Does a pond have to be covered with a net during fall?

Question

There are several different trees and bushes surrounding our pond. As fall season peaks, the amount of leaves and needles falling into the pond gets quite high. There are koi, sturgeon and goldfish living in the pond.

We have a skimmer to clean the surface water, though floating material always accumulates in some corners of the pond. There is no guarantee the skimmer is cleaned as regularly as it is during fall. Another access point for the pump is at the lowest spot of the pond, to keep the base of the pond free of dirt.

My main concern is that a net makes the pond look far uglier than uncollected/un-skimmed floating material. Given these conditions, is there any reason to cover the pond with a net during fall season?

Answer 1

Yes

I'm not an expert at fishes but your pond needs to be covered with nets during fall to prevent leaves and others (just like you said).

You should be more concerned with hygiene (clean state) of the pond which will affect the health of the fishes rather than how beautiful or ugly it looks hence the need for a net during fall.

I mean what is the essence of a beautiful pond which is very dirty?

Read more : Fall and Winter Care for Your Ponds

Answer 2

If all the debris that would fall over your pond during the fall season (hey, I just got that!) are removed in a frequent basis (daily or twice each day), you wouldn't need it.

But, in general, no one can spend that time, every day, cleaning it. And so some problems might occur:

• your skimmer might get clogged, and any drain that you might have in your pond

• all that organic material might accumulate at your pond, at the bottom, and will be decomposed. This decomposition might alter the equilibrium you have in your pond, and sometimes might be toxic

• this decomposition might also make your water darker, smelly, and increase the algae to undesirable levels