"k conover" wrote in message
...
Okay, since it's that time of year here in Atlanta, I'll be one of the
first
with the newbie pond cleaning questions. (And if there's a website or
FAQ
site that I should be going to for this info, let me know!) My main
reason
for cleaning is that the stones that were lining the sides of my pond have
slipped into the bottom of the pond. I know most of the instructions--use
a
shop-vac, calculate gallons and add declor, take out the fish, etc., but
still have a few questions:
snip

KC,

No stupid questions. Nothing is obvious until it is pointed out to you.
So...

IMHO, draining the pond to clean is a naughty idea. I intend to never do so,
unless 1) I have a major disease that kills everything, at which time a
drain and clean may be the safest idea, or 2) I have a major tear that
requires re-lining the pond. Your pond is an ecosystem. Cleaning it out can
harm the ecosystem. Certainly you want to remove the mulm and other debris
from the pond, but why drain the water to do so? Scoop it out. Use a shop
vac, but you don't need to drain the pond fully to do so. And don't be
concerned if your pond always as a slight layer of goo on it. That's
natural.

--
BV.
www.iheartmypond.com