Year-Round Pond Maintenance
Summer Pond Maintenance
- Once the summer season starts, you should switch your fish food from a high-carbohydrate food to a high-protein food. Keep an eye on your fish; if you notice them gasping at the waters surface, it’s a good sign that there’s a problem with your water or your fish. Your fish may have a gill problem, or there could be a low oxygen content in your water or the pH level could be off.
- Text the pH, ammonia and nitrate levels once a week, at the same time of the day. If any of these are off, or if the pH level is not in the 6.8-8 range, you will need to treat it. Also continue to monitor the temperature of your water. You shouldn’t feed your fish as much if the temperature is over 75F.
- In the summer, water is more likely to evaporate off your pond, but you shouldn’t lose more than 1" per week. If you do, check for leaks.
- Weekly pond maintenance includes cleaning filters and tubing about once a week to prevent them from getting clogged with debris. If the water flow of your fountain, waterfall, or pump changes drastically it is probably due to a clog in your equipment.
- Remove any dead or dying plants, as well as plants that have been growing excessively. Weed regularly. Fertilize your plants about once every four weeks, and avoid using insecticides. You can also control algae with submerged and floating plants.
Fall Pond Maintenance
- Start feeding your fish high-carbohydrate food as opposed to high-protein food. After the temperature drops below 50F, stop feeding your fish altogether – their metabolism slows down, and they won’t be able to digest food in the cold water.
- Use a pond net over your water feature in order to catch any falling tree leaves from getting into your pond. Also clean out the bottom of your pond thoroughly, in order to prevent debris from decaying in your pond over the winter.
- Before the first frost, remove all oxygenators, freefloating and tropical plants from your pond in order to overwinter indoors. Be sure to store them in water with access to sunlight. Cut back any plants you will be leaving out doors to the height of the water.
- If you are planning on overwintering your fish outdoors, install a pond heater. This will prevent your pond from freezing over completely and will allow for the water to get some oxygen throughout the winter. Fish hibernate over the winter, so as long as your pond doesn’t freeze over, your fish will be fine.
- If you are overwintering your fish indoors, store them in an aquarium or a wading pool. If using a wading pool that is made out of plastic, treat it by filling it with water and adding 1 Tbsp of salt per gallon of water a few days before bringing your fish in. Before adding your fish, rinse out the wading pool and fill it with fresh water that is the same pH level as your pond water. Continue regular care of your fish.
- Remove your pump, filters, etc from your pond. Clean them out, and drain all tubing and pipes completely in order prevent freezing and cracking.
Winter Pond Maintenance
- The most important part of pond maintenance for your water feature over the winter is to remember not to smash ice – it can cause stress to your fish and plants. If you are using a de-icer, check on it on a regular basis to make sure it is operating correctly.
- Place mulch around the edge of your water feature – it will help protect the plants around it from the constant cycle of freezing and thawing over the winter. If you have dead grasses and perennials around your feature, don’t remove them. Keeping some foliage above the snow helps the plant to survive the winter.
- If you used a net over your pond for the fall, remove it to avoid snow buildup.
- Don’t use your pump during the winter; it can damage the pump.
- During the winter, start planning for next summer – order any plants that you may want and make sure you have plenty of all supplies.
Spring Pond Maintenance
- Whatever you do, don’t break the ice that is covering your pond or water feature. Let it melt naturally; breaking it will cause stress to your fish. If you find that there is a foul smell coming from your pond water, or that your water is really dark, then you are having a problem with vegetation decomposing in your water. Pump two thirds of your water out of the pond; remove any fish or plants that are currently in your pond into a holding tank filled with pond water. Drain the rest of your pond before removing all debris with a wet vac – don’t scrub the sides of your pond, however. Once you’ve finished cleaning your pond, you can return your fish and plants to it.
- Remove any debris that might have gotten into your pond over the winter. Check the edging around your pond, to make sure everything is still in place. If there is anything that needs to be repaired this is the time to do it.
- If you have overwintered your fish and plants in your pond, you will want to divide your root-bound plants, and repot all divisions of your plants. Change the soil these plants are potted in, and add fertilizer tablets if needed. You also want to check on the condition of your fish – see if any fish have parasites or sores.
- If you removed your fish for the winter, check the levels of ammonia and nitrate before adding your fish back to the pond. Don’t add your fish back into your pond unless the water is at least 60F.
- Don’t start feeding your fish until the temperature has reached 64F, and use high-carbohydrate foods for the spring.
- Check the ammonia and nitrate levels on a weekly basis. If the levels are high, decrease the food you are feeding your fish until the ammonia and nitrate levels drop.
- Top off the water level of your pond – try to use rainwater if possible, as there are fewer chemicals in it. Try to change 15%-25% of the water in the water feature as well.
- Check to make sure all of your electrical connections are still in working order; same with any bulbs that may be used. Flush out your pumps, filters, and connecting hoses. Never check to see if your pump works while out of water – this may ruin the pump. Fill a bathtub or laundry tub with water and try it there first.
- Lastly, don’t panic if you get algae blooms – this is the time of year this typically happens.
Next: Pond Maintenance Checklist
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