Help With Pond Please

[Stiggy123]

Hi newbie here and hope im in the right section. Sorry if i sound a bit dumb however i dont have a clue about ponds so a few questions if someone could help me with please.

Just moved into my new home which came with a L shape pond. The previous keeper took the fish with him however i have decided im not going to be getting any fish as i dont have the time to look after them.

1. Ive started to empty the pond out as it was really filthy. On the lining theis loads of green sticky muck or algae whatever they call it. What is the best way to clean the whole pond out completely so it looks fresh.

2. It has black lining however i because im not having no fish or anything i just want it to look bright like a pool so whats the best way to make the lining look blue. Should i paint it blue or should i get a new blue lining and place over the black one.

3. Once ive done all this whats the best way to maintain this clear blue water. The pond is fitted with a oase filtoclear 6000 filter. I dont mind buying something thats slightly better and will keep the water clear. I want to install couple of bell sprinkers in the pond and i already have a waterfall feature which works with the oase system.

Sorry about all the questions.
Thank you

 

[MitchM]

Welcome!
A water feature with a blue surface like you're describing cannot be done with a black EPDM liner.
The liner cannot be painted and there is no one that manufactures a blue EPDM liner.
To maintain clear blue water, you would need to add a chemical such as chlorine on an ongoing basis, plus have a filter and water circulation that removes any wildlife that enters the pond, as it would kill whatever entered it.
Wildlife ponds can be pretty much maintenance free, especially one without any fish.
If mosquitos are a concern, a few minnows that would not need any feeding could be added.

Some pictures of the pond that came with your house would help with further recommendations.

 

[addy1]

No fish no plants use chlorine tabs like for a pool. Buy the blue water dye for color in the water.

Welcome to our forum.

 

[warren]

Hi newbie here and hope im in the right section. Sorry if i sound a bit dumb however i dont have a clue about ponds so a few questions if someone could help me with please.

Just moved into my new home which came with a L shape pond. The previous keeper took the fish with him however i have decided im not going to be getting any fish as i dont have the time to look after them.

1. Ive started to empty the pond out as it was really filthy. On the lining theis loads of green sticky muck or algae whatever they call it. What is the best way to clean the whole pond out completely so it looks fresh.

2. It has black lining however i because im not having no fish or anything i just want it to look bright like a pool so whats the best way to make the lining look blue. Should i paint it blue or should i get a new blue lining and place over the black one.

3. Once ive done all this whats the best way to maintain this clear blue water. The pond is fitted with a oase filtoclear 6000 filter. I dont mind buying something thats slightly better and will keep the water clear. I want to install couple of bell sprinkers in the pond and i already have a waterfall feature which works with the oase system.

Sorry about all the questions.
Thank you

Welcome to this group. I' new to the group bUT have had a pond for years. Once you clean your pond you might decide that a natural look is better than you thought. Give it a chance before making drastic change. You might try a couple plants.

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome @Stiggy123 !

I'm going to make a suggestion - keeping a pond with a blue liner clear and free of algae will require regular maintenance. You said no fish because you don't have time to care for them - caring for fish would be less work than keeping this "pond" (which will essentially be a pool really) blue. I would say do a bit more reading about caring for a garden pond or an eco-pond and you'll see there is really very little you have to do that would be extra work because you add fish and plants. Plus the local wildlife will benefit far more from a garden pond than they would from a chlorinated pool. Just my opinion!

Again - welcome! We'd love to see photos of your pond!

 

[addy1]

Agree fish bugs critters take little work.
Put in some fan tails minnows stay small .

I had pools take a lot of time to keep pretty.

 

[warren]

Agree fish bugs critters take little work.
Put in some fan tails minnows stay small .

I had pools take a lot of time to keep pretty.

I agree my pool was much more work. Let's just say the pool is gone but the pond is still here. I like the hot tub idea should have done that with my pool.

 

[Stiggy123]

Thanks for the replies. Il put some some photos when i get a chance. Only reason suggested blue was im not keen on the dull water look. I seen some blue pond liner on the net so was thinking whether i could jus put that in the pond to make it look more bright. Whats the advantages of added minnows as a few members have mentioned. Im just dong like the look of the green stuff everywhere really puts me off

 

[Stiggy123]

My ponds no where near this big or beautiful but i want a similar look to this even i have to put fishes.

 

[sissy]

you can use peroxide to keep it clean and to keep green away you could use liquid barley

 

[j.w]

@Stiggy123 If no fish or plants I agree w/others to just use chlorine or peroxide etc. to keep it clear. But if you put plants in there then that's a no no as chlorine would not do the plants any good. Not sure on the peroxide and plants. Maybe it depends on the dosage.

 

[GBBUDD]

My ponds no where near this big or beautiful but i want a similar look to this even i have to put fishes.

I have no idea what that photo you posted did to achieve that Look but it would appear to be a sheet as it looks to have wrinkles and the color is amazingly similar to a vinyl pool liner . . it seems fishy there is no algae growth what so ever in the photo an the plants are healthy. I suspect that is we just finished our DYI pond photo

 

[Lisak1]

I guess it's personal preference but to me that's not a pond - that's a pool with some potted plants on stands. And I would be willing to bet that you couldn't both keep that pond clean AND maintain the plants - the amount of chlorine required to keep it algae free would kill the plants.

 

[GBBUDD]

I guess it's personal preference but to me that's not a pond - that's a pool with some potted plants on stands. And I would be willing to bet that you couldn't both keep that pond clean AND maintain the plants - the amount of chlorine required to keep it algae free would kill the plants.

before you look for your pool liner and cover up your edpm rubber have a look at what a pond can be

 

[Mmathis]

@GBBUDD and @Lisak1 I was sorta thinking along the same lines — like when you look at a new car on the dealer showroom — it will never look that immaculate again!

But @Stiggy123, what any one person wants from his/her pond is as individual as a snowflake! We all have different tastes and preferences — and that’s OK. Just realize that with ponds, it’s not always possible to get and keep that “pristine, showroom” look all the time. Nature (science, biology....) has a way of dictating how things will go. There’s never anything wrong with trying to achieve your goals, but when you come here and ask for our advice — we’re mostly speaking from experience. And I think what our message to you is: be sure that you set realistic goals for your water feature.