Pond & Water Garden Articles > Tips for Opening Your Pond in the Spring
Tips for Opening Your Pond in the Spring
Tips for Opening Your Pond in the Spring
- Remove as much debris as possible once the ice melts and you begin to see activity from your fish. You can do this by hand or by using a pond skimmer net. It's best to manually remove as much debris as possible and allow cold water bacteria to help with the rest. We recommend using Microbelift Spring/Summer Cleaner to help in removing smaller debris that has collected.
- Start operating your filtration system. Add your pump, nets and mats back into your skimmer box, waterfall box and or start up any pressurized systems. Remember to check your mats and nets frequently in the Spring, this can be a dirty time of the year for your pond.
- Add beneficial bacteria to the pond. If the water is above 50 degrees, you can start adding Microbelift PL as well as your Spring/Summer Cleaner. Remember to turn off any UV lights for 24 hours to give the beneficial bacteria a jump start.
- Clean and bring up any plants you may have moved in the fall to their original spots. Some plants are slow to emerge and may appear dead in early Spring, plants like arrowhead are slow to re-emerge. Don't start fertilizing plants until you start to see new growth. Do not fertilize lotus until you see leaves above the surface of the water.
- Spring is also a great time to preform a water change. Just to remember to use a dechlorinator if using city water. You will also want to keep the water you are adding back into the pond within 10 degrees of the water already in the pond if fish are present. If fish were removed, acclimate the fish slowly.