Spring is just the most energizing season. As things gradually stir from their winter hibernation, there are a few things that you can do to ensure your water garden gets off to a great start this Spring.

Does your waterscape require a full Spring clean out this season or does it simply need to be cleaned up a bit? Fortunately there’s a few things you can check in your water garden to see if you need to call a professional, or simply do it yourself. First of all, if there is a layer of “muck” at the base of the water garden and the water is dim near the bottom, it would be a good idea to do complete a full wipe out.

Spring Cleanout – Aquascapes

Then again, if there’s only a handful of leaves and brush that you can mix up and catch with a net and the water looks clear, a bit of cleaning up is all that the water feature really needs! Plan on spending a half to an entire day to finish a small water feature. A Pondless® Waterfall will take much less time.

The best time to perform a pond clean-out is the early spring, before your water garden completely awakens from its winter dormancy – ideally before the water temperature in the pond creeps above 55º F. If a clean-out is performed when the water is warmer, after bacteria colonies form, the balance of the ecosystem will again be thrown off and your pond will go through another “green phase” before the bacteria colonies re-establish themselves again.

Drain the Pond / Pondless® Waterfall

• Place the clean-out pump in the deepest point of the pond (or in the Pondless® Waterfalls Snorkel™) in order to get plenty of the muck out first.
• Drain the water into the surrounding landscape. You’ll want to relocate the pipe a few times to allow the water to seep into the ground and not flood the yard with water. As one area becomes diluted, simply move the pipe to a different location.
• Don’t keep the fish in the holding pool for more than several hours. Keep them in a shady spot with a net over the top of the pool to prevent them from jumping out.
• If you have fish, use some of this pond water to fill up your holding pool. The fish can be removed from the pond using a net once the water is low enough so you can easily catch them. Don’t put the fish in fresh water, but if you have to, be sure to acclimate them slowly.

Don’t Overdo the Cleaning

• Rinse the inside of the pond with water. You can also use a pressure washer to help remove debris from the rocks and gravel if you must.
• Don’t try to scrub all of the algae away. Some algae on the rocks will prove beneficial in developing your natural ecosystem in the water garden. For an average size pond (11′ x 16′) this should take around 15 minutes.
• Use the gentle stream from a garden hose to rinse the rocks and gravel. Start at the top and work your way down to the bottom. Periodically turn the clean-out pump on to remove the dirty water. You can discontinue the periodic pumping once the water rinsing down to the bottom begins to look clear. Be sure to get all rocks if possible. Remove the pump and begin filling the pond.

Cleaning the Filters

• Remove any debris from the bottom of the skimmer and Snorkel™ Vault. This can be done by hand or by using the cleanout pump. Ensure the debris is entirely gone and both are clean.
• Remove the media nets and filter pads from the BioFalls® Filter. (Not included with the Pondless® Waterfall). If you have the optional drain kit attached to your Signature Series™ BioFalls® Filter, you can open up the valve and rinse the media and filters. Once the filters have been removed rinse them free of accumulated debris.
• The filter media and mats can be put back to where they were, and the waterfalls pump can be reattached in the Snorkel™ Vault or skimmer.

Putting Your Fish Back into their Clean Home

• If you’re on city water, it’s imperative that you add a Aquascape Pond Detoxifier to the water so it is safe for fish.
• Dip a five-gallon bucket, or similar sized container, in the holding tank and fill it with water.
• After you’ve caught a fish, place it in the bucket and set the buckets in the clean water.
• After about 15 minutes, periodically begin splashing some pond water into the bucket.
• By now, the temperature of the pond and the bucket water should be close to the same. You are ready to spill the fish into their spring-cleaned home.