Spring Pond Maintenance - the basics, Part 2

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Spring Pond Maintenance - the basics, Part 2

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Having dealt with the basic checks to carry out on your ponds equipment, (filters, pumps etc) and liner in part one, this time we'll look at what you can do to maintain plants and livestock now that spring is here.

In the last few years the UK has experienced far harsher winter conditions than have been seen for well over a decade with temperatures in some areas plunging to as low as -20oC. These extremes of cold can have a major effect on the health of your fish, so as soon as possible carry out a thorough visual check of all your stock. First check numbers - are any fish missing? Cold conditions can suppress or shut down their immune systems so parasites, viruses, fungus and bacterial infections can sometimes be a problem. Check the fishes fins and body for blood streaks, tears, cotton wool type growths or thickened mucus all of which are signs that the fish may be struggling. Treating a whole pond can be difficult and expensive and should never be undertaken unless you are certain what you are treating for. The wrong medication can do more harm than good. Ideally any sick fish should be quarantined elsewhere, preferably in a suitable filtered aquarium where warmer temperatures will raise the fishes metabolism increasing it's natural ability to fight off the problem. It is far easier to measure the correct dosage of the appropriate medication in the confines of a tank, than in the often random dimensions of a pond where accurate volume is impossible to calculate. One vital piece of kit every pond owner should have is a test kit for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. With this you can rule out poor water quality as a root cause of any problems with your fish, as well as monitoring the biological process of the filter and it's beneficial bacteria as the populations recover from the cold. Some fish are hardier than others - goldfish are considerably more robust than koi for instance which may require extra attention. If you do need to treat the whole pond, then be aware that orfe can be sensitive to many of the commonly sold medications so check they are safe to use with orfe first. Once temperatures in the pond are regularly at 10oC or over you can start feeding the fish again, preferably with one of the lower protein fish foods based on wheat-germ until their gut is working efficiently but be sure to feed only small quantities at first, just as much as they can eat in a few minutes.

Early spring is also an excellent time to maintain aquatic & bog plants in and around your pond. Cut back any dead or damaged foliage to prevent it getting into the pond and decaying where it may effect water quality. This will also allow you to make a better inspection of the fish and liner. Many marginal plants commonly sold are vigorous growers and will need dividing and repotting every year or so, and this is usually best done just before the plants break into spring growth. Split plants such as yellow flag iris in half with a sharp knife or spade and repot the best half in an pond basket filled with good quality aquatic compost, topped with coarse gravel to prevent fish from digging. The remaining half can be potted on and used to increase your ponds plant display or simply given to a pond owning friend as an Easter present!

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