A thorough cleaning is only necessary every 2-4 years. Make sure you plan ahead
so this job can be completed in one day. Autumn has proven to be the best time
for these tasks since your fish are at their healthiest and temperatures are
modest. This also allows you to thoroughly remove any fallen tree leaves that
might otherwise be missed.
- Prepare a temporary home for any fish and scavengers in a quarantine system, kiddie pool, clean trash can, cooler (do not close the lid) or other suitable plastic container in a shaded area. Use the water from the pond to fill container. Aerate the water using an air pump and air stone (preferred) or a pump with a bubbler fountain.
- Drain the pond to about 6 inches using a Pond Cleanout Kit, being careful where your water discharges to. Flower beds and lawns relish the nutrient enriched water while your neighbors may not.
- While the water is draining, clean the filters. This will save you time and reduce the time that the fish are in their temporary home.
- Net fish and scavengers. It’s easier to scoop them up at this point then with the pond full. Transfer them to their temporary home and cover container with netting to prevent them from jumping out.
- Remove container plants from the pond. Cover plants with wet newspaper and set them in the shade. You’ll want to do this after you remove the fish as this may cloud the water making it more difficult to see.
- Continue draining the pond until the pump cannot remove any more water. Use a plastic bucket to finish the job.
- Collect debris and sludge from the bottom of the pond with a wet-dry vacuum or broom and plastic dustpan. DO NOT use metal tools as they may puncture your liner.
- Rinse pond walls and rocks with a garden hose. DO NOT scrub the moss like algae from the walls. There are beneficial bacteria colonized there and this will reduce the effectiveness of your ecosystem resulting in ammonia and nitrite spikes. Pump out the rinse water.
- Make any repairs to your pond if necessary, especially if you found a leak. This is the best time to patch any holes.
- Refill the pond. If possible, use a spray nozzle to dissipate chlorine/chloramines into the air. Treat water with dechlorinator and anti-stress medication to benefit the fish.
- Add an optional dose of salt (1 pound of solar or sea salt per 100 gallons of water) over 2-4 days to deter bacteria, fungus, and parasites.
- Add nitrifying bacteria to help kick start your ecosystem to guard against toxic buildup of ammoniafrom fish waste.
- If aquatic plants appear root-bound, now is the time to divide them prior to placing them back into the pond if there is still at least one month before the anticipated first frost.
- Check the temperature and pH of the new water. Adjust the pH if it is more than 0.2 points different from the old water. Pump some of the new pond water into the temporary home for your fish slowly. You should do this until you have doubled the amount of water in the temporary home and the water temperature is within 3 F.
- Net the fish and scavengers from the temporary home placing them in spacious buckets of the blended water. Transfer them back into the pond lower the bucket into the new clean pond, then tilting so the fish can swim out. It is okay to put some of your old pond water into the clean water. There are beneficial microorganisms in the holding tank water.
- Sit back and enjoy your sparkling clean and healthy pond.