Having a backyard pond is a wonderful way to improve the look and feel of your backyard. It can also provide years of relaxation and enjoyment if they are cared for properly. Like your house, your pond requires year round maintenance in order for it to function at it's best.

Spring:

Spring is usually a time for most people to clean up their yards, plant flowers and begin their large landscaping and home improvement projects for the year. The weather and the water in your fountain both begin to warm up; giving way for the plants to come back to life.

• Once the freezing weather has passed, it is a good time to start un-winterizing your pond.
• When the water temperature in your pond reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit on a consistent basis, it is time to start feeding your fish again with a cold-weather food. When the water reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit, point you can move to your full-season feeding program with them.
• Remove any accumulated debris that has built up throughout the winter. Debris such as leaves can be removed with a a skimmer type net with a square end that allows you to push it across the bottom of the pond scooping up the leaves. Natural decomposition of the debris can be accelerated by certain products such as EcoFix and Microbe Lift Sludge Away. Pond vacuums are also helpful with the removal of debris.
• When the plants start showing signs of life, turn on your pump again. Make sure it is cleaned thoroughly if it was shut down during the winter before you restart.
• Start fertilizing each of your plants at appropriate depth every 3 to 4 weeks for lotus and lilies and 5 to 7 weeks for marginal plants. As the weather becomes appropriate for each plant, add more plants as needed.
• To control the algae in your pond, you can use Anacharis at this time if that is one of your choices for controlling it. If an Ultraviolet sterilizer is used, turn this on after the biological filter to control your algae.

Summer:

• Continue to fertilize your plants
• Reduce debris buildup in your pond by removing dead foliage from it. Cut off any yellowed or brown leaves from any plants. Use a skimmer in the morning to catch any floating debris.
• Feed your fish 1 to 3 times a day and remember not to overfeed them. Feed your fish no more than they can eat in 5 minutes.
• Continue to clean your filters when needed. Clean your filters thoroughly before leaving on a vacation and ask someone to check on it every couple of days when you are gone.
• Hot weather decreases oxygen levels in your pond and can pose a problem for your fish. Aerators, waterfalls and fountains are ways to cool down the water and increase oxygen levels. Floating water plants are also helpful in keeping the water cool because they cover the pond's surface and create shade.
• Enjoy your water garden

Fall:

• Watch out for falling and rotting leaves in your pond. Laying a thin mesh net over your pond is helpful in keeping leaves out of your pond.
• Prepare your fish for the winter appropriately by feeding them more for about 6 weeks but be careful not to overfeed. Stop feeding your fish when the temperature reaches below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Leaf netting over your pond is a good way to protect them against their natural predators.
• Trim your aquatic plants down to about 3 inches. Some plants such as ornamental grasses can be left during the winter.

Winter:

• Be sure you keep a small area of the pond free of ice. Organics can produce toxic gasses when they decompose and these gasses could be trapped in the pond if it is covered by ice for more than a few days.It is important that you do not break the ice because your fish may be damaged or killed by the shock waves. A floating de icer is the best choice in keeping the area ice free.
• When the water temperature is less than 50 degrees, discontinue any bacteria treatments since the bacteria will not work in the colder temperatures.