Long term care tips for ponds.

Now you are a proud owner of a beautiful pond it is wise to remember, that like everything else in the garden, ponds need regular attention to keep them healthy and looking their best for longer. Each pond is unique, it's location, the amount of sunlight it gets, the number of fish inside, the amount of debris falling in, etc. will all affect the level of maintenance it requires. The below guide lines are for an average pond in Qld and should be adjusted to fit around your particular pond.

 Here are some tips:

• Just like with a swimming pool, remove as much fallen in debris as possible, before it has the chance to turn into sludge.
• Clean the pumps and filters regularly. Approximately every 4 weeks in the summer and every 8 weeks in the winter.
• Keep you plants in pots and keep an eye on the roots. If you have a concrete pond with a waterproofing membrane, make sure the roots do not grow into the membrane. If needed, protect the area with a piece of pond liner or move and inspect the pots every time you are doing a pump clean, for example.
• Remove dead leaves and flowers from plants.
• If you have fish, do not over feed them. Everything they do not eat will end up as food for algae and bad bacteria. If your fish are comfortable with you and feed as soon as you throw food in, add a tiny pinch of food at a time and stop adding when the fish stop eating. If your fish are shy, add a little pinch and give them some space to eat the food, returning in a few minutes or so to see if there is any food still floating on the top. Add some more if all the food is gone, stopping when they stop eating.
• To avoid unnecessary fish loss, when topping up a pond with more than 10% using town-water, make sure you use a chlorine and chloramine neutraliser. Carefully follow instructions on the bottle.
• Keep an eye on the fish population. The rule of thumb is 1 medium goldfish per 50L of water. Overpopulation will cause a disbalance in a pond making it high maintenance and difficult to manage.
• If your depth allows, conduct some light vacuuming every 3-6 months, to collect the sludge and ammonia from the bottom. You will need a pond vacuum for this or you can simply call a professional. 

                      Happy Pond Keeping