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For those of us who live where ice and snow cover the pond during the winter, a good
cleaning is usually the best way to start spring. Your pond may appear dormant during winter,
but it's not. Your fish still produce waste, plant and other
organic materials still decompose, and wind-blown debris still finds its' way to the bottom of
your pond. All of these things produce toxins and nutrients that algae can take advantage of when the
water warms. Does your pond need a full cleaning, or does it just need to be spruced up a little? If there is a layer of sediment at the bottom, it would be a good idea to do a full cleaning - or as an alternative to draining your pond, use a pond vaccum to quickly and easily remove the sediment. If there is only a small amount of debris, you may just want to stir it up - gently please - and capture the debris in a net. Clean and inspect your filtration system. Depending on the material used in your system, it may need to be replaced each season. Inspect your pump and get it running for the year. Check inside the pump opening and make sure that there is no debris around the impeller. Inspect the bulbs on your underwater lights and replace them if necessary. |
Plants
The levels of some nutrients can build to higher levels during the winter because less biological filtering occurs then. While the water temperature is still cool, before your aquatic plants start growing, algae is the one plant that will grow. During the spring, algae pulls these excess nutrients out of the water, which actually protects your fish from toxic buildup. Although a case can be made for algae, don't allow it to grow unchecked!
To get your plants off to a healthy start, trim any dead plant growth and divide any large clumps of plants. Tubers like water lilies should be divided and repotted if required.
Fish
As the water warms up your fish will become more active, and you can expect them to breed. Be careful not to disturb anything in your pond during this time or you may hurt the developing fry.
The levels of some nutrients can build to higher levels during the winter because less biological filtering occurs then. While the water temperature is still cool, before your aquatic plants start growing, algae is the one plant that will grow. During the spring, algae pulls these excess nutrients out of the water, which actually protects your fish from toxic buildup. Although a case can be made for algae, don't allow it to grow unchecked!
To get your plants off to a healthy start, trim any dead plant growth and divide any large clumps of plants. Tubers like water lilies should be divided and repotted if required.
Fish
As the water warms up your fish will become more active, and you can expect them to breed. Be careful not to disturb anything in your pond during this time or you may hurt the developing fry.
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This "Garden Time" segment discusses the use of pond supplies that make your spring pond cleaning easier. Proper use of these products early in the spring will go a long way to reducing your maintenance burden later in the spring and through the summer - which will go a long way towards ensuring you enjoy your pond through the season! |
Pond cleanings should be performed in a few hours from start to finish, on the same day. Fish should not
be left outside the pond in a holding container for longer than that - they are weak after a long winter,
but they'll do just fine if you complete your cleaning in this time. (Hint: To avoid draining your pond and
considerably shorten your pond cleaning time, please consider an Oase Pondovac which is listed on our "Accessories" page!)
Drain your pond. You can use your skimmer pump and some type of flexible hose, or even a wet/dry vaccum,
but
remember to use some type of screen to prevent your fish from being drawn into the pump's impeller. As you
discharge the water into the surrounding landscape, avoid flooding any single area. Remember to use some of this
water to fill the container that will temporarily house the fish!
When the pond is drained to less than a foot deep, stop draining and net the fish. Place your fish in a
container
alongside your pond. (If you have koi, make sure you cover the container since koi may jump out)
Use the high-pressure nozzle on your hose to clean the debris off the rocks. Don't try to remove all the algea - some
algae on the rocks will prove beneficial in developing your ecosystem.
If you have gravel in your pond, hose the debris from your gravel. Do not use a power spray to do this!
Keep your pump
plugged in while you're cleaning, and any sediment trapped in the gravel will be sucked out by your pump. When the
water starts clearing up around the pump, you're done cleaning the gravel.
Clean out the skimmer box, net and the filter pad. Remove the pump from the pond, return it to the
skimmer, and
hook it up.
Refill the pond. Once your pond is half full you can reintroduce your fish and plants. If you use water from a municipal
system, remember to add a de-chlorinating agent to neutralize the chlorine in the water. Re-stocking your fish before
de-chlorinating the water will kill them.
Remember that the refilled pond will be a different temperature than your fish's temporary home. Don't shock them -
re-acclimate them slowly. Dip buckets into your holding tank and fill them with a few inches of water. Add your fish
into the buckets and float the bucket in the pond. In about fifteen minutes, splash pond water into the bucket periodically.
As the temperatures of the pond and the bucket water become the same, put your fish back into the pond.
Drain your pond. You can use your skimmer pump and some type of flexible hose, or even a wet/dry vaccum,
butremember to use some type of screen to prevent your fish from being drawn into the pump's impeller. As you
discharge the water into the surrounding landscape, avoid flooding any single area. Remember to use some of this
water to fill the container that will temporarily house the fish!
When the pond is drained to less than a foot deep, stop draining and net the fish. Place your fish in a
containeralongside your pond. (If you have koi, make sure you cover the container since koi may jump out)
Use the high-pressure nozzle on your hose to clean the debris off the rocks. Don't try to remove all the algea - some
algae on the rocks will prove beneficial in developing your ecosystem.
If you have gravel in your pond, hose the debris from your gravel. Do not use a power spray to do this!
Keep your pumpplugged in while you're cleaning, and any sediment trapped in the gravel will be sucked out by your pump. When the
water starts clearing up around the pump, you're done cleaning the gravel.
Clean out the skimmer box, net and the filter pad. Remove the pump from the pond, return it to the
skimmer, andhook it up.
Refill the pond. Once your pond is half full you can reintroduce your fish and plants. If you use water from a municipalsystem, remember to add a de-chlorinating agent to neutralize the chlorine in the water. Re-stocking your fish before
de-chlorinating the water will kill them.
Remember that the refilled pond will be a different temperature than your fish's temporary home. Don't shock them -re-acclimate them slowly. Dip buckets into your holding tank and fill them with a few inches of water. Add your fish
into the buckets and float the bucket in the pond. In about fifteen minutes, splash pond water into the bucket periodically.
As the temperatures of the pond and the bucket water become the same, put your fish back into the pond.
