In writing this guide, we hope we have given you all the basic information you need to make informed decisions on how to address your pond maintenance needs. A good maintenance program and a properly maintained pond will require less effort than a neglected or sporadically maintained pond.

Your pond has a few basic needs for a healthy life. The most essential element in a healthy ecosystem is oxygen. Maintaining good oxygen levels and aerobic conditions throughout the pond does not need to be difficult. While you have several options, adding aeration is the easiest, most effective and most efficient. A basic aeration system is very easy to install and maintain, with an air compressor being the only working part. While the minute bubbles coming from an aeration line do not produce the most intense visual effect, a continually running aerator will provide circulation, water turn over and oxygen transfer.

Once you have the aeration system doing the primary job, you may want to add other circulation for additional water turn-over and visual appeal. There are a variety of options for water circulation including waterfalls, and fountains. Water movement is an important part of the look of your pond. Do you want an active pond that has large water displays? Do you like waterfalls and streams? Do you prefer a tranquil placid pond that just looks nice? What about the expense of installing, running and maintaining these systems? These are the questions you have to answer when you begin to assess your circulation needs.

It is important to remember that 'all water circulation is not the same' as far as benefit to you pond goes. Water will move in channels through the pond. This provides movement to some areas, leaving other areas without movement. Sediment deposits will be heaver in the dead areas. Water channels tend to remain near the surface, which will help keep the lake surface free of debris and scum. Heavy water movement can help prevent certain algae's from forming in the circulated areas. Debris tends to move toward the intake lines of you circulation system, so they should be located where debris can easily be removed. Skimmer baskets can be included to catch debris. This condensing of the surface debris, or collecting it in skimmers, can be a great time saver when you are skimming and cleaning the lake surface.

Pond maintenance is a dynamic undertaking with conditions that are constantly changing. The best management of a pond is to make adjustments to the ecosystem to keep an ecological balance. Clean and clear ponds can be a beautiful, aesthetic asset, as well as a necessary component for healthy turfgrass irrigation. Water features add a luster to the environment that can transform any landscape into an inviting oasis.

Too often, we see ponds or lakes that have become management nightmares, diminishing their aesthetic, as well as functional value. Many times, these problems could have been avoided. Knowledge of the dynamics that affect water quality make it possible for pond keepers to effect solutions which will make water features less problematic and easier to manage.

A thorough understanding of the factors which impact water quality will aid in the design and management of your ponds. Aquatic weeds, algae, sludge build-up, odors and poor clarity are the most common problems. Not surprisingly, these problems are often inter-related.

Nature has supplied us with an effective water clean-up tool, aerobic digestion. Aerobic bacteria will metabolize organic nutrients in the water, making them unavailable for vegetation. When a pond is in balance, there are sufficient levels of oxygen in the water to allow the bacteria to respire and digest these nutrients. When nutrient influx outstrips the bacteria's metabolic rate, the lake is thrown out of balance. The bacteria cannot keep pace with nutrient loading, and nutrient levels explode. We commonly see algae bloom as the result.

By taking a proactive approach to water quality management, you can help ensure that your ponds and lakes have cleaner waters and the aesthetic appeal you desire.

All water features have a life cycle; as they gradually fill in with sludge and nutrients and the aging process accelerates. By remembering the factors which impact water quality (nutrients, temperature, light, depth, and outside influences) you can make proper management decisions and chose tools to create lakes and ponds which are functional, beautiful and have a long life. Integrated lake management, or combining several practices, can help ensure your lakes never reach crisis levels.

The supplemental bacteria, used in conjunction with other lake treatment products, will give you the pristine healthy and balanced pond you want. Your treatment program does not need to be complicated to be effective. The more balanced your system is, the less work it will become. A well managed pond can be a pleasure to both the pond-keeper and those trying to enjoy the aquatic environment.

To begin a basic treatment program  you need to start with assessing your pond's current condition and address the existing problems one at a time. Do you have proper circulation and aeration? Are there outside nutrient sources that need to be addressed? Do you have current algae and weed problems? Is there heavy turbidity?

Once you have good water movement and the waterfowl and runoff issues are addressed, you should decide which chemicals are needed to most effectively address the existing problems. Generally, one of the basic copper algaecides, coupled with a contact herbicide if you have weeds, is a good way to begin.
You should always read the product labels carefully. These labels are the overriding “legal” document regarding the use of the product. If you follow the label, you will generally be in compliance with regulations, provided the product is legal for use in your state. Many states have their own restrictions on which chemicals they will allow and chemicals may be restricted for a variety of reasons. It is interesting to note that even with the overwhelming acceptance of copper based algaecides; some states have now banned their use because of their hazard to the environment. Other states are more concerned about the actual application of the products and the hazards to the applicator and public more than the environmental considerations.

