Pond Maintenance Continued

KEEPING POND AND FISH HEALTHY

This is a continuation of the last post on keeping our ponds healthy so therefore keeping our fish healthy. It is easy to do and if we do it regularly does not take long. So there is no excuse not to do it.Plants

Plants are an important part of the pond and need maintenance just like the rest of the pond. It is said that we should keep about half of the pond surface covered with plants such as lilies as this helps screen the pond from the sun so the water does not get to warm, which will help prevent to much algae growth. As the winter approaches the plants will die back so any loose leaves or foliage needs to be removed so it does not end up in the pond. Basically just have a good tidy up of the plants and prune them back ready for their re-growth in the spring.

Pumps and Filters

Its best to keep a check on pumps and filters every month and clean them if necessary, make sure they are not block. These will work far more efficiently if they are maintained regular and will also probably last longer. Always clean your filters in a bucket of water taken from your pond and not tap water.

Other

A few other things to remember: Test your pond water regularly I would say once a week would be sufficient. Test it for PH and ammonia, also nitrate levels. Follow the instructions on your testing kit.

If you see your fish surfacing for air then it probably means the oxygen level in the water is low. If you have a fountain then turn it on to aerate the water or use a hose pipe adjusted to fine spray and run this over the water surface.

If you have a problem with leaves during fall in your garden then it may be a good idea to put a netting over the pond during this period to stop the leaves getting into the pond.

So there are the basics of year round pond maintenance, if you do these things regularly then you should keep you pond and fish in tip top condition.