should you do water changes in general pond maintenance?

Question

I am used to keeping fish tanks.

Answer 1

Yes, you should, especially for smaller ponds. The pond plants (if you have them) may remove some of the nitrate (it's a plant fertilizer), but when their leaves die, it also produces wastes. And the same for fish - they eat and produce wastes as well. Good pond maintenance will lower the potential for algae (along with using floating plants like water lettuce and water hyacinth and floating leaved plants like water lilies to create shade, just as you would turn off aquarium lights). Doing water changes with tap water may also add back some calcium, magnesium, sodium, and other minerals used by the organisms in the pond, although how much will depend on the degree to which your water has been softened).

Just remember to add a dechlorinator as you would in an aquarium if you have fish or inverts.

Answer 2

Do not change out ALL the water at once because there is GOOD bacteria established in the pond as well as bad and if you take out all the good, your fish are in trouble immediately. Leave about a fourth of the old water. When you run fresh water back in, do not forget your dechlorinator!
Do not let water plants cover more than 2/3 of your pond surface.

Answer 3

Yes, Same procedure as in aquariums.


~ GG