Home

>

Fish

>

Training & Behavior

>

Pond Foam: What Causes Foam on Fish Ponds?

Pond Foam: What Causes Foam on Fish Ponds?

Updated On November 1st, 2024

Image profile

Reviewed By Petco's Animal Care, Education and Compliance (ACE) Team

Most ponds with a waterfall or fountain have some foam or froth from normal water agitation. But if that foam keeps accumulating and does not dissipate, spreading like a white carpet across your pond, it may be a sign of an underlying problem with your pond's water conditions. This white or brown foam is commonly due to an excess of dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) collecting in a slick along the water's surface. The DOCs can come from many sources including inadequate filtration, overfeeding, a buildup of fish waste, or decaying plant material. DOCs not only produce unsightly foam, but they can also reach a level at which they become deadly to your aquatic life.

So, what causes foam on fishponds? If you are trying to solve a pond foam problem, consider these possibilities and solutions:

POSSIBILITY:

Are your pond's water parameters out of balance?
Solution: Use a test kit to check for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. Trace amounts of nitrate are acceptable, but if any ammonia or nitrite are present, your pond may not be cycled or cycling correctly, and the water parameters are out of balance. In other words, there is more waste being produced than can be processed by the beneficial bacteria and plant life. Your pond may need more biological filtration or bacterial additives to bring conditions back into balance.

POSSIBILITY:

Are you keeping too many fish in the pond?
Solution: High nitrate can mean that you have an overstocked pond, overfeeding or you have not performed a water change for a long time. If water changes are performed regularly, you have a couple choices: reduce your fish population, the amount of food being offered, or reduce the number of DOCs your filter must process. Reducing the number of DOCs can be approached in several ways:

POSSIBILITY:

Is your pond filter too small for the size of the pond?
Solution: If your filter is not adequately sized for your pond's volume, DOCs may be collecting on the water surface. To remedy this situation, you will need to either add a surface skimmer, another filter, or get a larger one; remember it's typically safer to use a larger filter than recommended by the manufacturer.

POSSIBILITY:

Have you recently used a dechlorinator?
Solution: The same solutions you may use during routine water changes to make your tap water safe for your pond fish can also cause foam buildup. If this is bothersome, try a water purifier system especially made for ponds such as the PondFil Float made by Kent Marine. This connects to your outdoor faucet/garden hose and automatically adds filtered water back into your pond when it drops below a certain level due to evaporation or normal water changes.

POSSIBILITY:

Have you recently added medications?
Solution: Medications can also cause a waterfall or fountain to foam, although it should dissipate within a day. Since you will need to remove any chemical media, such as carbon, for treatment, and any foam-covered surface area cannot efficiently exchange oxygen, it would be wise to run an aerator during treatment. If possible, it is more productive, safer, and cheaper to treat diseases by removing the fish and placing them in a separate hospital tank.

A quick solution…

In addition to getting to the root of the problem, there are some "quick fix" products targeting nuisance foam directly. Try a defoaming agent such as Pro-Polish Defoamer, Anti-Foam, or No More Foam to keep the surface of your pond a clear reflection of all your hard work and creativity. These products are deemed safe to use with plants, pond fish, and other animals.

A great solution, regardless of the cause…

A main way of controlling the buildup of DOCs in the average garden pond, regardless of the cause, is to increase the number of water changes. In some geographical areas and in very large ponds, the cost and/or amount of water needed may be unfeasible. In these situations, a protein skimmer may be helpful. Ironically, a protein skimmer actually uses bubbles to attract protein molecules. The resulting foam is then removed through a collection cup or drain hose. 

Vote icon

471Pet Parents found this article helpful

Related Questions

My cat has signs of gingivitis. Will it hurt her if I start to brush her teeth? She had a teeth cleaning with the vet last year, but her gums are already a little red and slightly inflamed again. I hate the idea of putting her under anaesthesia unnecessarily, so can I try to do something at home? I’ve tried gels and plaque off, neither seem to keep it at bay. She eats dry food only and seems to have no pain or issues eating (she’s very healthy otherwise) Thank you!

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Cassie. I think it's a great idea for you to start brushing her teeth, and that can help with the gingivitis. Be sure to use a pet toothpaste, as human ones are toxic for cats. You can get a pet toothbrush and paste at a pet store. I'd brush her teeth three times a week. I hope this helps!

Read More

My 16-year-old cat has stopped grooming herself and now has several small lumps of matted hair on her back, which I'm not able to brush out without seemingly hurting her. Should I get her shaved? Thank you!

