How much does a koi pond cleaning cost? Long Valley, NJ

Every spring here in Morris County NJ area we receive hundreds of inquiries for "How much does a spring koi pond cleaning cost?"  In this Weekly Ribbit we are going to address that very question and share with you many of the variables that can affect the cost of a spring koi pond cleaning cost.  After you have read our publication you will be able to make an educated decision on who you should call to help you with your spring pond cleaning!   

​The cost of a Morris County NJ area spring koi pond cleaning can vary like man services.  Some of the variables affecting these costs are the length of time between clean outs, quantity of fish in your pond, location to deciduous trees, netting options, and other factors can affect the pricing of this important spring service. Below we have listed some starting prices to have a spring koi pond cleaning.  Please continue reading for information about additional services.  

Cost of a Koi Pond Clean Out by Size

• 8 x 10 pond clean out cost -  $995      
• 10 x 15  pond clean out cost - $1295
• 15 x 20  pond clean out cost - $1595

​As mentioned before, many factors determine the price of a spring koi pond cleaning.  Additional factors to take into consideration is the type of filtration for your pond and the depth and the length of your stream.  Do you have a bog, negative edge, wet well or wetland filtration?  If yes, these variables can impact the price due to the additional labor it may take to properly perform a full and thorough spring cleaning for your koi pond.

How long has it been since your last spring koi pond cleaning, 1 or 2 years?  How many deciduous trees do you have growing near or around your pond?   Has the koi pond been netting during the fall season?  Have your aquatic plant grown out of control in the pond and need to be thinned or repotted? 

The quantity of aquatic plants that call your pond home can drastically affect the cost of a spring koi pond cleaning.  An overcrowding of aquatic plants can reduce flow in the streams, waterfalls and other waterways causing the build up of sediment in the stream and on the koi pond floor.  These plants have strong and aggressive root systems that can become embedded on the one bottom.  Aquatic plants can be thinned out and repotted during a spring pond cleaning; the cost is typically $75-$100 a plant. 
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Multiple times we have done spring koi pond cleanings and encountered roots systems that had grown and covered the entire bottom of the pond wrapping in and out of all the rock work.  In cases such as these it can take most of an entire day just to remove all of the roots and repot some of the plants and then an additional day to perform the cleaning.  As you can imagine, these are typically Morris County NJ koi ponds that haven’t been cleaned out in many years.  

Some additional items to consider when choosing someone to clean your pond

The term “pond cleaning or pond clean-out” is often times used very loosely. In fact, there are different levels of spring pond cleaning, as well as a variety of pond construction techniques that will make a water feature easier or even more difficult to clean and maintain. A “pond cleaning or pond clean-out” could just be physically removing any leaves or debris that’s accumulated in the pond and cleaning the pond’s filtration system.  Another type of cleaning could be simply vacuuming leaves out of an exposed-liner pond and rinsing out the filter pads. At A Frog’s Dream our preferred method of a spring koi pond cleaning is what we refer to as a complete drain and clean with a component inspection. This service is typically performed in the spring. We would be delighted to provide you our list of procedures we do for this service, but I really want to focus on expense related questions and not so much on the method of our spring koi pond cleanings. 

Another important factor to consider in the cost of your pond cleaning is the company you decide to hire. Most Morris County, NJ lawn & landscape companies will typically be less expensive than bringing in a company that specializes in water features. Retaining trained professionals (specialists) in a given field of expertise is much costlier than hiring general laborers.  The Team at A Frog’s Dream is taught about fish handing, health and diseases, aquatic plants, plumbing, filtration, etc. by industry experts. This investment in our team definitely raises the cost of our service and may or may not be a value to you. We have seen local landscape companies do pond cleanings for as little as $350.00. I’m not vouching for the quality of the service delivered, only the price. At A Frog’s Dream, our starting price for a complete spring koi pond cleaning and component inspection starts at $995.00.

Another thing to consider: Is sanitation important to my fish friends?  Does the company sanitize their tools and equipment between cleanings? This can be a big deal to some people! Do you have koi and other fish in your pond? This should be a something to think about or even question if you do have fish in your pond.   Some clean out crews (ours included) clean multiple ponds each day in the spring time. Pond diseases, bacteria, and parasites can easily be transported from one pond to the next inside the holding tanks, pumps, and plumbing used to complete a spring pond cleaning.  The spring time is a fish’s most vulnerable time of the year when the water temperature is cool and the fish have slower metabolism it is the perfect time for problems to occur due to inadequate sanitation practices. Something to think about if you have fish you love!

Professionalism may also be a consideration and an important factor in choosing your pond service company. A guy/gal in a pickup truck with a hose, a pump, and a 5-gallon bucket may take a few days to clean your koi pond. The alternative is that a professional team of trained technicians shows up and has all the proper tools to do a fast-efficient clean out. This includes Koi tanks that hold hundreds of gallons of water, the team goes into action, pond is clean, and fish are returned unscathed and healthy to their cleaned habitat in rapid fashion. The experience delivered by a professional team may or may not be an important factor to you. 
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Other variables related to pond cleaning costs are that of the company’s methodology (how well the pond is cleaned), the size of the feature, and other business related variables. With the information we have provided above you should be educated to make an informed and confident decision on who you should hire to clean your koi pond.
 
If you have any other questions on the price of a clean out, what we do when we clean a pond out or any other questions please contact us here.  

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Related Links:

• My pond is open and cleaned, now what? 
• What is an exploratory pond cleaning?
  
• String Algae??!!!!  How do I get rid of Pond Algae?

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A Frog’s Dream Aquatic Services is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Morris County New Jersey (NJ) Hunterdon County New Jersey (NJ) Somerset County (NJ) and Warren County (NJ). Fish and Koi Pond Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and  Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily inspiration.  Receive #TheWeeklyRibbit for weekly water feature tips and a fun video.  ​​​​​