Proper Pond Maintenance
Spring Startup:
Water Gardens:
- Remove all leaf netting and pond heaters.
- Carefully remove all fish to stock tanks and start draining the pond.
- Stock tanks must be extremely clean, have an equal water temperature of pond, de-chlorinate if needed, salted with non-iodized salt (.2) (reduces stress and calms fish), add air stones supplying fresh oxygen from the aerator, and then properly cover the tank with non-see-through cover to prevent fish from escaping. Do water changes as needed if fish are out of the pond for an extended amount of time.
- Scrub pond thoroughly (walls, rocks, behind stones, etc.)
- Run water through rock shelf planting beds.
- Vacuum out waterfalls and skimmers.
- Vacuum out the entire pond until clean.
- Remove and clean all filter matting from waterfalls.
- Re-install external filters, UV sterilizers, and filter matting to waterfalls.
- Re-install all pumps, startup waterfalls and systems.
- Fill the pond with freshwater, salt properly and acclimate fish back to the pond.
- Install new oxygenating annual plants. (floaters and submersibles)
Koi Ponds: If they have bottom drains they do not necessarily need to be drained.
- Remove all netting and heaters from the pond.
- Remove and clean all filter matting from waterfalls.
- Vacuum all waterfalls and skimmers.
- Install all external filter systems and UV sterilizers.
- Vacuum and scrub pond walls, filter systems will absorb this material through the bottom drain and then can be back washed or flushed.
- Do partial water change and check the salinity level.
Start the system.
Seasonal Maintenance: This service is done once the pond is up and running during the warm weather months. Service is done weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. This depends on the requirements of the pond. Koi Ponds generally are weekly to bi-weekly and water gardens are bi-weekly to monthly.
A maintenance service contract will provide these services:
- Monitoring water quality ( Checking levels of ammonia, nitrites, salinity, PH, temperature, general hardness, oxygen levels)
- Observing fish behavior and health.
- Clean skimmers and check waterfalls.
- Backwashing filters and purge vortex filters.
- Check all pumps for clogging.
- Maintain proper water levels.
- Skim off pond surface and vacuum bottom of the pond (if no bottom drain).
- Remove any excess algae from waterfalls or ponds.
- Trim and clean back dead foliage from all pond plants.
Fall and Winter Closings:
- Net ponds that will collect much leaf fall.
- Remove dying back tropical oxygenating plants.
- Insert pond heaters and turn them on around mid-November.
- Make sure air stones are running only 12 inches below the surface and not from pond bottom (to prevent cold water on the bottom).
- Shut down waterfalls (running water is colder than still water).
Upgrades:
Upgrades are any additional work done to an already existing pond that was not originally installed by Pond & Landscape. They can be an assortment of services such as: adding a stream or waterfall, adding a new filter system (very common) plus liner replacements or concrete restoration, installing skimmer boxes, doing much-needed cleanouts, or adding new fish and plants.