Why Buy A Pond Vacuum?

Let me save you some money on a pond vacuum.

The simplest system to use to clean out your pond is to use a garden hose with a nozzle that creates a very strong jet and your pond pump.

To empty the pond, connect the "in" side of your pump to a length of pipe that will reach into the very bottom of your pond.

Connect the "out" side of your pump to a length of pipe that will discharge water somewhere in your garden (vegetable garden is good) that is downslope of your pond. Do not go through any filters with either the inflow or outflow.

Turn on your pump. The water is now emptying from the pond.

As the water empties, use the garden hose with a strong jet of water to hose down the sidewalls of the pond, dislodging any dirt from rocks or the bottom. You’ll find the pond will very quickly become very dirty and skudzy (a scientific term for really, really gross) but your pump will be sending the dirty water out of the pond.

You can keep washing the sidewalls and rocks until the discharge water is fairly clean.

You’re cleaning your pond and you haven’t had to buy any other equipment!

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I note that doing this assumes you’ve caught the fish and removed the plants. Removing the lilies is optional but it helps to remove most of the floating or oxygenating plants (they’ll get caught in the pump) before you start.

After the pond is cleaned and empty of water, do any maintenance to the plants they require. Fill the pond again, toss in the oxygenating plants and let everything settle out.

Hook up the filters, enjoy the pond without having to use or buy pond vacuums.

On the other hand there is a relatively cheap gizmo that attaches to a garden hose and acts as a siphon to pull the water out of the pond while you run the hose. This works but you'll use a lot of water to empty the pond.

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