If there is something wrong with your fish; they look ill or are dying, or there are water quality problems, we strongly advise that you test your pond water.

Use the images and descriptions below to determine what's wrong, then click through for treatment advice.

Dirty Self Contained Water Feature

A free standing, fountain water feature with brown water running through it

What does it look like?

Built up deposits
Cloudy water
Green/brown slime and dirt built up on the feature
Lime scale
Stagnant smel

Hand pulling dead leaves and dirt out of a water feautre

What are the fish doing?

Not suitable for aquatic life

Resin water feature with clear running water

What should I do?

Remove large matter from the feature
Do a partial water change to dilute any water issues which may have caused the problem.
Treat with your chosen treatment– as recommended below

See which treatments we recommend >

Why does this happen and how do I prevent it?

Blagdon Feature products should not be used to treat water features in ponds where there is aquatic life present.

A self contained water feature is a relatively unstable biological system and bound to get dirty with organic and mineral deposits. Preventative treatments can be used to help stop the build of waste all together and there are fast acting solutions to help get your feature back to its former glory should waste become a problem.

It is important to regularly clean your self contained water feature to keep it functioning properly and ensure it is an enjoyable addition to your garden. If lime scale is a particular problem with your feature consider using deionised or rain water instead of tap water.

A combination of Feature Clean Away as an ongoing preventative and Feature Lavender Scent to reduce unappealing smells will help keep your feature looking clear all year round”