# Draining very small pond **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draining-very-small-pond/358755 "2006-05-30T17:11:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draining-very-small-pond/358755/21 "2006-05-31T17:37:53Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] Anonomously ring the police and tell them that you saw someone furtively dump something in the pond. [/QUOTE] Man, that is _really_ going to annoy the wildlife… ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draining-very-small-pond/358755/22 "2006-05-31T19:31:56Z")
Just to backtrack here, isn’t the main thing to get rid of the trash? I’d start by raking out all that’s easy to lift (maybe start with a pitchfork) and letting it settle, maybe two or three times. Then use the pump just to vacuum up the last of the litter. That would save emptying and refilling several hundred gallons. (BTW, is this a concrete tank or a real pond with a mud bottom and all? If it’s a real pond without a waterproof liner, you probably _can’t_ empty it.) If your wife wants it scrubbed, that’s a different matter. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draining-very-small-pond/358755/23 "2006-05-31T19:38:31Z")
It’s man-made and vinyl lined. I have been hesitant to use a metal rake or pitchfork because I am afraid of puncturing the lining. Just using the skimming net is approximately worthless and it just churns things up alot without collecting much muck. Perhaps gently using a metal rake will be worthwhile however. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draining-very-small-pond/358755/24 "2006-05-31T19:59:36Z")
If you have some money to spend, there are [pool filters](http://www.pondmarket.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=2) available for water gardens. I had a small one that filled up vey quickly and gave up on mechanical filtering. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/draining-very-small-pond/358755.md?page=1)