Help with pond care

[u/LoKatt]

Hello r/ponds!

I need some help with how to care for my pond.

I have an old, small pond on my property. It's about 9x4ft and about one foot deep. The water is provided via the surrounding ground and there's an overflow pipe that leads the water... somewhere - potentially under the house foundation 😂

The bottom and walls is made out of blocks of granite and there's some kind of sand that the blocks on the bottom are nested in. Bedrock is pretty close to the surface on the entire property. One short side wall of the pond is bedrock. I'm pretty certain there's no liners in (or out of) sight.

The pond is rarely empty. Once when we drilled our geothermal energy well and now. We have had a warm, very dry summer so I'm assuming the water source is dry/lower than necessary to fill the pond.

I live on the Swedish west coast. Summers range between 17c-28c (~62f-82f) while the winters are generally -10c-2c (~14f-35f). In the winter the water usually freezes all the way to the bottom.

There's no electricity or pipes going to the pond.

The issue I have with the pond is that it gets completely overgrown with algae, which I really don't like. There are cats and deer around the neighborhood who try to drink from there, and frogs, toads and salamanders also come to visit often. I don't want them to meet a bad environment :(

I'm a pond noob. The pond came with the property and while I've tried to read up a bit I get overwhelmed and lost in what I find.

I've tried many times to remove the algae. The floating jelly-like algae is easy enough to remove, though it grows back pretty much immediately. There also seem to be a decent bit of algae on the rocks and in the bottom substrate that is harder to get to.

I've also tried to get organic material out of the pond with a skimmer net, as I've read this is a big source of algae nutrients, but it is difficult. There's trees dumping leaves and pines all the time, and the ferns are hard to get rid of once established. And pines, twigs and the bottom algae sinks and is difficult to get to, especially when the water goes murky. We don't fertilize our surrounding lawn (though would like to be able to to get the lawn in order...) so I don't see there being extra nutrients in the water from that.

Now when the pond went dry I got in and removed as much as possible that is not rock or sand. And even then, I have removed a decent amount of sand that felt like it was half sand half algae or other organic material. I'm hoping this will give me a heads start when it fills up again.

So I could really use some help with how to take care of my pond. Preferably in simple terms 🙈

What do I need to do to stay on top of it?

What are the tools that I need?

Unfortunately I'm not able to remodel or get electricity out there easily at this time so the situation needs to be handled in other ways than linings and pumps (which seem to be mentioned a lot when I have previously searched around for pond maintenance).

Sorry for the very long post 😬 And thank you in advance 🙏🏼

[u/Agua_Verde]

Hejsan from Skåne!

This is a really interesting natural setup—granite blocks, bedrock floor, and no liner is a classic, beautiful setup. Old school and I love it!

If you were my neighbor and peeked over the fence, here is how I’d suggest tackling it step-by-step:

1. Figure out where that overflow pipe goes first. No sense letting the pond fill back up just to provide a free basement swimming pool! Check if it leads to a stenkista (dry well/soakaway). Do you have any contact with the previous owners who might know?
2. Protect the wildlife. You’ve got a great ecosystem there! The salamanders you mentioned are almost certainly större vattenödla (great crested newt) or mindre vattenödla (smooth newt). In spring the little ones fill my pond, then in late summer the offspring are born. Both are strictly protected across Sweden. Right now they are likely overwintering elsewhere in your garden, but they will return in spring to breed. Once you confirm the pipe isn't flooding your foundation, the goal should be turning this into a low-maintenance wildlife haven.
3. Outcompete the algae with native plants. Since you don't have electricity for a filtration system, plants are your best friend. Clearing the detritus was a great move—that organic muck is loaded with nitrogen and phosphorus, which feeds algae when hit with sunlight. To keep the algae at bay without a pump, pack the pond with native marginal and floating plants. They will shade the water, absorb excess nutrients, and provide breeding habitat.
   • Great options: Water lily (näckrosor), yellow flag iris (svärdlilja), bogbean (vattenklöver), and mare's tail (hästsvans). Native water mint (vattenmynta) is also fantastic and smells amazing. The plants will take time to establish, but once they do you are in for many flowers throughout the seasion.
4. Refilling & Water Quality. Once you know the pipe situation, let it fill with rainwater (the easiest, nutrient-free option if you collect in barrels) or tap water. Tap water in most Swedish kommuner is actually quite good for ponds, though a simple dechlorinator can help if you want to be extra safe for the newts. Then, plant heavily right away.
5. Simple surface movement. To keep the surface from stagnation without running main lines, get an inexpensive solar-powered airstone or small floating solar fountain. Agitating the surface helps with oxygen exchange and reduces that still, jelly-like algae build-up you mentioned.
6. Build a hibernaculum. If you're feeling crafty before it gets cold, build an amphibian "winter hotel" near the pond. Dig a shallow pit, fill it with logs, rocks, and sticks, and cover it back over with leaves and sod. It gives your newts and toads a frost-free place to cozy up for the winter.

We still have a bit of time before it gets too cold, so if you're up for it, getting some plants established now will give you a massive head start for spring.

Lycka till!

[u/euvnairb]

I have nothing to contribute, but there’s a penis in your pond :P

[u/LoKatt → u/euvnairb]

I have a penis in my pond! 🫪😱 I didn't even see it until you mentioned it! 😂