Maintenance - Ponds

MAINTENANCE
Much as with household pets, our fish rely on us for a certain amount of care. It is up to us to make sure that the water is chemically safe, free of debris, and well oxygenated. For the most part, a few minutes a day can ensure the health of the pond and our continued enjoyment.


Daily – 5 minutes
Every day, whether you just glance out the window, go to feed your fish, or take a cup of coffee out to sit by the pond, take a look around the area. Remove any branches that may have fallen into the pond, or plant debris that may have broken loose. Notice the way the fish are acting – are they swimming normally or are they acting sluggish (indicating possible illness) or skittish (likely from a predator visit). Check the water level and the flow over the waterfall. In very warm weather, your pond can lose an inch or two of water a day to evaporation, which will need to be replenished. During the rainy season, the water level may rise too high if the overflow becomes blocked.  The better you know your pond, the more quickly you can identify when an issue may be developing.

Weekly – 10-15 minutes
Depending on your fish and plant load, and the amount of filtration you have in place, you may need to clean filters weekly during the summer months. Be sure to check the prefilter on your external pump, especially if you see the water flow slowing down. If you have lotus or water lilies in the pond, remove spent blooms and aging leaves. If your koi are spawning (or just get bored) they can be hard on plants, thrashing around in them or rooting aggressively with their noses, so you may need to repot or reset plants. If you have rocks in the pond, it’s a good idea to flush out some of the debris on a regular basis to minimize the load on your biological filters. We use a long copper pipe that attaches to a garden hose, and has a drilled cap on the outer end. The hole at the end creates a jet that blasts out the debris and allows it to be picked up by the skimmer and bottom drains.

Water changes are a critical part of your pond maintenance. Over time, naturally occurring compounds in the pond will become more and more concentrated. (Remember, this is not a natural system, which would constantly be flushed by have water flowing in one side and out the other.) Drain a few inches of water out each week, directing it onto landscape plants to give them a nice bit of natural fertilizer. If you’re on a municipal water system, use a commercial dechlorinator to help neutralize the chemicals added to drinking water. It also helps to spray the water in rather than using a solid stream, as this will add oxygen and help disperse chemicals.

Fall
With the exception of some grasses, most of the plants in your pond and bog will die back in the fall. Remove the dead foliage and sink lilies down to the bottom of the pond. If there are deciduous trees in the area, remove as many of the fallen leaves as possible so they do not decompose in the pond. If your pond is small enough you can net the entire surface; with larger ponds temporary fencing around the perimeter can help prevent leaves from blowing in. Start checking the water temperature; once it dips below 55 degrees you should stop feeding the fish for the winter (undigested food can rot in their stomachs). You may still see the fish rooting around in the grasses and nosing around the rocks; they will continue to feed on organisms in the pond throughout the winter. Once the fish stop eating commercial food, it’s a good idea to clean all of the filters one last time.

Winter
Not much happens in the pond during the winter months. In harsh climates, your pond may completely freeze over and become covered with snow. Unless it freezes all the way to the bottom, your fish should be just fine – the ground temperature is fairly stable and the snow cover will help insulate the water. To prevent the pump and filters from freezing, keep a reduced amount of water circulating throughout the winter. Watch for and remove branches or other debris that may have fallen in the pond, as these can harm your fish.

Plant roots run amok!

Spring
As temperatures start to warm, the biological systems in your pond will restart and fish, frogs and insects will become more active. With little plant cover or shade from nearby trees, algae are able to grow unchecked, leading to green water. This is a good time to do a significant muck out of the pond, waterfall system and bog (if present). All of the filter media in the waterfall box should be removed and thoroughly cleaned, and the bottom of the box should be cleaned of any debris and/or sludge. Hose off the waterfall and creek area, and replace any rocks that may have shifted over winter. Rinse the creek well, using a strong stream of water to flush out debris among the rocks. The bog should be thoroughly flushed, and plants should be lifted and divided. (We learned this one the hard way – we left plants undisturbed for three years and the roots grew into the bog plumbing, significantly reducing water flow and the functionality of the system.) The pond should be drained down by at least half, the walls lightly rinsed, and the bottom cleaned of any plant debris and leaves. Lift plants back up onto the shelves, and refill the pond. Add bacteria and dechlorinator as your refill the pond.

Spring cleaning is a messy job - if you’d rather not take it on, check with your local pond installer or pond center to see if they offer maintenance services. Live in Western WA? Ask us about repair, cleaning and maintenance.