How To Care For Your Pond

SPRINGLife returns to your pond in the S pring . Your fish ar e still letharg ic. Do not feed them until

the water r eaches 40 degr ees F o r above for a week straig ht. Th ey are unable to digest food if

they ar e fed th en forc ed into h ibernat ion by sud den co ld spells. Fe ed your fish eas ily digestib le

wheat germ rich foods (low protein). Feed at midday when fish activity is at its most. Keep your

pond covered by a net until marginal plants grow and while fish are still lethargic Herons and King

Fishers do not empty y our po nd of fish .

After removing your leaf net, clean back dead plants and foliage. Remove leaves from the

pond bottom, as decomposing leaves become stressful to fish. It is advisable to carry out a partial

water chang e by ad ding A quasafe or Chlor amine to red uce Chlor ine, ammonia & heav y metals. Th is

freshens up yo ur pond .

Check all electrical equipment. Clean intakes of pump, skimmer box, and check hoses for

holes and leaks. Turn on pumps when temp reaches 40 degrees F.

EARLY SUMMER

Net out or pull out thread algae which flourish this time of year. Your pond will be green

until your plants start to shield the surface. If this green pea soup drives you crazy you may

consider investing in a UV light. A properly sized and maintained UV light will clear water within a

few wee ks.

Fert ilize you r plant s monthly an d divid e any pl ants which m ay be o vergrowin g their

containers.

Fish will be feeding more now and can be given higher protein food . Keep an eye on your fish

health a s this time warm weathe r also br eeds par asites.

Skimmers and Bio-filters are under great stress at this time as Bio-organisms are unable to

reproduce enough to cope with increased fish waste and increased algae growth.

Clean pre filters regularly to prevent clogging.

MID TO LATE SUMMER

Your pond is at its best. Their may be times when water levels drop significantly and more

frequent topping may be required. This may be accomplished by connecting an auto re-fill valve to

your irrigation system.

You can still introduce or divide plants.

Service monthly your bio-filter and keep pumps clear of clogs. You will notice significant

redu ction in flow if you h ave a se rious clog. T his will r educ e the lif e and e fficien cy of your pump if

not cleaned. Sm all filters in p onds m ust be r insed 2 t o 3 time s per we ek. Rem ember to rinse small

and large filter pads in a bucket of pond water to prevent the elimination of beneficial bio-

organisms. Chlorine in city water kills bio-organisms.

AUTUMN

Tidy-up your pond by trimming back dying plants. Lower lilies to bottom of pond and cut

back. Trim back oxygenating plants and replant. Tropical plants must be moved indoors or

disposed. Early autumn is the last possible time to consider a complete pond clean out. Otherwise,

change 20% of the water to refresh the pond. Remove as much waste from the bottom of pond as

possible.

Cover the pond with ne tting to p revent leaf pollut ion. Disco nnect an d winter ize UV ligh ts.

Disconnect auto re-fill valve from irrigation system before blowing-out irrigation system to prevent

damaging valve.

Examine fish for any signs of disease. Do not move fish or introduce new ones when

temperatures reach 50 degrees F. See winter section for pump replacement.

Give filters a good cleaning before winter sets in.

WINTER

Fish enter a state of semi-hibernation at temperatures below 40 degrees F. Moving very

slowly in th e depth s of the p ond. Refrain fr om fee ding fish until the sp ring. During the short mild

spells of winter the fish will find natural food.

Leave pond cover or nets in place.

If your pump is placed at the bottom of the pond, you must move it slightly below the

surface. The ideal situation is to only stir the surface water if you plan on running your pump

through the winter. A pump within a skimmer box is at the proper elevation. If you have a separate

smaller pump for your bio-filter use that. Keeping the surface moving will prevent the pond from

freezing. During extreme temperatures ice may thicken reducing the volume of water available for

pumping. At this point pumps must be turned off or removed until water temperature reaches 40

degree F.

If the surface is allowed to freeze for more than two days fresh oxygen is prevented from

entering the water and waste gasses are prevented from exiting. A heater can be installed by or

near skimmer box or pump to keep a hole open through the ice.

You can do the following to melt the ice. Melt a hole in the ice by boiling water and placing

hot pan bottom on the ice. Plug in commercially purchased pond heater which senses temperature

change. Keep a pump running all winter significantly reduced volume, moving water does not freeze.

Do Not br eak the ice, shock waves stun or kill fish.