A properly created pond, lake or pool requires constant care. Therefore, the cleaning of a reservoir - artificial or natural - is a priority task that must be performed regularly, otherwise problems cannot be avoided. But these procedures are traditionally also one of the most complex elements of arranging water bodies. It is necessary that the planned cleaning of the reservoir should be carried out as thoroughly as possible, preferably under the guidance of relevant specialists. But if you are already going to do this procedure yourself, on your own, then you need to study the topic of the issue in more detail.
The main methods of cleaning water
Humanity at the moment has come up with 4 basic methods, each of which has its own full right to exist. Biological, mechanical, chemistry and with the help of ultraviolet rays - each has a certain spectrum of influence on the contamination of the water and surrounding coasts.
Each method is relevant
For example, mechanics help to effectively get rid of technical and human-made debris of an inorganic nature (it’s no secret that some materials of artificial origin will decompose in nature for hundreds or even thousands of years)! A mechanical tidy helps to get rid of them as soon as possible. The biological method leads to normal levels of nutrients in the environment . Dry cleaning eliminates chemistry harmful to all living things in a pond. And ultraviolet light strikes bacteria and algae, destroying them. Let us dwell on each of the methods in more detail.
Mechanical
At the moment - the cheapest and most frequently used method. The reservoir is cleaned using mechanical filters that allow you to get rid of the multiplicity of water plants and algae, garbage that has fallen into the environment. Water passes through an appropriate container. It is filled with porous materials (it can be: quartz sand, granules or natural gravel of small fractions - the finer, the more microscopic particles are retained). All the excess settles on the filters, and the fluid flows back into the reservoir. Contaminated water is pumped into the filter using an appropriate pump (there are various capacities, you need to select depending on the size of the reservoir to be cleaned).
Sometimes the cleaning device itself becomes clogged and water flows back into the pond more slowly. In such cases, it is necessary to place fresh filter material in the container , having previously removed the expended and contaminated (it is best to dispose of it, although some users prefer to rinse and refuel it in terms of economy).
The simplest mechanical cleaning device, for example, a pool or a small pond, can be a wide net with a long handle, which is very convenient to catch garbage and foliage.
And some use a special vacuum cleaner to help clean up ponds with concrete or lined stone, which helps a lot against silt pollution.
Biological method
Biological purification of a reservoir is based on the rapid decomposition of organics in a liquid medium using aerobic / anaerobic microorganisms (located in special devices). A biological filter is a porous substance into which bacteria that feed on organics are artificially colonized. When liquid passes through the filter, this organics is destroyed by microorganisms, and water is purified at a biological level.
A good option for biofiltration is the organization next to the main stocked one - a small pond for breeding crustacean zooplankton, which is also a natural biofilter. And the level of a small reservoir should be slightly higher than that of the main one. Contaminated water from a large pond is pumped into a small one, where bioplankton lives, and purified water flows freely back to the main reservoir, making a kind of cycle. This biological technology for cleaning ponds has been used traditionally in China and in Europe. Experience is also being taken by domestic pond builders.
Chemical
Additional means of cleaning water bodies are chemical. But recently, scientists have not recommended that they get too carried away. All of them are designed to normalize the acid-base level of the liquid, bind harmful ammonia, metal compounds, kill algae, and saturate the environment with oxygen. All this is good, but along with unnecessary ones you can remove useful plants from the pond, and there is a chance to cause unnecessary trouble to the fish, up to its death. This is probably why, when handling these chemical cleaners, they recommend that you strictly observe the safety precautions and dosage indicated by the manufacturer, for one wrong step, and you will destroy all life around (and you can cause great harm to yourself). As an excuse for such methods, it can be recognized that some high-tech chemicals produced today are capable of decomposing into water and gas (carbon dioxide), that is, they are theoretically harmless. But still - it is better to avoid chemistry if possible, if there are other options.
UV filter
Another way to clean water. Ultraviolet radiation (wave 180-300 nm) deadly affects viruses, microalgae, bacteria, killing them. It is made in the form of a lamp placed in a housing, which is lowered into the reservoir itself. It is recommended to change it once a season to maintain the intensity of the rays.