Question
My pond water seems to be cloudy and dirty after ot rains, there is quite alot of aquatic soil that has come out of the plants on the shelves and on the bottom. I have a pump, filter uvc and water fall. Is it best to draoin out the pond and clean the shelves etc or can i purchase a pond vac and still achive clean water?? Please help..it is starting to look nasty.

Answer
You can use a pond vacuum that actually removes the dirt to try to clean it out.  The venturi-driven pond vacuums that run off of garden hoses run the waste through a nylon bag and back into the pond so they won't trap dirt but the electric wet/dry pond vacuums should work.  I have one (over $400) but it sucks up too much and jams constantly with rocks/leaves/etc.  For a good cleaning, you should drain the pond.  To prevent future problems, try to figure out the cause.  Is dirt coming in from the edges of the pond?  If so, the edges can be elevated or a drainage system built at the high end of the pond to run water around the pond.  Is the dirt just coming out of your plant pots?  If so, they should be topped off with pea gravel.  If you have gravel, they may need more gravel.  Some plants can even grow in just gravel.  Repot plants before they jump the pot or pull up dirt themselves from growth.  A fine filter will remove some dirt but would need to be cleaned often.  A coagulant like AccuClear by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals can help clump suspended dirt particles so they go into the filter or settle faster.

Good luck!

Robyn
fishpondinfo.com