Once you have made initial chemical treatments to address the established problems in the pond, you can begin treatments of the microbes. Wait one week after chemical treatments before the fist bacteria application. Generally, we like to make treatments to the ponds on a weekly cycle. Since every pond is different it isn't possible to write a precise treatment schedule, and the experience of the pond-keeper is an important factor on making these decisions, these guidelines that might be helpful.

 Bacteria can be applied successfully in water down to 50° F. Ponds are usually very nutrient-rich in the spring because there has been very little biological activity over the winter to use up these nutrients. When water temperatures reach the 60° F, weeds and algae will begin to come out of winter dormancy and begin to grow. You will want to apply algaecides or herbicides to begin to control the new growths before they advance very far. Once you have made initial chemical treatments, wait one week before making the next microbial treatment. These bacteria break down dead organic material so, it is important to let the chemical treatments do their work before making the follow-up microbial treatments. We recommend applying supplemental bacteria every two weeks throughout the growing season. Make any needed chemical treatments on the alternate weeks. This quickly becomes a standard treatment schedule. First make any spot treatments needed to control any current growths, follow this up one week later with microbes to breakdown the free organic nutrient and biomass, wait one week to decide if additional chemical treatments are needed. You should only use chemicals on actively growing aquatic plants and algae, dead algae will be consumed by the consistent bacteria treatments.

Remember, your goal is not the total removal of all vegetation from the pond, but to reach a stable equilibrium where the available nutrient is consumed by either the microbial population or the aquatic plants which produce oxygen and sustain the aerobic microbes. Your pond should have 15 to 20 percent coverage with light to moderately heavy aquatic plants. Moderate growths of filamentous algae or Chara can help keep the water clear while reducing planktonic algae, which is the least appealing variety of algae. This ecological balance is in constant flux; when you kill aquatic weeds, algae may grow, when you kill filamentous algae or Chara, planktonic algae may grow. When planktonic algae grow, it reduces sunlight for aquatic weeds, the weeds die, releasing heavy nutrient into the system. Without the weeds, oxygen can drop causing fish kills, and changes in the microbial population. Aeration and well timed chemical treatments can overcome these ecosystem crashes, giving the aerobic bacteria a chance to reduce nutrient levels and stabilize the ecosystem.

If the pond ecology is balanced, these changes and swings in the ecosystem are readily manageable. If you are aware of what organisms are currently developing in the system, you can be prepared with the appropriate treatment to bring the system back to equilibrium, rather than completely annihilating each specific organism. You should always familiarize yourself with the types of plants growing in your pond. Check the various herbicides to determine the proper control tool make spot treatments as a part of the biweekly treatment cycle and watch the results. If one species or section of the pond is getting out of control, you can make well timed, selective chemical treatments to address that specific problem without disrupting the ecosystem by “nuking it” with heavy additions of chemicals.

The basic treatment schedule is consistent and easy to work with … Make any needed chemical treatments … Wait one week for the chemicals to work, then apply the bacteria … Wait one week to apply additional chemicals … Wait one week to apply additional bacteria.

The bacteria will do much of the work for you. They will stabilize water chemistry, pH, alkalinity, oxygen levels and nutrient levels. The bacteria will also breakdown and remove bottom sediment maintaining a minimal benthic zone. All this is done with a simple application of Aqua Doc Microbial Treatment, every two weeks on a regular schedule, while water temperatures remain above 50° F.

Well-circulated ponds will have consistent water temperatures throughout the system. Monitoring these water temperatures can provide some predictable insight into the aquatic growths that will be developing.

At 50° F the system wakes up from winter dormancy; some signs on new growth develops. Odors may begin to be noticeable. You should begin microbial treatments. Consider adding lake dye if the water is currently clear. Circulation can run as little as 8 hours per day.

At about 60 ° F, aquatic plants and algae are ready to begin active growth. This is affected by nutrient levels, sunlight and weather conditions, turbidity, and level of dye in the lake. You may want to begin light spot treatments of chemicals to keep growths to a minimum, allowing bacteria populations to begin to dominate the system. Circulation should run at least 10 hours per day.