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Since ponds are located outside, the activity of its inhabitants are directly related to the temperature of the pond at that specific time (i.e. during the warmer summer months the pond is a lot more ‘active’ than the cooler winter months). For this reason any maintenance of a pond will vary according to the season. It is then best to split this into the 4 seasons of the year as follows: 
 
Spring:
  • The busiest time of the year for any water gardener!
  • Start to feed any fish more regularly and change their diet to a readily digested type (e.g. growth food and normal sticks, flakes and pellets). To monitor this, the use of a pond thermometer is recommended.
  • Regularly test your pond water (e.g. using Interpet Pond Health Kit) before you purchase any new or additional fish- keep testing throughout the year!
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  • Remove any netting over the pond to clean off the winter debris- replace if required to protect your pond from predators!
  • Add new pond plants to your pond remembering to feed them throughout the year.
  • Re-pot any old outgrown plants, especially water lilies, into new pond soil (e.g. Maidenhead Aquatics Pond Soil) and always remember to put some additional plant food in (e.g. Hagen Pond Fertiliser Sticks). Use Hessian to line the baskets to help retain the aquatic soil, then dress the pots with aquatic gravel to secure the Hessian.
 
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  • Treat any fish diseases once the water temperature has risen above 12°C (e.g. using Interpet Pond range of treatments). Temporarily turn off any UV clarifiers whilst treating (48 hours is adequate).
  • Clean out any filter systems on your pond or water feature remembering to wash any media in old pond water. Replace any exhausted or worn out media bit by bit over a few weeks. Check for leaks and replace any damaged or blocked filter hosing. All filters must run 24 hours a day!
  • Add a biological supplement to kick start your filter back into action (e.g. Interpet Bio Start)
  • Add a supplement to aid the breakdown of any sludge on the bottom of your pond or feature (e.g. Interpet Sludge Buster)
  • Thoroughly hoover the pond or feature to remove any dirt formed over the past year (e.g. Oase Pondovac, Blagdon PondMonsta or Hozelock Pond Vac). This can be done on a regular basis throughout the year during the warmer months.
 
 
  • Clean your pump thoroughly (e.g. using Interpet Pond Pump Cleaner) and replace any worn impellors or pre-filter foams. If in doubt, this is a good time to replace an unreliable pond pump.
  • Ideally place the pond pump at the deepest point, as far from the filter outlet as possible, to ensure maximum water circulation and cooling.
  • Replace any UV lamps and clean or replace the quartz sleeve that the lamp sits inside.
  • Top up any water lost from your pond using an appropriate water dechlorinator (e.g. using Interpet Tap Safe).
  • If you require to ‘clean out’ your pond completely, now is the time- speak to a member of staff to get the right advice for your pond!
  • Watch out for signs of your fish and pond wildlife (especially amphibians) starting to breed- speak to a member of staff to find out the best way to raise any fry (baby fish) that may be produced.
     
 
Summer: 
  • Using test kits check water quality on a regular basis.
  • Feed fish up to 3 times per day according to your ponds condition and water temperature. A feeding ring can help condition your fish to become more tame and prevents food from drifting around the pond, thus preventing overfeeding and water quality issues.
 
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  • Check fish health regularly and treat for symptoms as soon as you see any.
  • This is the best time of the year to add fish into your pond. Please ask a member of staff on the best way to introduce new fish into your pond.
  • Remove any weeds from marginal pond plants and regularly prune them to keep them in the best of health- watch out for any pests or diseases on the plants! Keep oxygenating plants well managed and fresh. Feed them more during the fast growing spells (e.g. with a slow release pellet fertiliser).
  • This is the best time to add water lilies and floating plants such as ‘Water Lettuce’ and ‘Water Hyacinth’ to your pond or feature (do not place them in an area where water splashes onto their leaves however).
  • Add an air pump to your pond if it gets particularly hot to aid circulation- keep all pumps on 24 hours a day!· Remove algae as it grows- adding algaecides to your pond or water feature if required (e.g. use Interpet Barley Straw Extract, Pond Balance and Hagen Phos-X to help suppress blanketweed growth). Electronic and magnetic devices are also available to help control the growth and spread of blanketweed- speak to a member of staff.
  • Regularly clean and replace any pond pump pre-filter foams
  • Clean any pond filter foams, ideally one at a time rather than all in one clean, in old pond water only! Top up the pond or feature with fresh de-chlorinated water.
  • Watch out for new and existing predators to your pond such as a heron, and fit a suitable cover or deterrent to your pond. 
 
Autumn:
  • Reduce the quantity of food feed to your fish as winter approaches. Change their feed to a more suited diet that is digested more easily at these lower temperatures (e.g. Maidenhead Aquatics Winter food or Tetra Wheatgerm sticks). Using a pond thermometer will help you make sure when you should be feeding your fish and how often.
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  • Finally treat your pond before the water temperature falls below 12°C with a broad range parasite treatment (e.g. Interpet Anti Parasite) as any fish harbouring parasites over the winter will be untreatable due to the lower water temperatures.
  • Cut back all submerged pond plants so that they do not die during the cold winter months and pollute your pond. Using Oase Pond Pliers and Pond Shears will make this job much easier.
  • Cut back all marginal plants and remove all rotting material from the water.
  • Remove any floating plants from the pond or feature and protect them in frost free conditions.
  • Cover your pond with a suitable net, if not already covered, to catch the autumn and winter debris from the garden.
  • This is a good time to install pond and garden lighting to extend the hours you have to enjoy your pond or feature as the days get shorter. 
 
Winter:
  • Only feed your fish, if suitable, using a winter food!
  • Use a pond heater or a similar product to prevent ice from forming completely over your pond- this allows gases to exchange (i.e. toxic gases, such as carbon dioxide out and fresh, such as oxygen in) and keep the inhabitants from suffocating. Never use an object to smash the ice as the shock waves caused by this could kill your fish! Do not pour hot water on the ice either, as this could cause temperature issues and is only a temporary solution.
  • Ideally raise the pump to the shallowest depth, as close to the filter outlet as possible, to ensure minimum water circulation and heat loss.
  • If you wish to turn off any form of filtration then drain it out completely and remove from the garden to prevent it from getting damaged by freezing with any water inside it.
  • If you are going to install a pond or water feature, then this is probably the best time of the year in which to do so, so that it will be all up and running to be ready for the approaching summer ahead! Many books are available to help you decide and advise exactly what you will require for your new venture. Please ask a member of staff for any advice concerning this.
  • Most importantly, always remember to install safe electrics in your garden (e.g. use a suitably qualified electrician or buy a pre-wired Blagdon Power Safe System) and always use a circuit breaker (RCD) with any power supply. 
 
Follow the above rules and advice and you can enjoy all-year-round-success with your pond or water feature for year after year! 
 
If you have any queries with any of the points above or any other matters, then please speak to a member of staff either in-store or over the phone!