Summer is slowly coming to an end, but there is still time to enjoy the hot, sunny weather!
Summer; the time when temperature ranges from too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy, or not enough wind. It’s a changing month where you want to chill out, bask in the hot weather and relax. If you follow these checks, you should be able to spend more time enjoying the pond than maintaining it!
Preventative
• Consider how ‘summer-proof’ your pond is. Maybe your pond needs extra circulation to keep the oxygen levels high? Always bear in mind that hot weather reduces the dissolved oxygen in your pond; meaning your fish may show signs of a lack of oxygen. If your pond has too many plants, your pond may be suffering from a lack of oxygen throughout the night; so keep an eye out on the behaviour of your fish!
• If you haven’t already, try to provide shade in the form of floating plants and lilies. This will help to keep the water cooler, increase the oxygen content, and provide a lovely display.
• With the holiday season upon us, don’t forget your pond pets. You might go on holiday, but who will start taking care of your fish? Maybe a family member or a neighbour; you might want to consider training them up so that they know what they are doing (and so you can enjoy your holiday without worrying!). Even artificial plants will help, and they'll give the fish a place to spawn.
• Top up water where necessary in ponds and water features. If you use tap water, make sure to use an appropriate dechlorinator.
• Aerate the water in hot sticky weather by leaving fountains on overnight.
Maintenance
• Consider installing a water feature to enhance those bright, sunny evenings relaxing with a cold beverage next to the pond. Features are also a great way of adding interest and drama to small, compact spaces. If these are built next to your pond, they can also help to aerate your pond. Water features may include either a waterfall or a fountain feature.
• Use a skimmer net to remove debris from the surface of the pond; this will prevent sludge build up and a chemical imbalance.
• As we keep recommending in most of our blog posts, testing your pond regularly (at least once a month) will help you monitor your pond balance so you can keep it healthy! Don't forget, your filtration system will be working harder given the warmer weather and active fish. Test your water with either the Tetra Pond Test 6-in-1 or the Blagdon Pond Health Test Kit to check the water quality.
• Continue to remove blanketweed by manually removing as much as possible and then treating the water. Our customers have reported that the PondXpert Swap Net and the PondXpert Blanketweed Eliminator often work well making this task a breeze.
Fish
• As fish and invertebrates are cold-blooded creatures, they are at the higher end of their temperature tolerances in the summer months and their metabolism will be increased. Make sure they receive a little bit more food and that oxygen levels remain high. You should be considering adding a mechanical air pump; they are the most efficient ways of aerating your pond in the summer and can really help to increase the health of both your pond and your fish.
• Fish can often be fed too much by other people when you’re on holiday. Start getting into the habit of measuring your food into a cup or a food feeding ring. Overfeeding contributes massively to an imbalanced pond; so it’s key to getting this right! Small, labelled envelopes containing the normal ration or even tablet foods can also be used; you might find this very useful! For your peace of mind, it’s hard to beat an automatic feeder (like the Fish Mate P7000 Pond Fish Feeder or PondXpert FoodFlinger Auto Pond Feeder) for regular feeding.
Plants
• Cut back prolific self-seeding plants such as Mimulus and Water Forget-me-not after flowering to control their spread next season.
• Add late-season colour to your pond with Lobelias, Cannas, and other flowering plants. Even exotic species can help provide nectar when other plants are setting seed.
• Continue to remove decaying parts of the plant to encourage new growth.
You may also find the below blogs useful:
• Pond Calendar
• Summer Pond Care
• Pond Plants Blogs
• Aeration Blogs
• Why is my Pond losing water?
• Why do chemicals in the Pond fluctuate?
• Pond Problems
If you need any further assistance, please email us on info@pondkeeper.co.uk.