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Lily. Poor girl! Yes I would get those matts shaved out, they will be painful to her. I'd also recommend having her seen by a vet. She's stopped grooming herself for a reason, and it could be it's painful for her to groom. Arthritis is common in senior cats. A chronic illness, such as diabetes and kidney disease, could sap a cat's energy and lead them to not grooming. Both of those are common in senior cats. I recommend having her seen by a vet this week, and getting her a geriatric blood panel and urinalysis. I hope this helps!

Read More

Hello. My dog eye keeps tearing at time there is mucus. I purchased eye wash have been using it for almost a week and still has the issue.

Hi there! Excessive tearing of the eyes can be due to a number of things, including spring allergies (dust, grasses, pollens), eye irritants, or eye injuries/infections (these usually come with green, yellow, or cloudy discharge, rather than clear mucus). If you suspect allergies or irritation, you can try an over the counter medication such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to see if it helps reduce symptoms. However, if the eye discharge continues, worsens, becomes bothersome to Bella, or becomes cloudy or discolored, it's best to have your vet take a look in person. I would also stop the eye washes for a while and just gently clean any debris or mucus away with a warm, clean washcloth to see if that helps reduce irritation and tear production as the washes may just be exacerbating the issue.

Read More

My Shih Tzu havanese is 11 yrs diagnosed with cancer mams. She had surgery in October and it got worse. Recently she scratched the area which is under her right armpit and open up the lumps. Now they are weeping. My question is how do I stop the weeping and how do I stop her from scratching it.? I do keep her covered at all times except for when I'm cleaning the wounds. I also lightly blow dry the area so it stays dry and I use Pet silver wound spray. She takes CBD, Prednisone salmon oil

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. I'm sorry you and Pitoune are dealing with this. Please be advised that to prevent this from happening to future pets, they need to be spayed before their first heat cycle. The chance of getting mammary tumors is virtually zero when a female dog is spayed young. It is very difficult for me to tell the orientation of what is going on in this photo. I'm assuming the photo is of the abdomen since you said they are mammary tumors but again, it is hard to tell what is going on based on this one photo. You are not going to get these to clear up and will likely only get worse; they are malignant cancer. They will only stop weeping when she stops scratching them. All you can do is exactly what you are doing although I don't think you should blow dry them - it is very easy to burn the skin making it worse. Everything else you are doing is fine. I'm not sure what you are using to cover her but I suggest a recovery suit and to put a feminine maxi pad between the skin lesions and the suit to catch any discharge. This protective layer should stop her from traumatizing the area. You can also put a human baby sock on her back feet so it covers the nails so if she does scratch she cannot hurt the area. ( https://www.amazon.com/s?k=surgery+suit+small+dog&crid=ZTVVO4IRU78L&sprefix=surgery+suit+small+dog%2Caps%2C120&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 ) If they are worsening I suggest you speak to your vet about possibly increasing the dose of Prednisone. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

Hello, A few days ago I noticed matted fur in my dog under her ear and at later inspection it must have been a scab. Her and our other dog often play rough so I'm wondering if something has caught her and because of where it is it isn't healing due to her scratching. I've placed an ecollar on her now and have been cleaning it, it bleeds very slightly at first when doing this. Could you advise if there is anything else I need to do. No vet appts until Wednesday, am I OK to monitor until then?

Ouch! That does look pretty irritated, so if it doesn't scab over or continues to look weepy, it's a good idea to have your vet take that look on Wednesday as it may need some anitbiotics. What you're doing at home currently is perfect! I'd continue to use the E-collar to prevent pawing at it, and keep the area clean and dry. You can use a clean compress to gently keep it clean so as to not cause more irritation by rubbing at it or accidentally bumping the scab as excessive cleaning may actually be slowing down the healing process. It should be fine to wait until Wednesday to have it looked at unless it massively swells up, becomes painful to the touch, or starts to ooze any cloudy or green discolored debris (all signs of infection).

Read More

I have been reading different opinions about cleaning the litter box, bedding, and house after your cat has roundworms. But there doesn't seem to be a consensus on what actually works and many of the cleaning steps are extremely labor intensive. Is it really necessary to clean more than regularly scooping the litter if your cat has worms and has been dewormed and is now on a monthly preventative? If so, what specific steps would you recommend?

It's definitely a good idea to clean and sanitize everything after your cat has had worms just to prevent spreading it back to your cat (or yourself from contact with any affected material as roundworms are transmissible to people and other pets). I would make sure at the very least to completely change the litter, wipe down the litter box with a sanitizing wipe, and wash any bedding your cat regularly sleeps on including your own, their beds, the couch, etc. This can help get rid of any roundworm eggs that may still be in the environment as it can be spread through fecal matter.

Read More

image

Have a Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Filed Under

Sponsored