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Water Garden Maintenance: Step-by-Step Pond Clean-out Guide
1. To prevent fish from being drawn into the impeller
of the pump, a sump pump with a screen, or your skimmer pump with chicken
wire around it, should be used to drain your pond. Use a 1.5 or 2-inch
flexible PVC pipe or similar material to discharge the water into the
surrounding landscape. Simply relocate the pipe two or three times to
allow the water to seep into the ground. (Note: this water is excellent
for fertilizing plants.) Don’t forget to use some of the pond water
to fill the container that will temporarily house the fish.
2. When the water settles down to about 6 inches deep,
unplug the pump and net the fish. Don’t waste your time trying to
catch the fish when the pond is full. It will create unnecessary stress
on you and them by doing so. Once netted, place your fish in the container
alongside your pond. If you have koi, make sure you cover the container
since koi may jump out.You may also find frogs or other creatures that
have overwintered in your pond and they too can be placed in the container
with the fish. Once your fish and critters are in the temporary holding
tank, begin hosing down the rocks and gravel.
3. A high-pressure nozzle on your hose, or a power washer
if you have one, should be used to clean the debris off the rocks. Don’t
try to scrub all the algae away. Some algae on the rocks will prove beneficial
in developing your ecosystem. For an average size pond (11’ x 16’)
this should take around 15 minutes.
4. The most time-consuming part of your cleanout will
be simply washing off, and removing debris from your rocks and gravel.
Do not use a power spray to do this. Use the water coming directly out
of your hose to wash the gravel. Be sure to keep your pump plugged in
while you’re doing this. Sediment trapped in the gravel will be
channeled to the deepest point of the pond and sucked out by your pump.
Clean the top shelves first, and work your way down to the lowest point
of your pond. When the water starts clearing up around the pump, you’re
done with the cleaning.This whole process should take about half a hour.
5. Clean out the skimmer box by sucking out the water,
and hosing it down.Also, make sure to clean out the net and hose down
the filter pad too.
6. You are now ready to clean your BIOFALLS® filter,
mats, and bags of lava rock. Simply hose these down until they’re
clear (15 minutes).
7. Now that most of the algae is removed and the gravel
is clean, remove the pump from the pond, return it to the skimmer, and
hook it up. You can now begin filling the pond.
8. Once your pond is half full you can prepare to reintroduce
your fish and plants. If you’re on city water, it’s imperative
that you add a de-chlorinating agent to neutralize the chlorine in the
water. Introducing your fish before de-chlorinating the water will result
in their death. City tap water is safe for humans to drink, but not fish.
Read the directions on the label, and add the appropriate amount. Dip
your five-gallon buckets into your holding tank and fill them with a few
inches of water. Add your fish into the buckets and float the bucket in
the new water.
9. After approximately fifteen minutes, periodically
begin splashing pond water into the bucket. By now the temperatures of
the pond and the bucket water should be close to the same. You’re
now ready to spill your fish back into their spring cleaned home.
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