Maintaining a pond on your property in Texas requires ongoing maintenance to remain healthy. Without the proper pond maintenance, you can experience several issues including loss of fish and severe damage to your pond’s ecosystem, and in turn, your livestock or wildlife that live on your land may suffer. Here are a few tips on maintaining a pond on your ranch in Texas.

Install an Aerator in your pond

If you have fish in your pond, aerators ensure your pond has enough dissolved oxygen. However, aerators help promote pond health even if you don’t have fish. For less maintenance, choose a bottom-up aerator as they are eight to 10 times more efficient than surface aerators. They allow oxygen to mix with the water while also picking up organic debris in your pond as the bubbles rise. This is the best way to burn off algae and weeds that lead to stagnation. There are three types of aerators to consider for your pond:

1. Electric Aerators: These are ideal if you have an electricity source within 1000 feet and you keep your pond open in the winter months.
2. Windmills: Windmills are great when you don’t have electricity and your pond is in an unsheltered area with plenty of wind.  
3. Solar Aerators: Another green choice, solar aerators are ideal in sunny locations that are sheltered from the wind.

You can choose the solution that works best for your property in Texas, depending on the climate of your land. The oxygen produced from aeration helps aerobic bacteria thrive while also assisting with organic decomposition. Algae and weeds are managed, and you also reduce the risk of fish kill. It can also reduce unwanted insects on your property as it decreases larvae growth while also reducing pond odors.

Manage Aquatic Vegetation for pond health

Aquatic vegetation should take up no more than 10 to 15% of your pond to remain healthy. This is because although vegetation produces oxygen, it also consumes it which can lead to an oxygen deficit. This kills fish but also affects your pond’s balance. Keeping vegetation under control can be a real problem as if you use herbicides, it adds toxins to the pond which can kill everything. 

You need phytoplankton to survive as this is what fish eat. You can manage vegetation without adding pollutants to the water by pulling up unwanted plants from their roots. Be certain you remove any dead vegetation from the pond, so it doesn’t contribute to the sludge.

Manage Bacteria in your pond

Healthy freshwater ponds have the right balance of bacteria and enzymes to avoid nutrient pollution. You can apply liquid products containing natural ingredients and high levels of active bacteria to help with this process. Products should have aerobic bacteria as well as anaerobic bacteria. When you use these products, hungry bacteria consume phosphates and nitrates while the enzymes help clean up the pond and break down matter. As the matter breaks down, bacteria eat the nutrients creating a very symbiotic process.

Once you start using these tips, you’ll find pond maintenance becomes easier. You can create a self-sustaining pond and provide the ideal environment for your fish without negative impact on your land or the environment.

Looking to buy or sell land with a pond? Contact Ruple Properties, the Premier Rural Brokerage Company