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As spring approaches, we at Paradise Ponds, offer the following suggestions to get your pond off to a healthy start for the new growing season.
- If your stream pump was turned off for the winter, now is the time to turn it back on and get your water flowing once again.
- You can begin feeding your fish again when the water temperature reaches a constant 50 degrees.
- Any leaves or debris that have accumulated in the pond over the winter should be removed at this time.
- Spring cleaning - Highly Recommended
- Begin by draining the water out of the pond down to approx. 6", place some of your old pond water into storage containers or buckets for your fish while performing the pond clean-out. Once down to approx. 6" of water you can now easily net all of your fish and carefully place them into your storage containers or buckets.
- Continue to drain your pond of water removing any large debris by hand, once fully drained you should begin power washing all rocks and gravel, pumping out all dirty water as you are washing..
- All filter mats should also be washed and / or replaced as needed.
- At this time all underwater lights should be checked, any bulbs that need to be replaced should be done at this time.
- Any plants that need to be thinned or divided out should also be performed at this time.
- Begin to fill your pond with fresh water, add a water declorinator to neutralize any chlorine that has been added to the tap water by local water dept. Now, place the entire container or bucket(s) containing your fish into the pond and allow them (the buckets) to float in the fresh water, this will allow the fish to slowly acclimate themselves to the new water temperature without going into shock with the possibility of dying.
- Your pond is now clean, healthy and ready to start another new year of enjoyment.
Late spring suggestions
- As water temperatures begin to rise and pond waters reach a steady average temperature of approx. 50 - 52 degrees we suggest adding bacteria. Liquid bacteria is suggested, it is quick acting and will give your pond a jump start to get the bacteria growing. Liquid bacteria added at 1oz. per 1000 gals. Dry bacteria is added at 1 teaspoon per 1000 gals. You can us either liq. or dry. After pond clean outs, you should add either liq. or dry bacteria once a day for the first 14 days, after 14 days you can add bacteria once every 10 - 14 days.
- If you don't have plants in your pond now is a great time to do so. Plants act as excellent natural water purifiers, they also give fish a place to hide, beautify your pond and really make your pond come alive.
Summer
- Periodically Check your skimmer box for any debris.
- Feed fish 2 times per day max. only what can be eaten in a 3 minute period, excess food left to float away will add to future algae problems. (green water)
- Add dry bacteria once every 10 - 14 days
- Enjoy your natural pond!.
Autumn/Winter
One of the most significant events of fall is, of course, when leaves begin to fall from the trees above. If these leaves get in the pond and decay it will throw off the ecological balance of a water garden. One option is to use a net to skim leaves off the surface of the pond as they fall, but this can become a very difficult daily chore. Skimmers are designed to get the occasional leaf or other floating debris, and heavy leaves can clog a skimmer several times a day. The best way to minimize leaves from your pond is to install leaf netting over the pond during the time when leaf fall is very heavy. It is easier to keep them out rather than get them out after the fact.
A checklist for Autumn/Winter pond care
- Before the leaves begin to fall, cover your pond with one of several sizes of leaf netting. (It is much easier to keep the leaves out than to remove them after they fall into the pond).
- This is a good time to divide some types of aquatic plants (water lilies should be cut back 2" - 3" from the base).
- Remove annuals from the pond as they will decay and pollute the water.
- After your perennial plants have stopped growing, cut back the foliage just above the water level.
- Stop feeding your fish after the water temperature has dropped to below 50 degrees.
- For slow moving streams be aware of possible ice dams that might form and divert water over the streams liner.
- If you turn your pump off, you should remove it from the check valve and place the pump in a container of water in a frost free area to stop the seals from drying out and cracking.
- If you turn off your stream pump, we suggest you add a floating de-icer to keep an area free of ice. This opening is necessary during periods of ice cover to allow an exchange of gases.
Water Hawthorns are a nice addition to the ponds and sometimes bloom through the ice. They grow and bloom during the fall through spring and go dormant in the summer.
