Spring Pond Maintenance
No matter where you live - the
North or the South, spring is
a time of renewal for your water
garden. While the change from
winter to spring tends to be a
bit more dramatic for those of
us up North, it is no less special
for us in the South. In early
March, while most northern pond
owners are still stuck inside
under ice and snow, the growing
season has already begun down
South.
Your location and climate are
the biggest factors of what springtime
pond chores you should do. We
recommend that everyone- even
those in the South- give their
pond a spring cleanout every year.
These cleanouts will help start
your season off right and set
the stage for a crystal-clear
summer.
The following articles will guide
you through starting-up your pond
in the Spring. They discuss topics
such as spring cleanouts, when
to start feeding your fish, and
how to keep algae down.
General Spring Startup
In the south, your pond can often
go for many seasons without a
full on clean out if your system
is running year-round. Most of
the bacteria and the ecological
balance of your pond will stay
strong the whole year. You will
not get the same accumulation
of stuff in the pond as your northern
neighbors because the bacteria
will continue breaking down waste
throughout the winter.
Does your pond need a full clean-out
this season, or does it just need
to be tidied up a little? There
are a couple of things that you
can look for to help you decide.
First, if there is a layer of
"crud" at the bottom
of the pond and the water is dark
in color, almost like a cup of
tea, or it looks like the muddy
Mississippi, it would be a good
idea to do a full clean-out. On
the other hand, if there is just
a small amount of debris, you
can just get into the pond and
stir everything up and capture
the debris into a net.
Controlling Algae Growth
Algae is going to grow in the
spring. It’s an unfortunate
fact that you’ll have to
learn to accept. While the water
is still cool, and the aquatic
plants are gearing up for the
season but not fully grown, the
algae is the one "plant"
that can grow. It may not be the
most attractive "plant"
and most pond owners see it as
undesirable, but it’s a
plant nonetheless.
During this time, when nothing
else will grow, the algae pulls
excess nutrients out of the water.
This actually will protect your
fish from any toxic buildup of
ammonia or nitrites as well. The
levels of some of these nutrients
can build to higher levels during
the winter because there is not
a lot of other biological filtration
going at that time.
Although a case has been made
for algae, it should still not
be allowed to grow out of hand
to the point of having two-foot
long strands of it hanging off
of every single rock in the pond.
You local pond supplies dealer
should have the products you need
to clear overgrowth of algae.
Plants
To get your aquatic plants off
to a healthy start, trim any dead
plant growth and divide any large
clumps of plants that have gotten
out of hand. Water lily tubers
should be inspected and, if needed,
divided and repotted. !
Fish
Your fish should be getting more
and more active as the water warms
up. Rising water temperatures
will trigger the instinct to create
more fishies. Yes spring is the
time to expect your fish to breed.
Make sure you don’t move
or change anything in your pond
during this time or you may hurt
the developing fry and with a
little patience, you will see
tiny little specs migrating around
the edge of the pond, generally
staying away from the open water.
Undoubtedly many of them will
fall prey to many different predators
in the pond, including their parents,
so try not to feel too bad, just
know that this is all a part of
the balanced ecosystem in your
pond.
CAUTION:
Another important thing about
springtime fish care is to feed
responsibly. Do not feed your
fish until the water temperature
has risen to, and consistently
remains at, 55º F. If you
feed your fish before this point,
you run the risk of possibly killing
them because they cannot break
down the solid food very well
yet. This could lead to intestinal
problems and possible internal
bleeding because, just like people,
they rely on beneficial bacteria
to break down the food in their
system, and these bacteria diminish
in temperatures below 55º
F.
Once the temperature does rise
above 55º F you can start
to introduce the fish to solid
food again. Start the fish off
on a fish food that is designed
for low-temperatures.
Maintenance Issues
In addition to cleaning your pond
in the spring, there are some
other maintenance issues that
should be addressed this time
of year. As you clean out your
filtration system, inspect the
filtration media. Depending on
the material used in your system,
it may need to be replaced each
season. You may consider at this
time to add barley mats to your
biological filter. The best time
to do all of this is when the
weather is still cold - preferably
when the water temperature is
below 55º F, around late
winter.
You’ll also need to inspect
your pump and get it running for
the year. Check inside the opening
of the pump and make sure that
the impeller (the part that turns)
has no debris around it. This
is also a good time to inspect
the bulbs on your underwater lights
and replace them if necessary.
Keeping it Looking Good
Now that your water feature is
ready for a new season, how do
you keep it looking fresh and
clean? Your local pond supplies
dealer can recommend products
to help keep it looking good.
One of the most important things
to remember, as you pond rebounds
from a winter slumber, is to be
patient. It’s an ecosystem,
and it may take a while for all
the components to get in sync
with one another. Stay away from
chemicals and let your pond balance
itself out. When it does, you’ll
be glad you kept it natural. Happy
pondering!