Basic Spring Pond Prep or " how not to do a catastrophic pond cleanout"

 An annual spring cleanout is an important chore when you own a backyard pond. It’s when you remove all the decaying organics that collected over the winter, trim back dead foliage, kick on your filtration and aeration systems, and generally spruce things up around your water garden wonderland.

But what if your pond was well-sheltered and protected from leaves and debris? Or what if you simply don’t have time to dedicate to all that cleaning and maintenance?

Well we have some shortcuts for you. Though it may be better in the long run to do a thorough cleanout at the start of the season, these five tips will cut down the time it takes to do your spring chores.

• Do a Partial Water Change: To help remove some floating and suspended debris, do a partial water change. Let 10 to 20 percent of your water drain from the pond, and add fresh water along with some Dechlor to remove heavy metals and prevent your fish from getting too stressed.
• Add Some Shine: Algaeoff will quickly shine up your waterfalls and shoreline rocks. It’s simple to use: As you’re doing your partial water change, sprinkle Algaeoff on scum-covered rocks, streams and liner before you refill your pond. In just 24 hours, you’ll see the gunk break free with no scrubbing at all!
• Vacuum Debris: Use your Pond Vacuum or rent ours for the day. it's to easily suck up gunk, sludge and decaying organics on the pond bottom. It has four different attachments – gravel, string algae, narrow and wide – along with extension tubes, so you can vacuum almost any surface. For debris larger than 3/8 inch, simply pull out your skimmer and pond nets and scoop it out.
• Add Spring & Fall Prep: To break down debris that your pond vacuum missed, add some Spring & Fall Prep beneficial bacteria to the water. The microorganisms, which are designed to work in cooler temperatures, will break down leaves and sediment that have collected over the winter. It also kick-starts your pond’s biological filtration system, priming it for summer.
• Rinse Your Filter Media: Finally, remove your filter media and give it quick rinse with your garden hose to break up and wash away any accumulated gunk. No need to scrub it too thoroughly; the bacteria living in the Fish floss or bioballs or pads will come back to life once temperatures rise.
• Add a barley bale: adding one now will start the process of breaking down and emitting algae preventing enzymes and more.
• Request A Spring Pond Opening Service from Arbordale Pondkeepers