Dirt and deteriorating water quality may occur in any pond despite professional installation of the system. This is often caused by the washing in of surface water together with sludge, the wrong types of plants in the pond, and too many fish in the water.
In order to be able to react more quickly to dirt and contamination, keep a close eye on the water quality. To this end, water samples may be analysed in garden centres. The staff there also provide advice with regard to the selection of fish and plants. Coarse dirt such as plant residue or thread algae can, in turn, be removed with the aid of nets and pond claws with a telescopic handle.
Dried leaves are especially tricky since they soak up water, sink to the bottom of the pond, where they form mud and silt. As such, it is advisable to remove the leaves in good time, or to prevent them falling into the pond using a leaf protection net stretched over the pond.