Is your backyard pond starting to look like you just dumped soap in it? There’s a reason for the sudsy look of your water. The culprit of all that buildup is most likely an excess of organic material in the water. Are you seeing the majority of the foam accumulating at the bottom of your waterfall? That is because as water flows down your waterfall, air and water mix and the organic material is trapped inside the bubbles instead of turning into ammonia and nitrites like it should.
The buildup of organic material can happen for several reasons:
- Too many fish in the pond
- Fish are being overfed
- Runoff pouring into your pond
- Inadequate filtration
How do I fight the foam?
For a quick fix, change out the water. Just remember that whenever you change out your water you have to keep the safety of your fish in mind. Add CrystalClear Vanish Plus to the water to replace the natural mucous slime coating on the skin of pond fish that may become damaged by handling, netting, or other forms of stress.
If this is a problem that you have run into several times, it might be time for more than a quick fix. You’ll need to work on a more long term solution.
Improve Filtration: You can do this by adding plants to your pond or by boosting your current pond filter capacity.
Don’t Overfeed Fish: Be sure you are not feeding your fish too much or too often. All that extra food contributes to the increased organic material in your pond’s water. If your fish can’t eat all that you are feeding them within a few minutes, it’s too much.
Send Some Fish to a New Home: Plain and simple, more fish equals more waste. More waste equals more foam. Try to allow for this general rule of thumb: Keep your fish quantities under 1 inch of fish length (excluding the tail fins) for every 1 square foot of water surface. Due to koi growing larger, place one Koi for every 10 square feet of surface area. Typically, Koi shouldn’t be in a pond that is less than 1,000 gallons. If you have too many fish, consider sending some to a happy new home.
Add Good Bacteria: Beneficial bacteria will help break down the overload of nutrients in the water. The bacteria digests the dead organic matter in the pond, giving you clear, foam-free water.
Try an Air Pump: Air pumps will aerate the water, creating oxygen for your fish and bacteria.
Whether you are looking for a quick way to remove sporadic foam or need a more long term solution, you can banish that foam without too much of a hassle. Soon your pond will be back in running order, with no foam in sight.