Garden Ponds, Sand, Anaerobic Bacteria And Mosquitoes

You are probably wondering what mosquitoes and placing sand on the pond floor have got to do with each other? Mosquitoes like stagnant ponds, without moving water. The addition of sand to a garden pond will cause stagnant areas to develop, and with it unwanted mosquitoes and other unwanted guests.

If a fish pond has adequate circulation and excellent pond filtration in place then mosquitoes will not be a problem. If the pond contains fish they will use the mosquitoes as a food source.
Mosquito larvae are a natural food source in fish ponds and natural water ways as they spend the majority of their life beneath the water surface.

The ponds that suffer from mosquitoes are those ponds which have poor water circulation, no fish and have stagnant areas, such as those created by barrel features. If you want to avoid mosquitoes in your pond then add a few small gold fish.

Many pond keepers utilize a layer of sand on the pond floor or marginal shelves to facilitate planting of aquatic plants … STOP DOING THIS!

The reason I say this is because sand over a length of time will mix with organic waste, fish excrement and uneaten fish food. This coupled with the fact that oxygen will not be able to reach these organic products will cause decaying to take place. Decaying organic matter as a by product produces ammonia, carbon dioxide and uses up oxygen.

The accumulation of this rotting matter also encourages the build up of anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that do not need oxygen to survive). These bacteria are responsible for the nasty smells and are often the cause of pond fish health problems.

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