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I have a masonry pond which was built 23 years ago and I am wanting to give it a clean up. The pond is sound but it has a lot of fish grime and dirt engrained onto the walls. I have pressured washed and scrubbed the floor and the sides which removes a lot of the loose debris but I’m left with “staining”.
Do I drain, pressure wash, acid etch and then repaint with a pond sealer??
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @molipaq. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about cleaning a pond.
You’ve already made a good start by pressure washing and scrubbing to remove loose debris. The staining that remains is usually organic matter that has penetrated the porous masonry. For a proper clean-up, the best approach is to completely drain the pond so you can access all surfaces. After draining, you can use a diluted cleaning solution, which helps dissolve ingrained stains and prepares the surface for sealing. Safety gear is essential during this step, including safety glasses and protective clothing, and the pond must be thoroughly rinsed multiple times afterwards to neutralise the product.
Once the surface is clean and completely dry, apply a pond sealer, which will protect the masonry and make future cleaning much easier. Be sure to allow full curing before refilling and reintroducing fish. This drain, wash, and reseal process is the most effective way to refresh an older pond and extend its lifespan.
Let me also mention @Jewelleryrescue for their thoughts.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
