Backyard Water Garden: How to Keep a Balance

When you create a backyard water garden, you will want a clean, beautiful pond. The key to success is to maintain a balance of fish, plant life and organic matter. You have created a mini-ecosystem and it needs to be properly maintained. Without balance, you'll be left with green, murky water and an uninhabitable environment.

Backyard Water Garden: How to Keep a Balance - Remove Debris

To create suitable conditions for plants and fish in your backyard water garden, the first thing you'll want to consider is outside debris. If you notice fallen leaves from nearby trees and/or other debris in your pond, remove it immediately. If you let it begin to decay, the water will become polluted, green and unattractive. Fish and plants are unable to thrive if your backyard water garden pond is polluted.

Backyard Water Garden: How to Keep a Balance - Use the Correct Soil

It's essential that you use the correct type of soil in your backyard water garden. Make sure you don't use garden compost, manure or peat when planting within your pond. These types of soil will pollute the water in your pond, making it uninhabitable to your plants and fish.

Backyard Water Garden: How to Keep a Balance - Oxygenating Plants

Another sure way to create balance in your backyard water garden is to plant oxygenating plants in the pond. These plants will keep the water in your pond clean by inhibiting the growth of algae. They also provide oxygen for the fish in your backyard water garden.

Backyard Water Garden: How to Keep a Balance - Care and Feeding

When you feed the fish in your backyard water garden, it's important that you do not give them any more food than they can eat in about five minutes. If after five minutes, there is still food on the surface of the pond, promptly remove it by skimming the surface with a net. Leaving uneaten food in the pond can pollute the water and contribute to an unhealthy environment.

Backyard Water Garden: How to Keep a Balance - To Filter or Not to Filter?

If your backyard water garden includes a pond with a surface area of less than forty square feet and a depth of less than eighteen inches, you will need to use a filter. Ponds this small will develop green algae if not filtered. However, you may forego the filter if you add an algaecide to the water instead. This will protect your fish from the overpowering algae and keep the pond looking clean and clear.