One of the most important ways to maintain water clarity during the summer is aeration. Keeping your pond water constantly moving and oxygenated helps combat algae, keep the beneficial bacteria colonizing, prevent mosquitoes from breeding, and gives your pond fish the oxygen they need. Bad pond bacteria that break down debris into harmful gases thrive in an environment without oxygen. If your pond doesn't have enough oxygen, the beneficial bacteria die off, and the bad bacteria get to work. The gases the bad bacteria release are harmful to fish. These bacteria work slowly, creating a sludge layer at the bottom of the pond that turns the water murky when agitated. 

There are different types of pond aeration. Water features like waterfalls and fountains help to circulate and aerate the water and are perfect for smaller and more shallow ponds. Larger and deeper ponds need more aeration. A pond aerator pumps oxygen directly into the bottom of the pond, and as the oxygen rises, it circulates the water. Keep your pond pumps and aerators running day and night during the summer to make sure the water is circulating and oxygenating.

The beneficial bacteria in a pond can harmlessly break down a small amount of debris in the water through the pond's nitrogen cycle. Pond plants help absorb the nutrients and filter out some debris, but ponds are typically exposed, and it's hard to control debris from entering the pond. A filtration system helps remove organic waste from the water.

Filtration systems focus on the small debris in the water that is too tiny to scoop out. A filtration system cannot filter out large debris like leaves or grass clippings. Larger debris needs to be scooped out using a pond net.

Mechanical filtration uses filter pads to catch the debris as the pond water passes through them. Filtration pads can trap fine debris like uneaten fish food or fish waste. You can clean the filter pads by running them under clear water and replace them when they get too worn.

Biological filtration uses beneficial bacteria to break down the debris in the water. As the pump pushes water through the bio-media (like smartpond bio-balls), the bacteria help break down the debris.

A UV Clarifier uses UV rays to break down microscopic algae before they can turn your pond green. The light breaks down single-celled algae (planktonic) to stop it from taking over your pond.

TIP! Replace filter pads and UV bulbs yearly for best results.

During the hottest parts of summer, your pond will lose water naturally due to evaporation, especially if you have a fountain or waterfall. It's essential to maintain the water level in your pond. As your pond loses water, it can become warmer as it's easier for the sun to heat up. When you add water back into your pond, be sure to use Chlorine Remover to remove contaminants in the tap water.

Check out our guide on all things algae.

Check out our guide on all things water treatments.

It's important to make sure your water features like fountains and your pond are constantly circulating. Mosquitoes won't lay their eggs on agitated water. Keep your fountains and other aerators running day and night to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs. 

If you find evidence of mosquito larvae in your pond, birdbath, or other water features, get rid of them with a fish, plant, and wildlife-safe mosquito treatment. The smartpond® Mosquito Treatment is even safe enough to use in livestock watering troughs! It controls the larvae in 24 hours and lasts up to 14 days. You can even use the pouches in smaller areas like gutters or planters. If you think the mosquitoes are breeding in your neighbor's pond, the smartpond® Mosquito Treatment makes a great neighborly gift too!

TIP! Goldfish, mosquito fish, minnows, and guppies love to eat mosquito larvae. These fish are great to keep in your pond to make sure any larvae that hatch do not make it to the pupae stage. Mosquito fish are tiny and can live in smaller aerated ponds and water features. If your fish are having an all-you-can-eat larvae buffet, they will probably want less of their fish food.