As we approach spring, it’s time to start thinking about pond maintenance—and the annual cleanout that most ponds should undergo this time of year.
There are countless numbers of ponds and various other water gardens in the ground all around us. These water features must be maintained, both for functionality and aesthetics.
Ponds and water gardens can represent a significant investment for your clients; help protect their investment and increase customer satisfaction with an annual refresh and cleanout.
Replenishing the water in a customer's pond each year prepares the pond for a fresh new season. While a balanced ecosystem keeps the pond healthy throughout the year, an annual cleanout starts it off on the right foot.
Spring algae blooms can occur as a result of an excess of available nutrients and/or a lack of beneficial bacteria. A cleanout replaces the nutrient-rich water with fresh, clean water that is ready for the bacteria to colonize, or settle. Cleaning the pond this way in the spring is just like the normal “flushing” action that lakes fed by rivers and streams experience during heavy spring rains.
- Safely remove fish
- Drain the pond
- Clear/remove debris
- Trim aquatic plants
- Rinse rocks and gravel
- Pump out dirty water
- Rinse filter mats
- Refill pond
- Treat water with Aquascape Ecostarter to prep and dechlorinate the water
- Acclimate fish
- Add Aquascape Beneficial Bacteria to build the bacteria level back up
Be sure to be consistent in adding bacteria on a monthly basis to keep appropriate levels up. This will help keep algae levels down and help maintain water clarity. Also, clean skimmer baskets weekly, and rinse out skimmer mats monthly.
Managing Larger Ponds
Every pond is different, and some ponds do not require an annual cleanout. Ponds larger than 2,000 square feet may only need a cleanout every few years. Much like a fish tank, larger ponds are easier to maintain. Ponds larger than that may never need a complete cleanout, as any excess nutrients present are small when compared to the overall volume of water in the pond.
Most of the time you can tell if a pond needs a cleanout just by looking at it. If it looks the same in March as it did last June, you can probably bypass the cleanout.
Adding a pond maintenance program to your water gardening business is a great way to maintain relationships with customers, as well as supplement the business income.
It is also an ideal way to get your feet wet in the water gardening business if you are contemplating the addition of pond or water garden installs to your existing scope of services. There is plenty of opportunity to capitalize on this existing niche of maintaining ponds and water gardens.
