Once winter has been left behind, spring is a great time to start doing some maintenance on your pond. Here are some helpful tips to help ensure healthy fish and plants:

Check All Equipment:
Now is a good time to check that all electrical equipment is in good working order.
It is also a good idea to replace filter media pads and to test your UV filter.

Cleaning:

Over the winter, dead leaves may have fallen into the pond and created a build-up of debris.
Spring is a good time to get a pond vacuum to remove this – these can be hired to save money.

When topping up the pond it is best to add de-chlorinator to the water so as not to shock the fish.

Fish Care:
It is wise to have a look at your fish after the winter in order to check their health.
A good way to do this is to net them one at a time and place them in a sure container with some pond water.
Have a good look at the fish and make sure that have clear eyes and no damage to their scales or fins.
Please seek expert advice before treating any fish.

Feeding:

Pond fish cannot digest normal pond food unless the water is over 10 Degrees Celsius.

Until the water is up to this temperature it is a good idea to only feed small amounts of wheat germ based food and to try and do this at the warmest part of the day.


Algae:
Once the water does warm up you will more than likely get an algae bloom – this is normal!
You can add floating plants to create less surface area which will assist in controlling the algae.