Ponds come back to life in spring. As the water temperature rises, fish become active and plants begin blooming. You need to prepare your pond to welcome new life in it. To prepare your pond for the change of seasons, give it a thorough cleaning. The purpose of a thorough clean-up is to get rid of any debris that has accumulated during the winter months.
A clean-up will also help prevent algae blooms that can quickly take over, transforming a beautiful pond into an eyesore. In addition to making your pond look unsightly, algae can compete with your plants for nutrients and sunlight negatively affecting their development.
Here are some tips to effectively clean your pond and prepare it for the pond season from a Scottsdale fish pond cleaning service.
Start Early
You will want to clean your pond before the water temperature reaches 55-degree F. If you wait any longer to clean your pond, bacteria may start growing on your filter, rocks, and gravel. Cleaning a pond after bacterial growth can affect the balance of your pond ecosystem and it will go through a green phase before bacteria can re-colonize.
Not all bacteria are bad. Late pond cleaning can negatively affect good bacteria populations. Given the important role that good bacteria perform in keeping a pond clean, dwindling bacteria populations can throw your pond into disarray.
Another reason to clean your pond in early spring is that the temperature of the water from your spigot will be almost the same as the temperature of the water in your pond. When you refill your pond, there is a lower chance of your fish getting distressed due to disparate water temperatures.
Drain Your Pond
Drain your pond to get old, nutrient-rich water out of it. Place a cleanout pump in the deepest part of the pond. Drain your pond in your landscape. Keep changing the location of the discharge hose to avoid flooding your yard.
As you drain, put some water from your pond into your fish holding container to create a familiar environment for your fish. Once you have moved all your fish in the fish container, place it in a shady spot.
Give Your Pond a Thorough Cleaning
Use a pressure washer to clean rocks. Adjust it to a lower setting before washing gravel. When you are ready to clean your pond, start from the top and work your way to the bottom. Do not use soaps or detergents to clean your pond as they can affect water quality.
After you have cleaned your pond, be sure to remove debris from your filter mats, biological filters, and waterfall skimmer. Do not overclean your skimmer or you may unknowingly kill some good bacteria.
Refill Your Pond
Once your pond is clean, remove the cleanout pump and connect the regular pump. Use a garden hose to refill your pond. If your water is chlorinated, add a pond detoxifier and dechlorinator to avoid stressing your fish.
To prepare your fish to be reintroduced into their actual habitat, first place them in a bucket with old pond water. Once your pond has a few inches of new water, float the bucket in it. Periodically splash the fresh water into it. This will help acclimate your fish to the new water. Wait for 15 minutes before reintroducing your fish into the pond.
Pondscapes offers top notch fish pond cleaning services in Scottsdale. We help homeowners care for their ponds year-round. To make an appointment, call our office at (480) 987-7781.
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