Pond under many trees, how to keep leaves out?

[Newmann Noggs]

Hi all,

Pond is about six by eight feet, maybe 24 inches at deepest point. I've got sunfish, bluegills, a bullhead or two, and lots of mosquito fish (that of course survive anything).

I've tried netting, but the leaves just sag the netting down into the water. I've tried bamboo stakes under the netting, but the same thing happened, just between the stakes.

The leaves ruin the water quality, and (I think) leads to the several dead fish I find every March. I'm in Zone 7, and the trees drop their leaves really late (like December) so by the time the leaves are finished falling there is ice and snow cover.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[mrsclem]

You can build a frame to hold the netting up. I have pvc pipe curved over my pond that keeps the netting up

 

[Newmann Noggs]

That's pretty genius. Thanks so much. It's just a matter of getting the materials and engineering right, now...

 

[poconojoe]

You can build a frame to hold the netting up. I have pvc pipe curved over my pond that keeps the netting upView attachment 136785

That is exactly what do!

I hammer fiberglass driveway markers in the ground and slip the ends of the PVC over them.
I put a zippie screw into each connection to keep it all together.

When I take it down, I number each joint so I know how to put it back together next time.
PVC and its fittings are cheap.

I leave mine up from Fall to Spring. Sometimes snow will collapse it, but when the snow melts, it just pops back up!

 

[j.w]

@Newmann Noggs

 

[bagsmom]

I just get some bamboo stakes in the Fall and stick them in the ground on the back side of the pond and around the waterfall. No stakes on the close side of the pond, where I like to sit. I take more bamboo stakes and use garden wire to lash them horizontally across the tops of the vertical stakes. This makes sort of a frame. I then drape a net over all, so the net is elevated on the far side and on the ground on the close side. This way, the leaves don't sit on the net and build up. They just tumble on down, where I can blow them away. It works pretty well!

I have a picture of the frame without the net on it.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I use cheap white nets from Jysk in Canada, they are meant for bed cover, but I string them up over ponds and they spread out nice and cover everything well.

 

[GBBUDD]

Before we talk how to stop the usual litter being leaves , you said you get dead fish usually leaves won't cause death as the main result but a huge algae bloom would appear first. Now there are a host of trees that are poisonous to fish do a google search and see if one of your trees are a problem

 

[mrsclem]

As far as the fish deaths, are you doing anything to keep an opening in the ice over the winter? With all the leaves and then a layer of ice, the fish are probably not getting enough oxygen. Just a thought.

 

[Ponders]

Husband made this simple frame for two reasons.. help keep the leaves out and keep the pond life alive from these Pets of ours...
This was our last pond in the UK ..Living here in France fo the past 6 years and the rest of our future.. 2 ponds we have here, not covered as the trees are not so close to the ponds so do not warrant anything. Some good ideas here though, for the protection that is needed when them leaves fall...

 

[Sketter]

Hi all,

Pond is about six by eight feet, maybe 24 inches at deepest point. I've got sunfish, bluegills, a bullhead or two, and lots of mosquito fish (that of course survive anything).

I've tried netting, but the leaves just sag the netting down into the water. I've tried bamboo stakes under the netting, but the same thing happened, just between the stakes.

The leaves ruin the water quality, and (I think) leads to the several dead fish I find every March. I'm in Zone 7, and the trees drop their leaves really late (like December) so by the time the leaves are finished falling there is ice and snow cover.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you.
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View attachment 136833
Husband made this simple frame for two reasons.. help keep the leaves out and keep the pond life alive from these Pets of ours...
This was our last pond in the UK ..Living here in France fo the past 6 years and the rest of our future.. 2 ponds we have here, not covered as the trees are not so close to the ponds so do not warrant anything. Some good ideas here though, for the protection that is needed when them leaves fall...

We had a 6 sided gazebo that we put up over our pond for shade and have screen on it one to keep critters out like raccoons and it stops leaves. We rase the sceens most of the time so we can see the goldfish lower back down as needed. Racoon comes by every month for a day or two

 

[frogbath]

My pond is set in a grove of sugar maples and I use a large intake bay and it works awesome. Just toss the leaves out of it every couple of days.