Seasonal Pond Maintenance
Spring
Clean the pond.
Remove all fish and place them in a large pail or
barrel of original pond water in a shady spot somewhere.
Remove all plants, keeping them wet and also in the
shade. If a pond vacuum is available, vacuum the
inside of the pond, changing 1/2 to 2/3 of the water.
Otherwise, pump out all water and sweep up any debris
with a soft brush or vacuum with a Shop-Vac. Rinse
the liner with clean water and repeat as necessary.
Never use any type of cleaning agent in your pond.
Take time to inspect
the pond walls and floor for holes or other problems
and repair, if found. Fill pond and treat the water
with a product such as OASE Water Prep Plus to neutralize
chlorine and heavy metals. Slowly acclimatize fish,
returning the water from their holding tank to the
pond. Observe the water temperature.
Increase water
circulation, re-install any fountain nozzles removed
in the winter.
Add submerged
plants (i.e. Anacharis) to starve out algae. (one
bunch for each 2 sq. ft. of pond surface). If necessary,
algicides can be added at this time at half dosage,
keeping in mind that this will also slow other plants'
spring growth.
If a UV sterilizer
is present, it can be turned on after the bio-filter
is working properly and the water starts to turn
slightly green.
Add a biological
booster treatment (a bacteria to help jump-start
bio-filters and break down sludge).
Divide and repot
plants as needed. Fertilize each plant and place
at appropriate depth. Lilies and Lotus can be fertilized
once a month, if desired, to maximize bloom, marginals
every 2 months.
After danger of
frost is past, add floating plants (i.e. water hyacinth
or water lettuce).
Start feeding
your fish again only when the water temperature reaches
a constant 10°C (50°F).
Summer
Aquatic plants
can continue to be fertilized regularly throughout
the growing season to increase bloom.
Remove dead foliage
from aquatic and surrounding plants to prevent decomposition
in the pond.
Submerged plants
may still be propagated by division at this point,
if desired. Feed fish regularly (every 2-3 days)
and watch for the emergence of fry.
Keep an eye on
the water level throughout the warmer months. In
hot and windy conditions, a pond can lose 1 cm (1/2")
of water per day.
Fall
Before the leaves
begin to fall, cover the pond with a light leaf netting.
Remove annuals
(i.e. water lettuce) from the pond as they will begin
to die and decay, compromising water quality.
Once the hardy
plants have stopped growing, cut back the foliage
and lower the pots to the bottom of the pond. Water
lilies and iris can be divided at this time. Stop
fertilizing the plants.
Stop feeding your
fish after the water temperature has dropped below
10°C (50°F).
Winter
Reduce water circulation.
Drain and clean
bio-filter media.
Add a de-icer
or float objects such as small rubber balls or blocks
of styrofoam in the pond to maintain an opening in
the ice (this allows an exchange of gases).
If the pond freezes
solid, carefully melt through the ice with boiling
water rather than breaking it to avoid concussion
injuries to the fish underneath.
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