Preparing your pond for the warm spring and summer months is vital to the health of your outdoor water feature. Whether you have a koi pond, a water garden or a large backyard pond, there are a few areas on which you’ll want to focus your attention.
Steps to revitalizing your pond
-You can begin to bring your pond back to life once the freezing weather has passed. This can include turning the pump back on and examining it for signs of wear. Once temperatures have reached a consistent 50 degrees, you can also begin to feed your fish. Check your ultraviolet sterilizer and your biological filter at this time as well.
-Ask your local aquarium center what kind of cold-weather food you should be feeding your fish at this point. They will also likely recommend beginning your full-season feeding program after the temperature has reached a steady 60 degrees.
-If your pond has accumulated leaves, sticks and debris over the winter – which it likely has –you can remove them with a standard skimmer net. You can also introduce water treatments which will help to accelerate the decomposition of debris in your pond.
-Other leaves and debris which have sunk to the bottom of the pond are best removed with a pond vacuum. Resist the urge to drain the water or perform a complete pond cleaning. This will only upset the balance of the pond and interfere with beneficial algae growth. Simply vacuum out as much debris as you can by using a pond vacuum.
-If you must perform a deep cleaning on your pond due to a large build-up of debris and sludge, you’ll want to pump out only enough water as to cover the fish. You can also remove your aquatic plants to facilitate the process. After you have pumped out as much water as desired, you can then better access the debris and sludge at the bottom of the pond. Slowly add water back into the pond after cleaning and add a de-chlorinator.
-Spring is also an ideal time to fertilize and repot your pond plants. Most aquatic plants should be fertilized every month or two. As the weather warms, you can also begin adding new plants to your water feature.
-Consider adding nitrifying bacteria for optimum filter performance.
-Don’t forget to clean your filter regularly throughout the season as well. Some filters will need cleaned at least once a week, while other types don’t need cleaned as often. Check with your local nursery for recommendations.
-It is important to remember, however, not to over-clean your biological filter. This can destroy beneficial bacteria and throw off the balance of your pond. As a general rule, a biological filter only needs to be cleaned when the flow of water is being restricted due to a build-up of debris.
The main point to remember about your pond is that algae growth is vital to the health of your pond, therefore, any type of maintenance you can perform to encourage this growth will result in healthy water, healthy plants and healthy fish.
