Cycle of Care for a New Water Feature
• After your water feature is installed, fill it with water and let it stand for several days before adding any fish or plants. This removes chlorine and allows the water to warm. If you are using city water, check with a fish store for the necessary neutralizers.
• Add oxygenating plants: one bunch for every two square feet of water surface.
• Add other hardy plants and water lilies, placing them at their correct depth, ideally shading one third to one half of the water surface.
• Wait to add tropical plants (some water lilies, water hyacinths, water lettuce, etc.) until the water temperature is above 70°F.
• Add fish to the pool by floating a plastic bag containing the fish in the water feature in a shady spot for half an hour. This allows the water temperature to equalize between the two. Slowly add pond water to the bag, then wait a few minutes before releasing the fish by slowly tipping the bag into the water.
• Wait a few days before feeding your fish for the first time. When you feed, give only what they will eat in 5 minutes. Remove any extra food, it can affect the pond balance.
• To keep your plants healthy and blooming, feed them on a regular basis using a fertilizer designed for water plants.
• Algae is a normal part of the life cycle in your pond. New water features will develop what is called an algal bloom within a few weeks of being set up. If left alone, the algae will consume the available nutrients in the water, die off and settle to the sides and bottom, leaving the water relatively clear. To help minimize algal blooms, you must find a balance of fish, plants and food/fertilizer. There are chemical methods to control algae, but they often lead to other problems. Filter systems are also available to aid in keeping clear water, but shouldn't be necessary if a balance is maintained.
• Add water to the feature as needed. During hot or windy days, water can evaporate quickly. Avoid disturbing the balance in your water feature by correcting the water level frequently. Adding large amounts of fresh water often leads to a new algal bloom as the pond strives to rebalance itself.
• As your plants mature, remove any yellow leaves and old flowers.
• In the fall, remove the leaves from all hardy submerged plants and move them to the lowest part of the pond. To keep leaves from ending up in the water, you may want to stretch a piece of netting (such as the type sold to keep birds out of fruit trees) over your pond. Fall is a good time to clean up the bottom of the pool, removing excess organic matter.
• If your fish are staying outdoors, stop feeding your fish by mid-September. Don't feed your plants again until they are actively growing in the spring.
• Hardy fish and plants can stay in the pool as long as it does not freeze solid. You can use a water pump or heater to keep it open for the winter. Tropical fish (such as Koi) should be kept indoors over winter in our climate.
• If your pond is not deep enough and freezes solid, remove your plants and fish to a warm spot. A child's pool works well for the fish. Store lilies in a cool (40°) place, keeping them damp with burlap or wet peat moss until spring. Place hardy plants back in the pool when the water temps are above 40° and fish when the water temp reaches 55°.
• Algal blooms often occur each spring, even in a mature pond. If you let the water go through its cycle once again, the algae will settle to the sides and the bottom, leaving clear water for you to enjoy.
Recommended Products MacCourt Pools: rugged preformed pools available in various shapes and sizes. Flexible Liners: Bachman's stocks bulk rolls of flexible pond liners (both pvc and butyl rubber) available in several widths and thicknesses (measured in mils). These materials are sold by the lineal foot. In almost all cases, custom cut liners are available within a few days of ordering. Carefully calculate the dimensions you will need taking into account the width, length, depth and allowing for overlap along all the edges. Plants: Bachman's carries a wide selection of hardy and tropical water plants throughout the growing season. Pond Tabs: fertilizer for water lilies and other submerged plants. Pumps: Choose from a wide selection of pumps for circulating the water in your pool and use with fountains. Fountains and Statuary: Bachman's offers a wide variety of fountains and statuary to enhance your water feature.
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