NO! There is however a low maintenance filtration system which may require as little as ten minutes of your time on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Biological filters remove nutrients and waste products from your pond, thus starving any algae from the essential food it needs to thrive. These types of filters must run 24 hours a day. In an unfiltered pond, a huge amount of aquatic plants and very few fish may result in a temporary biological balance, but once fish grow and breed it may be impossible to sustain this balance.

If you have both sun and shaded areas that you were considering installing a pond, the shaded areas would be preferable. Most plants prefer a little shade, and it is only the "Lily's" that prefer at least half a day of full sun. If your pond is in full sun, accessories such as Ultra Violet Clarifiers can guarantee clear water when used correctly. They work on a principal of radiating water containing algae cells, effectively killing algae before it can bloom in your pond. The chance of a pond in full sun getting too hot is almost negligible when a pump is moving water. Moving water releases stored heat quicker than a stagnant pond, and if a minimum depth has been applied then you should have no worries.

You can vacuum sludge and all the muck from the bottom of your pond using a pond vacuum cleaner such as the Pondovac from Oase or Pondomatic from Pontec. These are electronic vacuums that do a great job of removing wast and saving water by preventing the need to drain and muck out ponds. The Clearpond Turbovac is another option that operates without the need for power. The Turbovac works off the garden hose and does a great job at a fraction of the cost of the electrical versions. Sludge can also be reduced by using bacterial type products like Clearpond Pondzyme or Oase Silt Remover. These products are a great maintenance aid for all ponds as they consume organic waste and reduce algae within the pond.

Yes, but you will need to use some mineral additives to make it better for the fish. In nature, rain water enters rivers and streams from runoff. During the runoff the water collects minerals from rocks and soil before entering the river or lake. Fish and plants need these minerals to thrive. Rain water collected from your roof has none of these minerals and is classed as ‘soft'. The easiest way to add these minerals is by additives such as Oase's Hardness Plus. Your fish and plants will thank you for it! It is also best to not use rain water from the first rain and not use rain water if you are in an industrial area. If you're worried about your water quality it is best to have it tested.

Yes, pond water is an excellent garden fertiliser but don't put it on the garden if you've been using water treatments in your pond.And dont use pond water on plants that are to be eaten by humans & animals.

The best way to keep your pond clean is by a pump, biological filter and UV clarifier suited to the size and type of your pond. Oase filtration systems offer you a clear water money back guarantee when used within the manufacturer's specifications. You can read more about these products in the filtration section. You should also remove the sludge from your pond floor because as this breaks down it releases nutrients that encourage algae to grow. The pond vacuum products mentioned above are best for this.

Even though water is evaporated from ponds, we still need to do a water change monthly. Changing around 15% of the water once a month should help give good water conditions with minimum disturbance to your fish. Small regular water changes like this are much less stressful to the fish than large infrequent changes or an annual "spring clean". Remember to add the correct amount of water conditioner to remove chlorine from the tap water when you refill the pond. - Hint: Pond vacuums would be a great help with this monthly maintenance, where you can tackle three jobs at once, cleaning the bottom of the pond, water change and watering your garden with the discharged water.

Fish, plants and beneficial bacteria all need oxygen and in an artificial environment like a backyard pond oxygen must be added. Pond aeration is supplied by a pump that moves water throughout the pond and provides circulation. Aeration is improved even more when the water surface is broken by means of a waterfall or fountain.

As the water begins to warm it is now time to start removing leaf litter and debris accumulated over winter. Plants that have overgrown their pots can be divided, re-potted, dead leaves trimmed off and fertiliser tablets can be added to the potting soil to increase growth and bloom intensity. If your fish have bred or have started to get too big for your pond it is now a good idea to move them on and thin out the fish stocks, it is easier to transport fish when the water is still cool so spring is an ideal time to do this. If you have an Ultra Violet Clarifier on your pond the globe should be replaced and the quartz sleeve should also be cleaned. The pump and filter cleaned and checked and made ready for summer, any foam sponges in the filter should be replaced as needed..

As the water is now reasonably warm a higher protein diet should be fed to your fish and as the fish are eating more and growing quickly you will need to maintain your pump and filter regularly to ensure the filtration system can keep up with the increase in waste. If algae are starting to grow it is a good idea to use a Water Treatment in order to control the algae bloom. Summer is the season to sit back and enjoy your pond and with the preparation of your pond done in spring there will be little maintenance to do apart from filter and pump cleaning as required. Plants can continue to be fertilized in summer to encourage new growth.Summer is breeding season for most outdoor fish and a smaller pellet of flake food should be used to feed them.

As the outdoor living of summer begins to wind up some maintenance will need to be undertaken on the pond. As leaves begin to fall they should be netted off the surface of the pond and vacuumed off the bottom. Any dead flower stalks and leaves should be trimmed from the plants and discarded. The fish can now be fed a more wheat germ based diet and the protein content of their food can be reduced as their metabolism slows and they eat less and less.

As the water is quite cold now the fish can be fed less and remember to remove any uneaten food from the pond. Plants will become dormant and will not require any fertilizing and if any succumb to the cold they will need to be removed. Pumps and filters will need to be checked every so often to remove fallen leaves and other debris.