Black Pond Dye: An Eco-Friendly, Inexpensive Pond Maintenance Alternative

Ponds are added to landscapes for a variety of reasons, such as providing rustic charm for a company’s campus, the backdrop for a romantic evening in the park, or even offer a gathering place for plants and animals. To ensure that you and visitors to the pond get the greatest benefit from the water’s beauty and tranquility, routine maintenance is necessary. There are a variety of maintenance options available today; however, the use of a pond colorant, such as black pond dye, has become increasingly popular thanks to its eco-friendliness and affordability.

If left unattended for long periods of time, ponds can become brown, murky, and even smelly, transforming a once portrait-like landscape into an unsightly swamp or bog. This transformation is due to the growth of algae on the pond floor. A natural, but unhealthy occurrence, algae growth is prompted when sunlight is able to easily access the bottom of the pond. As algae growth begins to proliferate in the water, it causes debris to become entangled in it and aquatic life to perish.

For years, many people have chosen to hire companies to come in and rid the pond of the algae growth. While hiring a professional maintenance company takes some of the personal hassle out of rehabilitating your pond, their services are often expensive and intrusive. While their services leave the pond beautiful and healthy, the rest of the landscape could be damaged due to the maintenance company’s use of heavy equipment and trampling of the grounds.

In lieu of maintenance companies, others have chosen to use algaecides and herbicides to get rid of the harmful plant growth. Unfortunately, these chemicals also often kill wildlife like fish and frogs that are essential to the continued health of your pond.

Recently, many private pond owners and landscape architects have started using more environmentally sound and inexpensive pond dyes to keep their waters algae-free. While blue has been a consistent favorite, black pond dye is growing in popularity. Why black? Many experts have found that black pond dye provides a natural, reflective hue to the water that blends nicely with wooded areas.

The stand-out benefit of black pond dye is that it inhibits the growth of algae by making the water more opaque. This opacity makes it increasingly difficult for sunlight to reach the pond floor. The dense color that black pond dye adds to the water also protects fish from predators such as birds since they cannot see them as easily. Like any other pond colorant, black pond dye is food-based, which means that it will not stain or harm life around the pond.

Regardless of the color that you choose for your body of water, pond dyes are easy to apply and last for months at a time. To apply the dye, simply pour the required amount necessary for the size of your pond into the water as directed by the product’s instructions. The natural movement of the water will disperse the solution within hours. Now, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the charm of your pond.