Spring is quickly approaching, so now is the ideal time to prepare your pond for the new season. Here are five tips to help you get started:
1. Do an overall check: Before you do anything, we advise that you test your pond’s general health. Depending on what kind of fish you have, the ideal pH to aim for is 7.3-7.7. If your pH is too high or too low you will need to add amendments to either lower or raise the pH. We also suggest monitoring the temperature of the pond. The ideal range for plants and fish to flourish is between 64-73 degrees. It is important to keep the temperature as consistent as possible, to sustain life.
2. Clean your pond: If you live in a high wind and rain area, your pond is likely to show it with a lot of debris on the surface. It might also contain run-off from the roof of your home. Be sure to thoroughly clean your pond, especially if you have not maintained the pond over the winter. We recommend vacuuming, making sure to remove leaves, removing any plants that are starting to decay and scrubbing the pots. This could also be a good time to introduce plants that can help with algae control to minimize cleaning later in the season.
3. Check the pump: Your pond will be seeing more activity in the warmer months ahead, so make sure that the pump is functioning properly and that it’s clean. This is also a good time to assess whether your pump needs to be replaced if it has become inefficient. Your pump may be sensitive to extreme temperatures, to prevent damage do not activate your pump or skimmer until the pond is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in a warmer area, you can continue to run these devices throughout the winter months.
4. Fix water feature leaks: You might think that adding tap water to the pond to make up for lost water solves the problem. Unfortunately, this can promote the growth of algae instead. Another thing to consider is that wastewater can harm the fish swimming in your pond.
5. Keep Your Fish Healthy: Overfeeding your fish seems harmless, but adding too much fish food to your pond can promote algae. We recommend adding no more than what they normally eat within five minutes. If your fish don’t seem as healthy as they did last summer, don’t sweat yet. Often times, they tend to slow down during the colder months and should liven up as the water temperature increase. If you are worried you can feed them medicated or antibiotic food. Try to avoid disturbing them too much as you clean the pond.
6. Consider new features this spring: Ready for a new look this year? Try adding bog plants, water lilies, different fish species, and even frogs or turtles.
Remember that you can always contact us at Irrigation Outlet for more tips on having the best pond possible this spring.
