As a Tennessee Master Gardener, Aquatic Gardens owner Joyce Montgomery is available to talk with groups about the hobby of watergardening.

Care Information provided by Aquascape Designs, The Pond Bible
 

Starting off the Pondering Season Right

It all depends on climate...

If you live in a warm climate, you may never have to deal with this weird stuff called snow and ice. Your pond can often go for many seasons without a full on clean out if your system is running year-round. Most of the bacteria and the ecological balance of your pond will stay strong the whole year. You will not get the same accumulation of stuff in the pond as your northern neighbors because the bacteria will continue breaking down waste throughout the winter.

For those of you who live in a climate where ice and snow cover the pond during the winter, a spring clean out is usually the best way to start of the season. While the water garden may look still and serene during the winter months, not everything in the pond shuts down once the ice forms. Your fish are still producing waste, plant and other organic material (leaves, twigs, etc..) are sill decomposing, and wind-blown debris is still finding it's way to the bottom of your pond. All of these things produce toxins and nutrients that algae can take advantage of, once the ice thaws.

Does your pond need a full clean-out this season, or does it just need to be tidied up a little? There are a couple of things that you can look for to help you decide. First, if there is a layer of "crud" at the bottom of the pond and the water is dark in color, almost like a cup of tea, or it looks like the muddy Mississippi, it would be a good idea to do a full clean-out. On the other hand, if there is just a small amount of debris, you can just get into the pond and stir everything up and capture the debris into a net.

Algae Growth
Algae is going to grow in the spring. It’s an unfortunate fact that you’ll have to learn to accept. While the water is still cool, and the aquatic plants are gearing up for the season but not fully grown, the algae is the one "plant" that can grow. It may not be the most attractive "plant" and most pond owners see it as undesirable, but it’s a plant nonetheless.

During this time, when nothing else will grow, the algae pulls excess nutrients out of the water. This actually will protect your fish from any toxic buildup of ammonia or nitrites as well. The levels of some of these nutrients can build to higher levels during the winter because there is not a lot of other biological filtration going at that time.

Although a case has been made for algae, it should still not be allowed to grow out of hand to the point of having two-foot long strands of it hanging off of every single rock in the pond.

Keeping Algae Under Control
Aquascape Designs' water treatment arsenal provides you with multiple ways to keep your pond clear and healthy during the spring months:

• Aquascape Designs EcoBlast^TM
  EcoBlast^TM is the first line of defense to quickly and safely breakdown debris from waterfalls, streams, rocks, plant pots and anywhere buildup has occurred.
• Aquascape Designs S.A.B.^TM
  is formulated to help reduce pond maintenance and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and enzymes
• EcoSystems^TM EcoBarley^TM
  EcoSystems^TM has taken the well-known power of barley straw and packaged it with easy to use quick acting pellet.
• EcoSystems^TM EcoBalance^TM Plus with S.A.B.^TM
  Cleans ponds by breaking down organic materials that create problems for pond hobbyists.
• EcoSystems^TM EcoFloc^TM
  Clears pond water by combining floating or suspended debris in the pond. This combined matter is then easily removed from the pond.

Plants
To get your aquatic plants off to a healthy start, trim any dead plant growth and divide any large clumps of plants that have gotten out of hand. Water lily tubers should be inspected and, if needed, divided and repotted. Spring is a great time to share excess plants with your other water gardening buddies. Organize a plant swap or sale with your local water garden or koi club so others can benefit from your over-abundance of plants!

Fish
Your fish should be getting more and more active as the water warms up. Rising water temperatures will trigger the instinct to create more fishies. Yes spring is the time to expect your fish to breed. Make sure you don’t move or change anything in your pond during this time or you may hurt the developing fry and with a little patience, you will see tiny little specs migrating around the edge of the pond, generally staying away from the open water.

Undoubtedly many of them will fall prey to many different predators in the pond, including their parents, so try not to feel too bad, just know that this is all a part of the balanced ecosystem in your pond. Another important thing about springtime fish care is to feed responsibly. Do not feed your fish until the water temperature has risen to, and consistently remains at, 55º F. If you feed your fish before this point, you run the risk of possibly killing them because they cannot break down the solid food very well yet. This could lead to intestinal problems and possible internal bleeding because, just like people, they rely on beneficial bacteria to break down the food in their system, and these bacteria diminish in temperatures below 55º F.

Once the temperature does rise above 55º F you can start to introduce the fish to solid food again. ADI recommends starting the fish off on a fish food that is designed for low-temperatures. An example of a great food is Nutri-1 LoTemp^TM fish food. It is a nutritious, easily digestible food designed to maintain health, growth, vitality, and color in your fish during the fall and spring months.

Maintenance Issues
In addition to cleaning your pond in the spring, there are some other maintenance issues that should be addressed this time of year. As you clean out your filtration system, inspect the filtration media. Depending on the material used in your system, it may need to be replaced each season. You may consider at this time to add barley mats to your biological filter. The best time to do all of this is when the weather is still cold - preferably when the water temperature is below 55º F. If you live in a warm climate you should do all of these things late winter when the days are short and cool.

You’ll also need to inspect your pump and get it running for the year. Check inside the opening of the pump and make sure that the impeller (the part that turns) has no debris around it. This is also a good time to inspect the bulbs on your underwater lights and replace them if necessary.

Keeping it Looking Good
Now that your water feature is ready for a new season, how do you keep it looking fresh and clean? Well there are some products that you will definitely help keep looking tip-top!

• EcoSystems^TM EcoStarter^TM - If you added more than 10 percent of new tap water to your pond, a dechlorinator is necessary to neutralize the chlorine and keep your fish healthy.
• EcoSystems^TM EcoCarbon^TM - Even after you’ve cleaned out your pond, the water can sometimes take on a tea-stained color. The activated carbon will help keep your pond water clear by removing the tannins that cause this discoloration. The carbon is added to a mesh bag and placed inside your biological filter. The water should clear up in four to seven days.
• Supercharged AquaClearer^TM - This bacteria is the best thing for starting your system out on the right foot. It will establish the bacterial colonies in your pond very quickly so it can get to work breaking down debris in the pond.

One of the most important things to remember, as you pond rebounds from a winter slumber, is to be patient. It’s an ecosystem, and it may take a while for all the components to get in sync with one another. Stay away from chemicals and let your pond balance itself out. When it does, you’ll be glad you kept it natural. Happy pondering!

From Aquascapes Designs, sent to you by Aquatic Gardens of East Tennessee