The weather is getting better and your pond is becoming a hive of activity. But there are still some maintenance tips you should look at!
The weather has started to warm up, your fish are active and there is a nice plethora of bank holidays to enjoy. As the last month of spring, you should be gearing up to enjoy your pond and its inhabitants. But it’s now time to make sure you are fully prepared for summer and that your fish are happy. Below, we have highlighted a few things you should check before summer rolls in.
Preventative
• Start treating your pond with algae preventatives. This can save a lot of time and prevent a sudden algae bloom when the weather warms up and the pond is exposed to high amounts of sunshine. We would recommend starting with the PondXpert Green Water Beaters; simple sachets which can be thrown into the pond. They contain healthy bacteria which helps to prevent algae from developing.
Maintenance
• Replace your UV bulbs. After 6 months of continuous use, your UV bulb will be less effective than it was when first installed. The UV bulb can kill off algae, parasites, and harmful bacteria; providing an immensely useful function for your pond. If your pond does not have enough UV filtration and you are finding that your pond continues to go green in summer, you may want to add a external UV Clarifier; essentially a secondary UV bulb which can improve the health and clarity of your pond.
• Replace the foams in your filter. The foams will start to deteriorate after they have handled a large quantity of sludge; to improve your filters efficiency ready for the summer, it’s best to replace your foams or give them a good clean.
• Add beneficial bacteria to your pond. This will help improve the bacterial qualities of your pond; meaning the pond will be kept in balance and the sludge in your pond will be broken down quicker. This means your pond will be clearer, healthier, and your filter will have less work to do. We would recommend either the PondXpert Gel Balls or the Evolution Aqua Pure Pond Balls.
• As we always recommend across our blog posts; make sure you are regularly testing your water with either the Tetra Pond Test 6-in-1 or the Blagdon Pond Health Test Kit. This will allow you to monitor the chemical balance of your pond to prevent a pH crash, kH imbalance, or the rise of toxic chemicals like ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.
• Remove blanketweed as soon as you are able to. Do this by manually removing as much as possible and then use a treatment. Our customers often find that the PondXpert Swap Net and the PondXpert Blanketweed Eliminator often work well at removing algae efficiently.
Fish
• New fish can be safely added to an established pond. But as above, test your water first to ensure the pond is safe to harbour fish. This means testing the pH, kH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.
• Watch goldfish for signs of spawning. You will see your fish chasing each other quite a lot and the female fish may seem quite bloated. The males will chase them and try to knock them; this in turn forces the female fish to lay their eggs. For safe spawning, your pond should have plenty of plants in (whether real or artificial) as this provides a location for the eggs to be laid.
• Try to give your fish some different food as a treat. This could include Dried Daphnia, the Koi Treat Mix, or the Dried River Shrimp.
• Avoid introducing goldfish to wildlife ponds as they may eat the frogspawn in the pond.
Plants
• Re-pot aquatic plants as they come into growth. These are hungry plants that reward good feeding with lush growth and benefit from added fertilizers (like the PondXpert PondBloom Fertiliser Tablets (125g)). Don’t forget to top off the planting baskets with gravel or pebbles; this helps to prevent fish from disturbing roots of the plant. This is particularly useful for ponds that have Koi in!
• Consider adding new plants; mixing and matching colour, size, and smells is always good and helps to attract a wide array of wildlife and visuals for you to enjoy.
• Thin out, cut back, or divide excessive new growth on established pond plants.
• Continue to plant new aquatic plants this month. Plant vigorous pond plants in aquatic plant baskets to contain them. Put gravel on the surface of the container to stop fish from stirring up the compost. Especially if you have Koi in the pond!
You may also find the below blogs useful:
• Pond Calendar
• Pond Plants Blogs
• Why is my Pond losing water?
• Why do chemicals in the Pond fluctuate?
• Benefits of UV Filtration in your Pond
• Bacteria: The Importance of Healthy Bacteria
• Fish Food: When to Feed your Fish and What Food to Use
If you need any further assistance, please email us on info@pondkeeper.co.uk.