Seasonal Pond Maintenance
Go To Summer
Go To Fall
Go To Winter
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.
