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Whether it's in a swimming pool or a swimming pond, anyone who wants to take the plunge expects crystal-clear water. Dirt and algae are definitely not welcome, but at the same time, chemicals such as chlorine and anti-algae agents are increasingly being banned. How do you maintain water quality in such a situation?
One of the attractions of a swimming pond is the natural purification and filtering of the water. No harsh chemicals are used. Instead, plants and bacteria work together to clean the water. It is a natural process.
“Anyone who thinks that a swimming pond therefore requires no maintenance is seriously mistaken,” emphasizes René Verspuij of Waterplantenkwekerij R. Moerings. “Just as you have to fertilize and lime a lawn, a swimming pond also needs a little help. That's why we, as a water plant nursery, also offer a selective range of natural water treatment products.”
For most users, a well-functioning swimming pond means crystal-clear water, free of algae and slippery surfaces. “For many people, maintenance therefore simply consists of adding anti-algae agents. This does indeed produce results, but they are only temporary and, moreover, harmful to both aquatic plants and the environment. What's more, this approach only combats the symptoms, not the cause.”
According to Verspuij, the latter lies in water quality. “Algae are like weeds. While aquatic plants need specific growing conditions, algae will thrive even in poor water quality. In such situations, plants are less able to absorb nutrients. These nutrients remain in the water, benefiting the algae. If you want to tackle the cause, you need to control the water quality in such a way that the aquatic plants can develop optimally and there are no nutrients left for the opportunistic algae.”
The comparison with a lawn is no coincidence. “The only difference is that a swimming pond is constantly ‘fertilized’ even without human intervention, for example by leaves, pollen, and other organic material that blows into the water. But in addition, lime—calcium and magnesium—is also an important key to success for swimming ponds.”
In concrete terms, this means that the total hardness of the water (GH) should be around 12 throughout the year, and that the carbonate hardness (KH) should be around 8, especially during the growing season. These are the optimal conditions for aquatic plants.
“A titration test is a very simple way to check the GH and KH values,” says Verspuij. “If you don't intervene, there's a good chance that both values will be too low. Rainfall, among other things, causes the hardness of the water to gradually decrease. That is why it is important to regularly check and adjust the water quality. This can be done naturally by periodically adding our GH Plus and KH Plus products. They are instantly soluble and are therefore available to the plants immediately after addition.”
In addition to the GH and KH values of the water, Verspuij emphasizes the importance of probiotics. “Without bacteria, there would be no swimming pond. They are an essential factor in purifying the water. At least, if they are the right kind. Without intervention, however, bad bacteria can quickly take over. Just as we eat yogurt to support our intestinal flora, you can restore the balance by adding our Pond Pro probiotics. This product consists of 80% good bacteria, which immediately eliminate all nutrients that would otherwise be available to pathogens. It also effectively tackles the slippery biofilm, both on walls and stairs and in pipes and pumps.”