As spring approaches, we at Paradise Ponds, offer the following suggestions to get your pond off to a healthy start for the new growing season.
- If your stream pump was turned off for the winter, now is the time to turn it back on and get your water flowing once again.
- You can begin feeding your fish again when the water temperature reaches a constant 50 degrees.
- Any leaves or debris that have accumulated in the pond over the winter should be removed at this time.
- Spring cleaning - Highly Recommended
- Begin by draining the water out of the pond down to approx. 6", place some of your old pond water into storage containers or buckets for your fish while performing the pond clean-out. Once down to approx. 6" of water you can now easily net all of your fish and carefully place them into your storage containers or buckets.
- Continue to drain your pond of water removing any large debris by hand, once fully drained you should begin power washing all rocks and gravel, pumping out all dirty water as you are washing..
- All filter mats should also be washed and / or replaced as needed.
- At this time all underwater lights should be checked, any bulbs that need to be replaced should be done at this time.
- Any plants that need to be thinned or divided out should also be performed at this time.
- Begin to fill your pond with fresh water, add a water declorinator to neutralize any chlorine that has been added to the tap water by local water dept. Now, place the entire container or bucket(s) containing your fish into the pond and allow them (the buckets) to float in the fresh water, this will allow the fish to slowly acclimate themselves to the new water temperature without going into shock with the possibility of dying.
- Your pond is now clean, healthy and ready to start another new year of enjoyment.
Late spring suggestions
- As water temperatures begin to rise and pond waters reach a steady average temperature of approx. 50 - 52 degrees we suggest adding bacteria. Liquid bacteria is suggested, it is quick acting and will give your pond a jump start to get the bacteria growing. Liquid bacteria added at 1oz. per 1000 gals. Dry bacteria is added at 1 teaspoon per 1000 gals. You can us either liq. or dry. After pond clean outs, you should add either liq. or dry bacteria once a day for the first 14 days, after 14 days you can add bacteria once every 10 - 14 days.
- If you don't have plants in your pond now is a great time to do so. Plants act as excellent natural water purifiers, they also give fish a place to hide, beautify your pond and really make your pond come alive.
Summer
- Periodically Check your skimmer box for any debris.
- Feed fish 2 times per day max. only what can be eaten in a 3 minute period, excess food left to float away will add to future algae problems. (green water)
- Add dry bacteria once every 10 - 14 days
- Enjoy your natural pond!.
Autumn/Winter
One of the most significant events of fall is, of course, when leaves begin to fall from the trees above. If these leaves get in the pond and decay it will throw off the ecological balance of a water garden. One option is to use a net to skim leaves off the surface of the pond as they fall, but this can become a very difficult daily chore. Skimmers are designed to get the occasional leaf or other floating debris, and heavy leaves can clog a skimmer several times a day. The best way to minimize leaves from your pond is to install leaf netting over the pond during the time when leaf fall is very heavy. It is easier to keep them out rather than get them out after the fact.
A checklist for Autumn/Winter pond care
- Before the leaves begin to fall, cover your pond with one of several sizes of leaf netting. (It is much easier to keep the leaves out than to remove them after they fall into the pond).
- This is a good time to divide some types of aquatic plants (water lilies should be cut back 2" - 3" from the base).
- Remove annuals from the pond as they will decay and pollute the water.
- After your perennial plants have stopped growing, cut back the foliage just above the water level.
- Stop feeding your fish after the water temperature has dropped to below 50 degrees.
- For slow moving streams be aware of possible ice dams that might form and divert water over the streams liner.
- If you turn your pump off, you should remove it from the check valve and place the pump in a container of water in a frost free area to stop the seals from drying out and cracking.
- If you turn off your stream pump, we suggest you add a floating de-icer to keep an area free of ice. This opening is necessary during periods of ice cover to allow an exchange of gases.
Water Hawthorns are a nice addition to the ponds and sometimes bloom through the ice. They grow and bloom during the fall through spring and go dormant in the summer.
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