6 Tips for Spring Pond Maintenance
Spring pond maintenance can be a big job, but it’s not too bad if you know what you’re doing.
And now’s the time to get prepared.
Whether you need to vacuum sludge from the bottom of your pond, change the water, or clean out the pond pumps, you can do it all while keeping your fish safe and sound inside.
How?
Check out this complete guide to your spring pond maintenance.
1. Clean Your Pond
The winter weather has probably tossed a lot of dead leaves, broken branches, and other debris into your pond. If you leave all this debris in your water, it will decay into a food source for algae, which can pollute your pond.
When cleaning your pond, make sure you include these steps:
- Remove leaves and other debris (it may be helpful to use weed razers)
- Vacuum the bottom
- Remove dying plants
- If you have any pots in your pond, give them a quick scrub
If you notice any blue-green algae in your pond, you must carefully remove it right away and take preventative measures to avoid blue-green algae growth in the future.
When Should I Start Pond Maintenance?
Your pond is ready to clean as soon as the ice melts. If you live in a warm location and your pond doesn’t freeze during the winter, you should clean your pond when your fish become more active.
2. Check the Pond Pumps
While you’re cleaning, you’ll want to give your pond pumps a look over. Pond pumps need to be in good condition at all times, so make sure there’s nothing stuck inside that could cause a clog.
If you have a waterfall feature, make sure there isn’t anything stuck inside the impeller.
Remember, you shouldn’t turn on your pond pump if the water is under 50?F. So if your pond temperature gets lower than that during the winter, you need to turn it off.
If your pond temperature doesn’t get below 50?F during the winter, you will probably need to run your pumps through the entire season. It’s especially important to check pumps if you’ve been using them during the winter.
3. Check Your Water
If your water quality isn’t where you want it to be, you may need to do a partial water replacement. This means draining out 50% to 70% of your water and replacing it with cleaner water.
Don’t worry about your fish or plants. You can replace the water at the same time you drain it. This will require using the right bacteria, and we’ll talk about that next.
When you’re checking your water, look for these things:
Temperature
You want your pond water to be roughly 65? Fahrenheit, but a few degrees lower or higher is okay, too. If you live in an area that gets hot in the summer, waterfalls will keep the pond cool.
pH Levels
This really depends on the kind of fish you have in your pond, but you’ll probably want your pH levels to be as close to 7.3-7.7 as possible.
Keeping track of this level is important. If you don’t add ammonia or decrease ammonia when your pond needs it, your fish could get sick or even die.
kH Levels
kH, or carbonate hardness, will help your filter function well. The higher kH level, the better. Things like air stones will reduce CO2 and improve your water hardiness.
4. Add Helpful Bacteria
Some bacteria is necessary for your fish pond to develop healthily. This will create a natural biological filter in your fish pond. But you shouldn’t add any of this bacteria until your water temperature is above 50?F.
If You Use Hose Water for Your Pond
If you do have to change your water and use a hose to fill your pond back up, you’ll also need to prepare the water with a water conditioner. This will remove things like chlorine and ammonia from the water and detoxify heavy metals away.
It is completely safe for your fish and plants, as well.
5. Check the Health of Your Fish
At the start of the spring, make sure your fish are healthy. If they do seem unhealthy at first, don’t get too worried. They will start to perk up and look better once you begin feeding them.
But make sure you don’t feed them too early in the season. Don’t overfeed them, as well.
Any food the fish do not eat will add nutrients to the pond. This may sound good, but it will encourage the growth of algae, which is something you don’t want.
If your fish still seem sluggish and unhealthy later in the season, check for ulcers, cloudy eyes, and white patches of skin. You can contact a professional and get antibiotic food for your fish.
You Don’t Need to Feed Your Fish
Remember, your fish don’t need to be fed at all, so don’t get hung up on the food issue. They will eat what the pond naturally produces.
Bigger fish may need more food than smaller fish, but only give fish food they can finish within five minutes.
6. Enjoy Your Water Feature
After all the cleaning’s done, have fun with the rest of your pond maintenance. You can decorate the edges with stones, add plants around it, or install a fountain feature.
You can even add floating plants to the surface of your water. But make sure the water temperature is 69?F before you add anything tropical.
Do whatever will make you proud to show off your pond to your friends and family. Then, sit back and enjoy your beautiful fish pond.
Pond Maintenance Is a Hobby
Remember, maintaining a pond should be something you enjoy doing. It’s all part of owning a fish pond. If you dread the start of spring because of pond maintenance, you may want to hire a professional pond cleaning company.
A lack of passion may result in a poor cleaning job, and that could damage your pond and hurt your fish.
Want to add a few other beautiful plants to your home? Check out these plants that actually improve air quality!