Many people are not familiar with the term used for the sand-like materials settled under a certain water feature. The proper term for that would be silt. It is a coarse material which is somewhere between sand and clay. It is usually found as soil or suspended sediment in an exterior body of water. In some cases, silt may exist as soil deposited at the bed of a certain water body.

No matter how clear or how well-maintained the water in your pond is, silt will always be there. It is an ongoing buildup in almost every outdoor water body. Usually silt occurs at the bottom of the pond. It is an unavoidable waste product that it often mistaken as sand.

The reason why silt is unavoidable is because of the things that causes its buildup in the pond. The presence of waste organic matter that has been broken down causes silt to be formed. If not consumed by the fish, algae or even blanket weed, these organic materials are directly formed as silt. The organic wastes usually come from uneaten fish food and fallen debris in the water. These things are definitely inevitable hence the inexorableness of silt in the pond.

Although unavoidable, there is still a possibility for silt buildup to be significantly reduced. Since one of the causes of silt to upsurge in the pond is the organic wastes that come from uneaten fish food, it is best to control the food that you give to your fish. It is recommended that you feed your fish for at least twice a day giving them a little amount in each feed. This will allow the most of the food to be consumed thus fewer leftovers.

To avoid foreign objects like dried leaves and other debris from landing in the pond, installing a net over the pond is necessary. Dried leaves mostly come in the fall so a netting facility is much more needed in that season.

The presence of algae and blanket weed also contribute to the continuous buildup of silt. That is why it is also necessary for these plant-like creatures to be controlled if not totally eliminated.

Using a pond filter is effective in the reduction of algae and blanket weed. However, if you are expecting that silt will also be decreased expect no more. Pond filters are more effective in dealing with chemical waste products in the pond rather than physical wastes like silt.

For those pond keepers who just can’t settle for second-best and want to totally eliminate the presence of silt in their ponds, there are basically two options for them. The first one would be draining the pond and scooping all the unwanted silt which is definitely a laborious method. For those who are too busy to literally shovel the silt from the pond, an alternate option would be using a pond vacuum. It is a much more popular method since it’s convenient and doable for almost every pond keeper. There is a wide range of vacuums in the market making the job even much easier. On the other hand, it is not just a one-time process. Silt will always come back and buildup in your pond so the use of a pond vacuum should be regularly done.

Regina Scott is a chemist from a well-known water treatment company and pond suppliers. Visit http://www.hydra-aqua.us to view complete inventory of pond silt and other products.