We must remember a pond is a living organism and its needs should never be neglected or ignored. Maintenance is necessary in a pond but does not have to be a painful ordeal provided the pond is installed correctly the first time.

Proper maintenance procedures are:

Spring Startup:

Water Gardens:

• Remove all leaf netting and pond heaters.
• Carefully remove all fish to stock tanks and start draining pond.
• Stock tanks must be extremely clean, have an equal water temperature of pond, de-chlorinate if needed, salted with non-iodized salt (.2) (reduces stress and calms fish), add air stones supplying fresh oxygen from aerator, and then properly cover tank with non - see through cover to prevent fish from escaping. Do water changes as needed if fish are out of pond for an extended amount of time.
• Scrub pond thoroughly (walls, rocks, behind stones, etc.)
• Run water through rock shelf planting beds.
• Vacuum out waterfalls and skimmers.
• Vacuum out entire pond until clean.
• Remove and clean all filter matting from waterfalls.
• Re-install external filters, UV sterilizers, and filter matting to waterfalls.
• Re-install all pumps, startup waterfalls and system.
• Fill pond with fresh water, salt properly and acclimate fish back to pond.
• Install new oxygenating annual plants. (floaters and submersibles)

Koi Ponds: If they have bottom drains they do not necessarily need to be drained.

• Remove all netting and heaters from the pond.
• Remove and clean all filter matting from waterfalls.
• Vacuum all waterfalls and skimmers.
• Install all external filter systems and UV sterilizers.
• Vacuum and scrub pond walls, filter systems will absorb this material through the bottom drain and then can be back washed or flushed.
• Do partial water change and check salinity level.
• Start the system.

Seasonal Maintenance: This service is done once the pond is up and running during the warm weather months. Service is done weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. This depends
on the requirements of the pond. Koi Ponds generally are weekly to bi-weekly and water gardens are bi-weekly to monthly.

A maintenance service contract will provide these services:

• Monitoring water quality ( Checking levels of ammonia, nitrites, salinity, PH,
temperature, general hardness, oxygen levels)
• Observing fish behavior and health.
• Clean skimmers and check waterfalls.
• Back washing filters and purge vortex filters.
• Check all pumps for clogging.
• Maintain proper water levels.
• Skim off pond surface and vacuum bottom of pond (if no bottom drain).
• Remove any excess algae from waterfalls or pond.
• Trim and clean back dead foliage from all pond plants.

Fall and Winter Closings:

• Net ponds that will collect much leaf fall.
• Remove dying back tropical oxygenating plants.
• Insert pond heaters and turn them on around mid November.
• Make sure air stones are running only 12 inches below surface and not from pond bottom (to prevent cold water on the bottom).
• Shut down waterfalls (running water is colder than still water).

Upgrades:

Upgrades are any additional work done to an already existing pond that was not originally installed by Pond & Landscape. They can be an assortment of services such as: adding a stream or waterfall, adding a new filter system (very common) plus liner replacements or concrete restoration, installing skimmer boxes, doing much needed clean outs, or adding new fish and plants.