Spring has sprung and it’s time to get a little maintenance done on your pond, if you haven’t tackled them already. Our quick list of maintenance tasks can help prevent future problems from arising throughout the pond season. Some pond enthusiasts enjoy performing their own maintenance, but you can always hire a professional to take care of it for you. Certified Aquascape Contractors are trained to properly care for ponds and water features.
1. Clean out your pond
Whether that means a full cleanout or just picking up a bit and rinsing things off.
2. Check your pond pump to make sure that it’s clean and functioning correctly.
Your pump is the heart of your water feature and needs to be in tip-top shape at all times. You’ll need to hook it up and place it back in the skimmer or bottom of the pond if you shut down your pond for the winter.
3. Fix any leaks in your water feature.
Constantly adding tap water to make up for a loss of pond water means the constant addition of nutrients which will eventually promote algae growth. The best time to fix a leak is when you clean your pond in the spring. That way you can rest easy the rest of pond season.
4. Remove algae and other debris left over from the season before.
This is crucial because an excess of decaying debris will add to the nutrient levels in the pond, giving algae a smorgasbord of food for months to come. Aquascape offers several solutions for removing algae.
5. Start adding beneficial bacteria treatments
Add Beneficial Bacteria regularly throughout the season. It competes with the algae for available nutrients, starving the algae of its food source. Use Aquascape’s Automatic Dosing System to avoid the hassle of consistently adding and choosing the correct water treatments for your water feature.
6. Add plants to control algae.
Since plants directly compete with algae for nutrients, they are the most important addition to the pond. Using a wide variety of plants will not only add to the natural look of the pond, but will reduce algae growth as well. Add waterlilies, marginal plants, and floaters such as water lettuce or water hyacinth.
7. DO NOT overfeed your fish.
Fish food that is not eaten will add more nutrients to the pond, helping feed the algae.
8. Last but not least, have fun with your water feature!
Spruce it up with new landscaping, add a fountain within your feature, add lighting, or change up some of the rock work! Get creative because after all, your water feature is your masterpiece to enjoy and show off to others.
Need more information on getting your water feature ready for the season? Check out this short video below: