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SPRING MAINTENANCE
- CONDUCT A PARTIAL WATER CHANGE OF UP TO THIRTY PERCENT. DECHLORINATE THE WATER IF NECESSARY. CLEAN OUT THE BIOFILTER AND SET IT UP AFTER THE WATER CHANGE HAS BEEN DECHLORINATED AND THE WATER TEMPERATURE HAS STABLIZED ABOVE 50 DEGREES.
- AS SOON AS THE WATER STABLILIZES ABOVE 50 DEGREES, THEN YOU NEED TO ADD SOME KIND OF BACTERIA TO START THE YEAR OFF RIGHT AND GET THE BIO-FILTER GOING. EXAMPLES OF THESE ITEMS ARE; MICROBE-LIFT PL, SAVIO BENEFICIAL BACTERIA, ECOFIX, EZ-2 POND CLARIFIER, & CLARITY MAX.
- REPOT AND DIVIDE PLANTS. IF THE PLANTS ARE NOT REPOTTED, BEGIN REGULAR MONTHLY FEEDING FOR THE PLANTS.
SUMMER MAINTENANCE
- KEEP DYING LEAVES AND SPENT FLOWERS REMOVED. SKIM OFF THE POLLENS AND SEEDS TO PREVENT RANDOM GERMINATION IN THE POTS OF THE MARGINAL PLANTS. DEPENDING ON THE TEMP. YOU MAY FEED YOUR FISH UP TO 3 TIMES A DAY BUT DO NOT LEAVE THE FOOD IN THE WATER FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES. IF IT IS A DESIRED TO SAVE THE NEW BORN FISH THEN YOU SHOULD NET THEM AND MOVE THEM TO AN AQUARIUM UNTIL MATURE ENOUGH TO LIVE IN THE POND.
AUTUMN MAINTENANCE
- KEEP FALLEN LEAVES AND DEBRIS FROM THE POND. LEAVES WILL SETTLE TO THE POND BOTTOM IN ONLY A FEW DAYS AND START DEDCOMPOSING. MANY TYPES OF LEAVES, SUCH AS MAPLE AND PINES, WILL PRODUCE TANNIC ACID THAT TURNS THE WATER BROWN AND CAN BE TOXIC TO FISH.
- CONTINUE FEEDING FISH WHAT THEY WILL EAT IN FIVE MINUTES. SWITCH TO WHEAT GERM OR SPRING AND AUTUMN FOODS AS THE WHEATHER COOLS AND THEIR METABOLISM SLOWS DOWN.
- PRUNE ALL REMAINING WATER LILY GROWTH A BIT ABOVE THE PLANTS CROWN AND LOWER THE PLANTS TO THE DEEPEST PART OF THE POOL WHERE THEY WILL REMAIN ICE-FREE.
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Pond Maintenance