There are many different pieces that go into the puzzle of being able to enjoy your pond year-round. If you struggle with this, take a few minutes to read and learn about the different things you can do to keep your pond in good shape.
Primarily, we recommend you get your pond fully cleaned at least once a year. If you visit the maintenance page on our website, you will see the steps we follow to ensure we fully clean your pond and leave you with a beautiful sight to enjoy. Ideally, this would be completed in the spring.
We also recommend you get a partial cleaning done at least once a year in addition to the full cleaning. Typically, this would be done in the fall. The filter media can get very dirty, especially if you have a large number of fish, because it increases the load of fish waste in the pond. Eventually, the filter media will become fully clogged with fish waste and other debris, and the quality of water will begin to deteriorate.
During the partial cleaning, if done in the fall, we would also recommend you put a net up over the pond if there are any mature trees in the area. We aim to install all nets around Labor Day, and then advise our clients that they may remove the nets around Thanksgiving, or when they notice that all the leaves have fallen off the surrounding trees. If a net is not placed, all the leaves will fall into the pond. Not only will the leaves dye the water brown, but they will release a lot of acidic nutrients into the pond, which can become dangerous for any fish.
Another common worry is algae. In most cases, the amount of algae in your pond is normal. The fish will feed off of the algae and believe it or not, it benefits the ecosystem and quality of the pond. However, if there is no shade whatsoever around your pond, the algae may begin to cause problems. It can start to overtake, especially string algae, which floats rather than growing off of rocks and liner. In this case, we recommend you install an Ion Gen. This is an Aquascape product. It is two copper rods that are placed in the skimmer and are connected to a control panel which is plugged into an electrical outlet. The panel allows you to choose between 1-10, which determines how much copper ions are released into the water. We advise our clients to be very mindful of how high they set their Ion Gen, because too much copper can kill their fish. We recommend you start at 2 or 3 and analyze how the algae responds and adjust accordingly.
As a pond owner, there are also some things you should be doing on a regular basis. Making sure you are emptying the skimmer basket if you have one is one of the most important things. When the basket becomes full it clogs the intake of the skimmer. This will lead to the skimmer not doing its job of skimming any other leaves off the surface, and it can lead to the pump running dry and slowing the volume of your waterfall. You might also want to take out any filter media and wash it off every few months if you have a lot of fish. As mentioned earlier, when the filter media becomes very dirty, the quality of the water is affected. The amount of fish food you give your fish is also very important. The amount of food you should be giving your fish should be equivalent to the amount they can consume in around two minutes. Giving them too much can lead to excess which can release acidic nutrients into the water and actually harm the fish. Some clients do not feed their fish at all, and just let them eat off of the algae and plants within the pond.
Finally, PLANTS PLANTS PLANTS! So many of our clients underestimate the importance of plants.
As you just read, fish can feed off of the plants. Lilys can provide shade in the pond which helps contain the amount of algae and gives your fish more protection from predators. Plants also release oxygen into the water for healthier quality of life for all wildlife in the pond. They complete the ecosystem by eating up all the toxic bacteria such as nitrites, and turn it into nitrates, which is safe for the fish to consume. Most importantly, they are beautiful! There is such a wide variety of aquatic plants that makes a huge difference and brings your pond to life, especially in the spring/summer.
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