Enjoying your pond all year round: Tips/Advice


Spring: Maintenance to your pond in the spring is important role in general pond care and its health and throughout spring and summer the growing seasons. Spring is a big time in the pond life. Sunlight is increasing, temperatures are moving up and the pond is coming to life, fish are increasing their activity.

Algae will start to grow. Even the well-balanced pond will experience algae growth until the plants start to grow to a level to provide some shade, reducing sunlight that encourages algae growth, and until nutrients in the water are absorbed by the growing plants - watercress is a good one for this.


Cleaning your pond: Move potted plants from the pond to a safe shady place. Using a pump take out about 20% of the water. Try not to stir up the silt and debris, get your pondvack and take out the silt and debris to the best you can.

Look closely at the fish for any unusual behaviour, injuries, swollen abdomens, or white or red flecks on the fins or on its body. If any problems, consult your fish supplier for treatment options.

Inspect mechanical equipment such as pumps, filters, U V filter, power supply, and pipe work for damage and wear; clean and replace as needed. Check the condition of the liner or preformed pond for possible damage from sun or punctures. Check the electric circuit and make sure the (RCD) is working properly. OK all is well, start refilling the pond slowly this will decrease any rapid temperature change that could affect the fish.

When pond refilling is completed, filtration and circulation can be started. If a waterfall or stream is included in the circulation, watch the pond water level for several days...

Check hardy marginal (bog) plants, trim away any remaining dead foliage, divide and report as needed. Aquatic soil should be used to pot all water plants. Soil should be added to a level one inch below the pot rim, and then topped with one-half to one inch of clean gravel to discourage fish from digging in pots.

Lilies that have grown out of their pots should be repotted. Turn the pot upside down to remove the plant and soil. Remove soil from the roots by rinsing with water. Use a sharp knife cut off any brown and black roots and rotted areas.

Lilies prefer at least one cubic foot of soil, but can do well in smaller pots. Growth is commensurate to soil area for root growth: the bigger the pot, the bigger the plant and, the bigger the show.

Fertilize plants using aquatic plant tablets and return them to their spots in the pond. Sink plants into the water slowly to prevent release of soil into the water.

Check the water temperature and when it gets to 50 degrees, fish feeding can start regularly and growth food can be introduced when water temperature reaches 65 degrees. Another test to see if fish are ready to resume eating is to drop in a sinking pellet of food. If fish rush to consume it before it gets to the bottom they are totally awake and can digest food. Fish wintered inside in unheated quarters can be returned to the pond. Water temperature differences should be less than five degrees to reduce any stress to fish.


Summer: Lilies should be fertilized every 3-5 weeks, until early August. Tablet or pellet fertilizer for aquatic plants is recommended. Excessive yellow leaves or pads, few petals on flowers, or poor blooming can indicate a lack of nutrients.

Prune and remove all dead leaves (pads) or flowers from the plant at the crown level, throughout the growing season.

Add water as necessary to replace amounts lost through evaporation. Remember to use a dechlorinator and chloramine remover at the rate specified if you add more than one inch of water.


Autumn: Covering a pond with netting can save a great deal of work if pond is in a heavily-treed area. Remove any dead leaves or dead plant material from the pond. Trim back all plants and drop lilies to the lowest level of the pond.


Winter: When water temperatures drop below 54 degrees, stop feeding fish and shut down the biological filter. Drain all water from any exterior piping to eliminate cracking or breaking from eventual freezing.

To keep an area open for exchange of gasses in a pond with fish, run a small submersible pump all winter. Check the (RCD) to make sure ALL IS WELL. Place the pump on a brick or pot with the outlet approximately 2" below the water surface. A tank aerator (available for stock tanks) also works for this purpose. Place air outlets 6"-8" below the water surface.

If extremely cold temperatures cause the pond to completely freeze over, place a pan of boiling water on the surface to melt a hole in the ice. Do not use a hammer or other instrument to break the frozen surface. This will kill your fish.

Add water as needed to replace any that has been lost from evaporation. Be sure to add it slowly to eliminate temperature changes which could adversely affect the fish. Remember to use a dechlorinator and chloramine remover at the rate specified if you add more than one inch of water. If a waterfall or water features are left running during the winter, it is important to visually inspect the pond water level to ensure winter freezes and thaws have not created a leakage of water.