In summer, your garden pond needs proper care. Fish and plants are active during the warm season. Fish food, fish droppings, faded flowers, and algae can quickly contaminate the water. Algae can spread explosively in summer. A lack of oxygen can quickly occur, posing a serious threat to fish and plants. You should therefore check the water values daily and take the appropriate countermeasures if necessary. Some fish and plants do not like direct sunlight. You should provide shade.
The Blooming Life in your Garden Pond
From June to August (Germany), life blooms in your garden pond in the summer months. You take advantage of the free time to linger by your pond, watching the fish and enjoying the flowering plants. The sun warms the pond water, and algae growth is encouraged. Quickly, the pond water and your enjoyment of the pond can become clouded. To prevent this, you should control the water values and the water temperature.
The water temperature should remain as constant as possible. Since the sun evaporates a lot of water on hot days, you need to top up cold water. By shading your pond, you will prevent heavy algae growth, heavy evaporation, and severe plant damage. If your pond is not under trees, you can use an awning or a parasol for shade, depending on the size of your pond. A bridge can also be a good idea. Not only does it look decorative, but it also provides shade. When the sun is intense, the fish like to stay under the bridge.
Seven Essential Tips and Measures for Your Pond in Summer
1) Keep the Water Temperature Under Control
To check the water temperature daily, you should place a thermometer in your pond. You should make sure that the water temperature does not climb higher than 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius). Higher temperatures are not suitable for the fish and encourage algae growth. Tap water can regulate the temperature best and has the right degree of hardness, and rainwater is too soft and can promote algae formation. You will need to add water if the water level drops. The best way to keep the temperature constant is to shade the pond around midday.
2) Check the Water Levels Regularly
To prevent the pond from tilting, you should check the water values regularly. Rapid tests are the best to use. You can use test sticks with an accompanying pH scale. All you have to do is dip the test sticks into the water and then compare them to the pH scale. The pH value should be between 6.5 and 8.5. The ideal pH value is between 7 and 8.
However, you should not only check the pH value. You can determine the water values individually with a droplet test. You take the water with a test tube and mix it with a test liquid. You can also use a color scale with the droplet test.
In addition to the pH value you test
- carbonate hardness, which should be between 50 ppm and 200 ppm (60 and 10 degrees dKH)
- total hardness, which should be between 180 and 260 ppm (10 and 15 dH)
- Ammonium and ammonia content, which should be 0 ppm (0 mg per liter)
- nitrite content, which should also be only 0 ppm (0 mg per liter)
- nitrate content, which should not exceed 25 ppm (25 mg per liter)
Water hardness parameters are often measured in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/L). They can be thought of simply as the total amount of metal ions dissolved within an aqueous solution.
The carbonate hardness influences the pH value. Fish urine, rainwater, and various bacteria can cause the pH to become acidic. With an appropriately high carbonate hardness, the pond can better handle such fluctuations. If the water is too soft, the biological processes in the pond will not run properly. You can increase the total hardness of the water if you add fresh water to your pond.
Ammonium is produced by the decomposition of organic material and by excretions of the fish. If the pH is too high, ammonium can be converted to ammonia. It would be best to replace some of the water at ammonia levels as low as 0.2 ppm (0.2 mg per liter). You should replace 25 percent of the water if the value is up to 1 ppm (1.0 mg per liter). If the level is higher, you need to replace up to 75 percent of the water.
Nitrite blocks the oxygen content of the water and means a death sentence for the fish. If your pond has a biological balance, nitrite is converted to nitrate, which is mainly harmless. Excess nitrate accelerates algae growth. To prevent this, you can replace some of the water with nutrient-rich rainwater if the nitrate level exceeds 0.25 ppm (0.25 mg per liter).
3) Pump With a Filter in Continuous Use
To ensure that your pond water is always sufficiently supplied with oxygen in the summer and that the water remains constantly clear, you should run the pump and filter continuously. A pond pump with a filter will make your job easier and help rid your pond of string algae.
Filters can prevent the dangerous accumulation of nitrate and ammonia. For the filter pump to perform at total capacity, you should clean the filter once a week. During the summer months, the pump should also operate at night.
Various aquatic plants such as flowering rush can decrease nutrient levels and increase oxygen levels. If there is a lack of oxygen, you should aerate your pond. You can also compensate for low oxygen levels with a UVC clarifier. It counteracts the formation of floating algae.
4) Regularly Remove Algae
To ensure that your fish are sufficiently supplied with oxygen and feel comfortable, you should remove algae regularly. In a small amount, the algae should even be present. For various animals in the water, algae are an essential source of food. If too many algae are present, the biological balance can be disturbed.
Especially filamentous algae make life difficult for the fish. You can remove thread algae with a landing net or a special thread algae brush. You can also twist a stick in the water so that the algae wrap around like spaghetti.
If the algae infestation is already advanced, you should use unique algae killers. Within 24 hours, the filamentous algae will disappear if you apply the algaecide directly to them. The algae killer will not harm the fish and plants in your garden pond.
5) Take Care of the Water Plants
The aquatic plants require proper care in the summer. The plants have a significant influence on water quality. You should remove dead plant parts regularly, as they affect the water quality and promote algae formation. The plants should also not spread too much. Otherwise, they will affect the water quality. Use pruning shears to get to grips with plants that are growing too lush. Remove any parts of the plant that have bloomed off, and re-blooming will be encouraged.
Your pond care does not only concern the plants in the shallow and deep water zone. It will help if you water plants in the riparian area on hot summer days. To avoid fire damage, you should water the riparian plants in the morning or evening hours rather than midday.
6) Summer Food for the Fish
If you have fish in your pond, you should not give them too much food. The nutrient content will increase if the fish cannot eat the food. As a result, algae will form. You can use exceptional summer food for your fish. It is rich in proteins and promotes the growth of fish. The summer food contains micronutrients that the fish can utilize well. You reduce the excretions of the fish with summer food.
You should also check your fish for their activity and swimming behavior to detect diseases in time. You should pay attention to changes in the fins and mucous membrane.
7) Remove Sludge in the Pond
With the proper maintenance measures, you can prevent a thick layer of mud from forming. If a thick layer of mud does form, you should reach for a pond mud vacuum. Alternatively, you can use pond sludge remover.
Conclusion
Your garden pond needs proper care during the summer months to ensure good water quality. You should control the temperature and add cold water if the water is too warm. Furthermore, you need to check the water levels and replace the water if necessary. If the water level drops, add water. You should remove algae regularly, and you should feed the fish with care. Exceptional summer food is suitable. You should make sure that the aquatic plants do not spread too abundantly and remove dead plant parts.