be checking your equipment for things that may be leaking or not performing correctly.
• Your filters will be cleaned and re-assembled.
• We will carry pond filter pad material on the truck if we think you may need it, and will cut filters to size for you. If more than one there may be an additional charge.
• We do light repairs in conjunction with cleanups, small patches are no extra charges. Biofalls and skimmer seal repairs are common, tricky and there is an additional charge
• In addition to the steps above I will discuss with you and probably be able to handle excessively large plants, and other issues.
• The first time we do a pond is the most difficult time as we address problems that are causing excessive algae growth. We often replace cinderblocks in the water with something that doesn't grow algae,for example.

Ask us about your problem, many leaks are easy to fix. Expect to be asked to fill your pond and leave the pump off for 24 hours, to determine if the leak is in the pond or in a water fall or filter line. Use an air pump with airstones to provide oxygen for your fish during the test period, fill pond to a known level, turn off all equipment except the air pump, and check pond level the next day to see if it lost water. Often the leak is above the waters surface.

What to expect / watch out for after your pond cleanup
What to watch out for? We try not to kill the fish. In hot weather if you have large koi and really want your pond cleaned you will be asked to sign a waiver of liability. If the pond is sunny and it is very hot, and we have done a cleanup and damaged the biological filter, a bottle of FritzZyme 7 or Fritz Turbo can help. And an added air pump, and a white sheet or white tarp suspended above the water to shade them. Call us: 817 293 1782. Do NOT feed. Do NOT add an algae kiler. Do NOT add a pond bacteria product without calling me first. Why? Heterotrophic bacteria found in pond bacteria products compete with the good stuff. How does that work? Well:

What keeps your pond clear and fish alive are 2 species of bacteria, nitrosomonas and nitrobacter.
There are many pond bacteria products on the market. As far as I know NONE of them contain these.
So they are precious and almost irreplaceable. They live on the surface of rocks, plants, liner and especially in the media in your filter. Fritz Products in Mesquite Texas cultures these 2 species and has done so successfully for many years. We sell their products only subject to availability.

When we do a pond cleanup and remove all of the water, much of the bacteria is lost. We pressure wash with only clean tap water, to reduce bacteria loss, but there is still chlorine in the water, so some is lost.

Fish give off more waste at higher temperatures, more ammonia, which then becomes nitrite before it becomes nitrate the plants can use.

These 3 factors are why we do most of our pond cleanups in fall, winter and spring, particularly if the fish are large koi.

Koi require much oxygen (which warmer water does not hold well) and give off more waste, thus requiring more bacteria to help them survive and your water to remain clear.

Following a warm weather cleanup a greenish tint to the water is not uncommon, as suspended algae will process fish waste until the bacteria multiply to a sufficient quantity to handle the job. Suspended algae gives off oxygen, which is beneficial to the fish, but it is unsightly.

Should you use an algae killer? NO. Because that algae killer will kill the nitrosomonas and nitrobacter bacteria that are supposed to process the fish waste. What happens if you use an algae killer? You still have green water, but now it is nearly permanent. So should you use a UV light? It will kill the suspended algae. And because it also kills the beneficial bacteria it can leave your fish in a soup of ammonia and nitrite, and may kill your fish. The algaecide may kill your fish.

Depending on how many large koi you have, and the temperature, it will take from 10 to 30 days for your pond to cycle, meaning levels of nitrosomonas and nitrobacter have multiplied up to a sufficient level to handle the waste given off by the fish. The more you feed, the longer this process will take. Leaving a hose on causing introduction of large amounts of chlorine, if it doesn't kill your fish, can still kill bacteria and slow down the process of cycling and clearing.

The best things following a cleanup are: extra oxygen, helps bacteria grow. Reduced feeding, low stocking load, and do NOT clean your filter. The filter is made of fibrous matting and bags of lava rock that provide many surfaces for bacteria to grow on. Leaving this alone allows bacteria to multiply up to a sufficent level to clear your pond. It is not instant, but the natural way really is best.

Most established large ponds whose cleanup can be done in a few hours experience little or no loss of clarity. Cleanups that run into multiple days and where filter media was not present in the system before experience the most greening after a cleanup.

Copyright 2016
Alice Burkhart
All Rights Reserved.

This is a simple cleanup in Keller, Texas, but the stream is around 50 ft long, from end to end. The stream is in full sun, no plants, primed for algae growth (didn't get before pics on stream). We raised the stream wall in areas where it was leaking. Originally there were no plants, contributing to the algae growth, and no fish. We added plants and fish, tightened fittings on the waterfall output, and cleaned it up
When your pond builder or your brother-in-law or anyone wants to build you a pond with the cheapest local stone available, limestone, there is something you need to know: expect excessive plant growth and a LOT of algae. All species. Nature fills a void, you provide the food, she will provide the consumers. Turf algae, heavy string algae and green water. (the same holds true of concrete ponds by the way, but since they don't have liner, you don't have to worry about turf algae rooting in your liner and shortening its life, you just get green water.) Chemistry being what it is, lime, whether from limestone, concrete, mortar or in your water supply, is plant food. I did not build this pond, but we've cleaned it a couple of times, and we now have a sealant that can make limestone stop leaching plant food into the water. Unfortunately, we could only coat the faces on the limestone that we could get the sealant to, but anything to slow the algae down is going to be a big plus here. Turf algae cannot be scrubbed or pressure washed off liner. After it is pressurewashed it looks like clean astro-turf. Hence the nickname. We sterilize our equipment after working on a pond with this. Algae killers do not seem to affect it. Best way to remove it, remove or seal the offending stones and change the liner. This is not cheap. So we are sealing the stones with X3 aqueous silicone, to cut off its food supply, and hoping it will die back. We've had fair results with this. X3 is relatively non toxic, if a drop falls in with fish they do not die. It is fully transparent, no gloss, lasts 2 years before it will need a recoat due to UV from the sun, and Everything Fishy is the Texas distributor.

We deliver and install perennial and annual landscape plants, bog plants, hardy water lilies, and some large goldfish, thick bodied, brilliant red/orange color. Fish are subject to availability. Recommended stocking load for goldfish: 1 adult fish per 100 gallons. Recommended stocking load for koi: 1 mature fish per 500 gallons.

I prefer not to stock with koi, but will on ponds over 1000 gallons. Koi eat your pond plants and lilies, then rapidly outgrow your pond's capacity because they never STOP growing. I also avoid fantails or fancy breeds that raccoons can catch in 30 seconds.