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Are pond vacuums any good?
Yes, pond vacuums are the quickest and best method to clean your pond. They are a must-have, hassle-free, way for pond keepers to maintain the essential health of their ponds. Using a pond vacuum has many benefits over methods such as using a net or sludge removers. Manually removing silt can be a time-consuming task, often involving emptying the pond which is disruptive to your ponds eco-system. Buying a fishpond vacuum cleaner, such as a Oase Pondovac, will allow you to remove silt build up quickly with suction power up to a depth of 250cms depending on the pond vacuum model purchased.
Why do I need to vacuum my pond?
To maintain a healthy pond, you need to remove unwanted fallen debris, sludge and leftover fish food, the best way to do this is by vacuum. Pond vacuum cleaners conveniently and effectively remove harmful bacteria all year round. They suck up debris such as fallen leaves, fish waste and blanket weed. Ponds need to be regularly kept to avoid blocked pumps, blocked filters and water clarity problems. Leaving silt in pond, containing pond fish including goldfish or koi, could also increase the chance of bacterial infections which can harm or kill pond life.
What type of vacuum do I need for my pond?
There are two types of pond vacuums: motorised and hand-held. We suggest you use a motorised pond vac for most ponds. Oase’s Pondovac range use electrical power to remove debris and clean your pond. They are quicker, easier, and cleaner than the alternative. However, hand-held vacuums can be used quick clean up jobs on smaller sized ponds. You need to choose a pond vac based on your pond size and depth. The larger the pond the more suction you will need. You also need to consider the length of the discharge hose, deciding where to empty the dirty water, and length of the power cord for your electrical source, you may need to buy an extension lead. See our table below for an easy comparison of top rated Oase Pondovacs which will help you decide what type of vacuum needed.
What is the best pond vacuum cleaner?
For garden ponds and koi ponds the Oase Pondovac range are rated as top pond vacuum cleaners, with some of the best reviews online. Designed to be easy to use, Oase pond vacs come with multiple fitting options to handle any pond, pool, and swim pool. Listed below are the best pond vacuums available for you to consider based on your requirements. The Oase Pond Vacuum comes in 5 models, the main difference between the basic Pondovac Classic and the more advanced models the Pondovac 3, Pondovac 4 and Pondovac 5 pond vacuum is the ability for continuous operation with a clever two chambers system, which is continuous cleaning function. This feature allows one chamber to be in suction mode while the other is emptying its waste.
How does a pond vacuum work?
Most modern pond vacs work like a domestic vacuum. Simply place your pond vacuum on dry land, far enough away from the ponds edge to avoid accidentally falling into the water during use. Use the attached hose with a telescopic handle to reach the ponds base and sides. As the head is moved around it sucks the silt with water into a chamber, which is then discharged through a hose to waste.
Once single chamber pond vacs are full of dirty water the suction will turn off for you to drain the water onto garden plants or back into the pond but remember to use a discharge basket. We recommend the Oase Pondovac Classic.
Twin chamber pond vacs suck the dirty water out of the pond and discharge it without the need to turn the suction off, which makes cleaning your fishpond quicker. We recommend the Oase Pondovac 3, Pondovac 4 or Pondovac 5.
TIP: We do not recommend using a domestic wet / dry vacuum as they are not designed for safe use.
Do pond vacuums harm fish?
Pond vacs do not harm fish. However, if a small fish were to accidently be sucked up it should not be harmed and can easily be recovered via the discharge hose. You can always safely remove your goldfish or koi before you begin to clean if you so wish. Pond vacuums enhance the fish's quality of life by allowing them to live in a clean and safe environment, without risk of harmful infections or murky water.
Do pond vacuums clean water?
Pond vacuums provide a fast-track solution to cleaner pond water. This essential piece of equipment for pond owners helps achieve clearer and healthier water by removing the debris, sludge, and silt. If this chore is not undertaken, inevitably nutrient levels will build-up and your pond will likely suffer from algae blooms, poor water quality, and fish health issues.
Oase Pondovacs, in stock at World of Water, will actively clean your pond quickly and efficiently with minimal disturbance to your aquatic life. Some pond cleaning machines require you to dispose of the dirty water, whereas others pass the water through a filtration system, via a separate chamber, to remove the silt before returning it back to your pond.
It is important to remember to retain mature pond water as much as possible, never drain your pond completely and fill up with new clean water full of chlorine. Mature water is greatly beneficial to the eco-balance of your pond and maintaining the population of micro-organisms. Water packed with chlorine is harmful to your fish. If you do top up your pond with new water, you can either use collected rainwater or tap water which has been dechlorinated with treatment solutions.
When should I vacuum my pond?
The best time to vacuum your pond is during the autumn or late summer (August or September). Using a pond vac in the spring could disrupt your fish, insect and amphibians breeding cycles.
What should I do with the dirty pond water?
You can recycle your pond waste. Silt makes great garden fertiliser if drained straight onto a flower bed or vegetable garden as it is full of nitrogen-based compounds.
