In order to keep your garden pond healthy you need to clean and maintain it continuously. The equipment you use to maintain your pond depends on your pond's size, your climate, your aquatic plant types, and the amount of gold fish or Koi it contains.

Supply List

Below is a list of some of the most popular equipment and pond supplies used to maintain a healthy garden pond. Keep in mind that some of the items are optional and will depend on the aquatic life your pond supports as well as environmental conditions:

  • Pond pumps - waterfall pumps -fountain pumps
  • Pond filters - biological filters
  • Fountains
  • Waterfalls
  • De-icers
  • Heaters
  • Skimmers
  • Ultra Violet Sterilizers
  • Biological Clarifiers
  • Water Treatments
  • Thermometer
  • Pond Vacuum
  • Aerators
  • Pond liners
  • Dechlorinators
  • Barley Straw
  • Pond Dye

There are also things you will do each season to assure yourself a healthy water garden.

Spring Maintenance

  • Do a partial water change (be sure and use a dechlorinator if your tap water contains chlorine).
  • Add barley straw.
  • Add pond salt if you have fish. You do this to make sure your fish have a healthy coat of slime so they can fight of parasites and bacterial infections.
  • Rearrange any aquatic plants back on pond shelves.
  • Divide and replant plants.
  • Get your U.V. sterilizer going.
  • Fertilize your water lilies.
  • Clean out leaves. dead plants, and debris.
  • Finalize any improvement plans or additions to your backyard pond.
  • Feed fish small amounts in the morning (what based fish food) when the water gets to 50 degrees.
  • Add a general parasite treatment for fish but avoid a bacterial treatment unless you see problems with your fish.
  • Add artificial cover (shade) or more floating plants for fish if your weather is consisting of bright sunshiny days and your plants aren't providing enough cover yet.
  • Green water is common and an algae bloom is normal in the spring for a fish pond. The algae bloom will help to protect the fish until plants begin to grow and take over more of the algae.

Summer Maintenance

  • Make planned improvements, add fountains, waterfalls, marginal plants, and be sure and check your water flow.
  • Run aerators, water fountains, and waterfalls at maximum levels, especially after the sun goes down to keep oxygen levels high in your pond. This is especially important if fish are living in your pond.
  • Control algae growth and beneficial bacteria.
  • Feed fish several small amounts of high protein food per day rather than one large feeding, remove any uneaten food immediately, floating fish food works best for this.
  • Small frequent water changes may help to increase oxygen levels (again use a dechlorinator is your tap water contains chlorine).
  • Add fertilizer tablets to ensure healthy plants, watch for deformed or discolored leaves and lack of flower blooms.

Fall Maintenance

  • Clean up leaves so they don't build up on the bottom of your pond and cause problems. If you get to much debris and sludge you may have to completely drain your pond. Too much decaying vegetation will cause major algae as well as lower oxygen levels.
  • Prune, thin, and reshape any plants as needed.
  • If water is above 60 degrees feed your plants some extra nutrients.
  • Before it gets to cold or freezes bring indoors any plants that do not stay in the pond year around. The same with any goldfish or Koi.
  • Reposition any plants that may need to be moved to deeper water.

Winter Maintenance / Winterizing

  • Consider adding mesh or netting over your pond to keep out the debris.
  • If water temperature gets below 40 degrees lift your pumps and aerators (which need to run year round if this is your winter climate) at least 12 inches from the bottom of your pond.
  • Test your water for phosphate levers as well as oxygen levers.
  • Cleaning the bottom of your pond, pruning plants, skimming, vacuuming, and netting now if you have not already done so will make your pond healthier and ready to go in the spring.
  • Maintain any equipment and check for problems. Clean skimmers, filters, and pumps. Replace or clean your media.
  • Do partial water changes up to 1/2 of the ponds water. If still murky do another in a few days. Again use a dechlorinator if you have chlorine in your tap water.
  • As water temperatures drop below 70 degrees slow down on the amount your feeding your fish. Below 60 degrees feed your fish only wheat germ based foods and do this less frequently. Below 50 degrees stop feeding your fish for the winter.
  • Install a de-icer to ensure your pond does not freeze over and is still getting oxygen if your climate requires it.
  • If your pond freezes over in the winter but you have pond lighting underneath the ice (which is awesome), make sure it is all working properly before the pond freezes!

And for all seasons; enjoy the serenity, beauty, and peacefulness your water garden brings to your backyard landscaping.