Leaf debri

[In2deep]

I just got a question about leaf debri. Other than scooping it out the best I can will benificial bacteria also help get rid of it. Im really not wanting to drain it in the spring to scoop all that out, but it is obvious I am getting just a fraction of it and my water is still sufering from the algea that got out of control from the hot ass summer we had. Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jack

 

[HARO]

It all depends on what kind of pond you want. A wildlife habitat benefits from a layer of mulm on the bottom, whereas a koi pond should be kept as clean as possible. Most backyard ponds fall somewhere between the two.
John

 

[Waterbug]

In addition to what John said...Bacteria that decompose things like leaves are considered to be harmful bacteria by many Koi pond keepers because they attack fish. These are the same human flesh eating bacteria that makes the news every couple of years. Many keepers consider beneficial bacteria to be the ones who convert ammonia and nitrites. But like John said, someone with a Wildlife pond would consider decomposing bacteria as beneficial.

Organic eating bacteria take a really long time to completely break down organic matter. What it really does is break it into smaller and smaller bits until only chemical elements remain. So while a leaf might disappear a lot of it would actually just be tiny bits called dissolved organic carbon (DOCs). When the level of DOCs gets high enough it can cause soap foam to appear on the pond surface. That's your leaf still in the process of being broken down.

Stuff decomposes in a pond just like in a compost pile, only slower. Just like a compost pile never completely disappears (at least in our life times) the pile in the pond won't either.

To me it's easier to remove a leaf before it breaks down into lots of smaller bits. So to me bacteria doesn't help me get rid of leaves.

 

[adavisus]

In the cool of a Winter pond the tough durable debris of leaves don't do much of any decomposing.

Very convenient cover for frogs and fish hiding from herons...

It's fairly easy to sweep them out with a sturdy net, a bucket or so at a time. No rush

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[Fishylove]

The best way to not have to drain your pond in the spring would be not to let the debris accumulate to begin with. And the best way to do THAT, if feasible in your situation, is to put netting over your pond from fall to spring. I use deer netting, it's fairly inexpensive and you can still see into the pond

 

[Craig58]

I'm kind of with Wendy. Some debris might be fine in a pond. How much depends on the size of the pond, surface area, temperature and how cold it gets in the area, fish load, etc. We net out leaves (mostly surface stuff) about every 2-3 days and as more leaves come down, daily. In another 2-3 weeks we'll net the pond for the winter here. If you have a lot of debris and the pond freezes over for to long a period, the debirs can give off gases that get trapped in the pond and can harm the fish. It's usually not a problem unless you're at extremes. I.e. lots of debris, lots of fish and a long freeze over of the pond. My wife is picky about his however so our is kept pretty much free of any debris. If there are more than 10-20 leaves in our pond, that's unusal. But I have friends with ponds that have 2-3 inches of muck on the bottom with no issues. Craig

 

[addy1]

I wait until they are done falling, then net the bottom, clean up debris leaving a lot of areas for the trap door snails, dragon fly nymphs. But this is when if I net up a frog and it is a bull frog, it gets relocated to the river along with bull frog tads. I really don't want them here, so it will be a constant removal, if you have a pond they will come...........

 

[Waterbug]

If the question is how many people have the opinion that leaf debris is bad for a pond I'd assume a huge majority would say yes because the percentage of people who keep a Wildlife pond, intentionally, is very low.