An Advice Guide
Water Lily Pool Maintenance and Repairs Guide
Pool Repairs
If you have crafted your own water lily pool well then it is likely that it is perfectly level. However, pools can tilt for a number of reasons. Tilting is usually due to pools being constructed to match the ground level rather than water level or when part of the structure settles on a part-soft, part-hard foundation. If you notice that one side of your pond has water to the top whereas the other side is much lower, then your pond has tilted. However, there is not much you can do about a tilting pool. This is no cause for worry, however, because the problem is not as serious as most people think. You can usually cover up the tilting by placing shallow water and border plants in the right places.
The main types of problems that you might have to repair are leaks and cracks. Small cracks can take a while to spot, as evaporation causes some water loss anyway. Repairing small cracks should be left until the pool is drained for spring cleaning. If the crack is very small, then a few touches of special pool paint are all that is required. For slightly larger cracks, mix 3 parts cement, 1 part fine sand and a little water to make a plaster. Cover the interior of the pool to a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch. However, make sure you cure the pool with vinegar and water treatment before replacing plants and fish.
If you have a large crack, you are probably going to need to replace the pool; however, using a cement mixture can sometimes work for a few seasons.
Pool Maintenance
Water lily pool maintenance is another important factor to consider for the budding water lily gardener. Maintenance on your pool will include removing and preventing scum as well as keeping the water clean. When you first get your pool, it can be horrifying to see the layer of scum that forms after just a few weeks; this is also common to water fountains. Most of the scum is simply debris from the planting and bits of earth and dust. Generally, once you clean that scum it should not come back in significant amounts. Once the water lily pool has had time to settle, the plants and animals will develop a balance that will stop scum forming. To remove scum, simply raise the water level so that it flows past the overflow. You may also scoop it out to one side of the pond with a broom.
Next, look at making sure the water color is correct. The water should not be completely clean, but rather a slightly green color. This is due to the algae that form within the water. To see whether your water is the right color, put your hand about 12 inches below the surface. If you cannot see your hand well, then the water is perfect.
If the water seems too cloudy, then you probably have too much algae in the pool. To remedy this, you can add fresh-water mussels to clean up the water. However, if you do not fancy putting more organisms into the pool, you can use potassium permanganate to clean. Figure out the water volume in cubic feet. Then multiply the number of cubic feet by 7.48 (7.5 is close enough) to get the water volume in gallons. For each 100 gallons of water, throw into the pool half an ounce of fined (not crystallized) potassium permanganate. It should take a few days for the water to return to its natural green color. However, make sure you measure carefully as too much will kill your goldfish and not enough will have little effect on the algae.