Spring Water Garden

As the weather warms your fish will start looking to be fed again,  don't over do it, feed only as much as they can eat in 5 minutes and net out the excess.  Remember the Childs story of the gold fish that was over fed and ended up so big it wouldn't fit in a swimming pool.  Feeding your fish will help them grow but under feeding is healthier than over feeding.  The excess fish food will pollute your pond and encourage algae growth. 

    Don't put out your filter and uv lamp until all fear of a hard freeze has passed, the filtration should not be necessary until you are feeding your fish daily. 

    Plan to do a major clean out job in the early spring.  The project is not difficult if you follow the steps listed below.

   The easy way. Just leave the fish in the pond and try not to hit them while hosing out the pond just change over about half the water stirring it up as you pump it out.  This will get a good quantity of the muck pumped out into your lawn.  When you refill the pond fill it slowly and add some chlorine and heavy metal chemical while new water is being pumped in (city water folks).  Don't forget to add the necessary amount of pond salt and test with a salt test kit (too much salt hurts your plants not enough the fish will do poorly).  Add some seed bacteria after all is done.

    The better way You will need the following supplies: pond salt, salt test kit, test kit with pH test, stress coat, seed bacteria for your filter, and chlorine and heavy metal neutralizer if you have city water, pump, net, garden hose and pressure washer or sprayer. Also get a large pail (for your water plants) and garbage can with a fresh garbage bag (for your fish).

    Begin pumping water from your pond into the two containers a few inches in the smaller container and no more than half way up the garbage can (the fish have been known to jump out).

Remove your potted plants an put in the pail with a few inches of your pond water

    Continue to pump water out of the pond until the fish are easy to net.  (some people continue the project with the fish in the pond, if you do be careful and don't use a high water pressure hose or pump the fish could be damaged).  Net the fish and put in the garbage can with liner and half full with your pond water.  The fish should be okay in this container for 6 to 8 hours with out any problems as long as the water does not get over 80 degrees.

    Now your pond is free of plants and fish you can collect the leaves and other debris rinsing the pond with the fresh water from your garden hose or pressure washer while you continue to pump the dirty water out of your pond.  As you net out the leaves you must go through the muck and collect any snails that may be tossed out with the pond sludge and leaves.  

    Your pond does not have to be spotless and do not use any cleaning soaps.  The pond can be filled with tap water now that you have cleaned it.

    As the pond is filling consider re-potting your water plants don't forget to use a soil specially designed for water gardens. Top the soil with a layer of pea gravel. A coffee filter can be placed on the bottom of the pot to keep the soil from leaking out of the holes.

    You will need to condition the water in the pond prior to re-introducing your fish.  When the pond is about 3/4 full,  add the proper amount of pond salt as indicated by your salt level test kit. Add the proper amount of stress coat. Add the proper amount of chlorine and heavy metal neutralizer if you don't have well water. You can put your potted plants back in the pond as it is filling just be careful not to have too much salt in the water as it could damage your plants.

If there is a large temperature or pH difference between the water the fish are in now as opposed to the pond water, you will need to slowly introduce them to the new water; otherwise just put them back in the pond. 

How do you slowly introduce the fish to the new water?  By adding some of your pond water to the water in the trash can and removing some of the water from the trash can to waste.  A siphon or small pump can help to remove water from the trash can and add water from the pond to the trash can or just use a small bucket.

That's it.  Put together your filter system and add seed bacteria according to label instructions. 

Enjoy