Clean the liner with a scrubbing brush and fresh water, bailing out the dirty water with a bucket. Return the saved silt and any saved pond water. Next, refill with pond (using rainwater if possible), positioning the pond plants as you go – see our guide to planting aquatics.

You should do a full pond cleaning once a year, preferably in the spring. Clean your skimmer filters every week and biofalls 3 times a year.

Muck reducer tablets contain beneficial bacteria that break down organic waste without harming koi fish. In addition to eating away at the sludge at the bottom of a pond, beneficial bacteria eliminate any floating organic matter in it. A pond vacuum is designed to suck out the sludge sitting at the bottom of a pond.

Spending just 10 minutes per day removing some debris (you may not even need a rake for a smaller pond) can go a long way to keeping your pond water and your fish healthy. With these small ponds, a skimmer might be all you need to get out the debris. One quick koi pond tip: Be wary of over-feeding your fish.