Spring is the best time to wander the beach to show off tanned skin and dress up in such flirty summer clothes. Summer is all about fun, but what about your pond that has been left out for about a week since your summer vacation?
As summer approaches, algae prepares for its wild attack on your pond, just in time when you’re busy for your vacation. The summer sun shines profusely, providing enough energy for the algae to sprout in the pond and multiply rapidly. This time, your koi, goldfish, and other fish are becoming more active.
Spring is the busiest season for you and your pond inhabitants. Spring cleaning is important to maintaining balance in your pond and maintaining a healthy environment for your fish. Here are some important spring pond cleaning tips:
• The bottom of the pond is where all the debris and decaying algae settle. That excess fish food, leaves, twigs and other vegetation releases ammonia which is deadly to the pond. It’s important to remove all that debris that’s been stuck there for months by vacuuming the bottom of your pond to prevent algae from growing and keep your pond water clearer and healthier.
• Increased temperatures can contribute to fish health problems, particularly bacterial ulcers. Bacterial ulcerative disease creates lesions and sores on koi, goldfish, and other pond fish. The parasites responsible for this fish disease take advantage of the weakened immune system. To prevent this, add non-iodized pond salt to your pond water, as it will kill all parasites and disease-causing bacteria in fish. The suggested amount of pond salt is 3 pounds per 100 gallons of pond water.
• Be prepared when you wake up on a summer’s day to your pond tinged with green. Green pond water is a common problem during spring that makes you worry all day. This means that the algae, your always annoying visitors, are active once again, ready to plague your pond. The algae normally grow rapidly during the spring due to the warm weather and the sun shining more compared to winter. To start with, you need to check the UV bulbs in your UV sterilizer or clarify if they are in good working order. UV lamps last about 8,000 hours or less than a year. Always check if the lamps are still working because although UV lamps are still bright, sometimes they don’t emit enough UV rays to fight algae.
• The feeding rate of fish in the pond begins to increase during the spring, resulting in a higher concentration of ammonia in your pond. Now is the time to check those filters regularly and keep an eye on ammonia levels. Expect the ammonia concentration to be higher than in previous months, but it will still be normal if the pond filter is working properly. You should also avoid overfeeding your fish and make sure there is a sufficient supply of oxygen in the pond.
• If you have a large koi pond, using a bead filter can help remove all of that debris that has stuck to the pond floor. Clean the pond again to make sure there is no debris that could clog the pond.
