Page 12 - AFD Pond Owners Handbook

Spring Summer
Maintenance
Maintaining Your Pond All Year
Now that you’ve decided
to dive into the world of Tthe dos and don’ts of water
water gardening, you’re
probably wondering
exactly what you need to
do to maintain your new
aquatic beauty, and keep
it looking good.
Maintenance maintenance water
your new ecosystem
12 The Pond Owner’s Handbook
Autumn
here is a lot of conflicting
information out there about
garden maintenance, so your head
may be spinning, wondering which
steps are necessary and which ones
aren’t. The whole point of installing
your pond in the first place was to
reduce the stress in your life, not
add to it.
Allow us to share a little bit of
water gardening knowledge with you
… the key to a low-maintenance water
garden is to keep your new ecosystem
in balance! Read on and learn how
to water garden the low-maintenance
way. Regardless of which type of
water feature you own, we’ll tell you
the best way to maintain it with the
least amount of work on your part!
“the key to a low
garden is to keep
in balance!”
www.afdpondsnj.com
Winter
EcoFloc clumps suspended General Maintenance
™
Ecosystem Ponds particles for easy removal. The Skimmer
The skimmer is designed to sweep
The key to keeping an all-natural water
EcoBlast Granular Algaecide
™
maintenance. The five elements of breaking down algae! Fast Acting or net inside the skimmer is the first t e k s a t e k s a
garden in check is general ecosystem
is Aquascape’s #1 treatment for
the surface of the water so that it is
d
. s i r b
e
T
e
d
e
s i r b
h
b
o r f e e r f
m
your ecosystem all need to be balanced
and not temperature sensitive.
in order to ensure that everything is
m
T . r e
m
h t f o e g a t s r e t l fi
i k s e
100% safe for fish.
h
b e
or net will collect leaves, twigs, seeds,
working smoothly. They are:
EcoStarter Plus Liquid removes
™
the pond. It only takes a few minutes
& detoxifies ammonia; destroys
Pumps and Plumbing
every other week to empty the debris
chloramines; detoxifies copper &
Rocks and Gravel
Mechanical and Biological Filters & detoxifies chlorine; removes and other debris that falls or blows into
basket or net. More frequent changes
heavy metals; boosts alkalinity;
Aquatic Plants
These elements must all be adds essential electrolytes; adds will be required during the autumn
Fish
3-part skin slime replacer; and
because of the quantity of leaves
present in order for the system reduces stress. falling off the surrounding trees.
to really work. Once your pond Preformed ponds and container It is a good habit during your first
is balanced, it’s not hard to gardens also differ from liner ponds season with the pond to periodically
see why maintaining a well- in the fact that leaks cannot be fixed. check the quantity of debris in the
balanced ecosystem is easy. With Preformed ponds and barrel liners basket or net. This is especially true
the exception of some seasonal are impossible to fix if cracked, and in the fall. Keep a mental note as to
maintenance, all you really need must be replaced. Evaporation is how often your basket or net has to be
to worry about is tossing a little also more common and much more emptied. It’s important that the debris
benecial bacteria into your pond noticeable because of the small basket or net is not allowed to become
and cleaning out your skimmer net amount of space. You can, however, too full, as too much debris can reduce
once every week or two. follow the same steps when refilling the water flow to the pump.
them as you do a natural liner pond.
Preformed and Container Lastly, over-doing plants and lowering Filter Mat
Water Gardens the fish load in your preformed pond The filter mat is the second stage
When it comes to preformed and or container water garden will help of the skimmer. The mat is designed
container gardens, maintenance is a balance the system better! to handle any debris that finds its way
little different. There are a few products past the basket or net. The mat will
that can be used when problems arise. Pondless Waterfall not need maintenance as frequently
®
Remember, the smaller the system, One of the greatest features of the h t s a b e k s a n r o t e n i s , t e c h t e b e k s a t e
the harder it is to achieve balance, so Pondless Waterfall Filter is that there or net will remove the majority of
®
a more repeated dosage of beneficial is very little maintenance. The system debris from the water.
The water reaching the pump
bacteria may be necessary. can be run 24 hours a day or can be should be relatively free of any
AquaClearer Extreme Dry is
turned off and on when desired. Don’t
™
forget to periodically check that there
effective at reducing sludge,
large debris, thanks to the debris
waste and excess nutrients. is enough water in the Pondless net and filter brushes on the Maintenance
®
Waterfall basin to properly operate
AquaClearer Extreme Liquid is
skimmer, and if you have a
™
effective at reducing ammonia,
the waterfalls. When you hear the
Pondless Waterfall, the fact that the
®
water has to pass through layers of
pump “gurgling” or sucking air, you
nitrites and excess nutrients.
™
from the water.
EcoFoam Away Removes foam know it is time to add water. gravel in the basin.
www.afdpondsnj.com The Pond Owner’s Handbook 13