Spring is upon us and it's getting warmer every day.  The nitrifying bacteria in your biological filter are just beginning to grow.  We certainly do not want to disturb its tender balance once it's had time to colonize and become established so NOW is the time to clean the pond thoroughly before the warm weather kicks in.  A thorough cleaning involves placing the fish in a holding tank and draining the pond completely.  Opening the pond goes beyond just cleaning.  It involves replacing UV lamps and getting the equipment up and running.  We offer Opening Services in the North Georgia and Metro Atlanta areas and we clean ponds all the time.  We've found short cuts and know what NOT to do. These step-by-step instructions will help you clean and open your pond like a pro!

It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it! If you are that lucky person it’s time to slap on your rubber boots, roll up your sleeves and arm yourself with the right tools. Here’s what you’ll need to make the job easier:

• Rubber gloves and boots

• A strong wet-vac or shop-vac

• A hose with spray nozzle

• A temporary holding tank (or several) for fish

• Netting or Cover for the holding tank

• Strong submersible pump with 2” flex hose

• Net to catch the fish

• 5-Gallon bucket

• Aerator (or pump) for holding tank

• Gardening scissors or snips to trim plants

• De-Chlorinator (if using city or county water)

 

Prepare the Holding Tank

Use a hard plastic container (or more than one) that’s big enough to hold all the fish in your pond for a couple of hours. Most folks can use one that is 150 to 300 gallons. Locate the tank in an area that is shady and cool.  The garage is an excellent place to put it.  Set up an aeration unit or have another pump circulating the water to create splash.  Pump enough water from your pond into the holding tank to fill it until about a foot from the edge of the container. (You wouldn’t want your fish to jump out during this time of stress).

Drain MOST of the Water Out of the Pond

If you've had your pond covered with netting all winter, pull it back, keeping as much of the leaves and debris that has collected on top of the netting from falling out and into the pond.  If the netting is inexpensive you can simply throw the bundle away.  If it's an expensive netting you'll need to place it aside for now and later shake the debris out of it, let it dry, fold it and store it until it's needed again.  We want to drain as much water out of the pond as we can so the fish have nowhere to run. This will help us catch the fish.  If you've ever tried catching fish with a net in a large pond full of water you know how frustrating it can be. 

Transfer Fish to the Holding Tank

Fill your 5-gallon bucket half full with pond water.  Using a net catch the fish and transfer them to the bucket.  Take the bucket of fish over to your holding tank and gently transfer them into the tank.  Fish smaller than a foot and a half long will fit comfortably in the bucket.  Use large fish bags instead of the bucket for jumbo koi.  If you notice while handling the large koi that the gills are bleeding do not be alarmed.  This often happens with large females.  Cover the tank to prevent the fish from jumping out.  You can use netting or a place a board over the top leaving a small area open.  The Doc has been known to take the screens off our windows (!!!) and use them with a weight to keep them from flying off.  I personally would not suggest this for the sake of marital bliss.

Clean the Filter Media

Clean all filter material by pulling the material out and pressure washing it with the hose. Filter media comes in many forms. It could be lava rocks in the waterfall, filter pads in an outside-the-pond filter or matting used to filter the water before it is sucked into a submersible pump. Regardless of what type it is, you should take the filter apart, clean it and replace any matting that is worn out and shredded.  Bead filters and other pressurized filters do not necessarily need to be taken apart and cleaned.  Follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to clean the media inside.

Bead Filters

If you have one of our ProBead biofilters you should take the opportunity to perform a power backwash. This can be done by opening the ball valve at the drain located at the base of the filter while performing a regular backwash.  Let this run for a couple of minutes then close the valve.

To make your bead filter "like new" again we do a "filter maintenance" on the filter instead of performing a power backwash.  It involves opening up the unit, removing and cleaning the beads, rinsing the inside of the tank, replacing the beads and closing the unit back up.  This is not for the light-hearted but it makes such a difference in the performance of the filter.  If the bead filter is equipped with a blower, this type of filter maintenance is not necessary.  To make this step easier you can replace the beads instead of cleaning them.  The beads, however, are not cheap.  Our ProBeads have specific bead mixtures and we can certainly provide the correct mix for your ProBead.

WARNING:  If you have not removed the fish from the pond and your bead filter was closed down for the winter, DO NOT run the pond water through the filter and back to the pond unless the filter has been thoroughly cleaned first.  Harmful bacteria will breed inside the tanks, even during cold weather.  Circulating this bacteria throughout the pond can (and does) create health problems for your fish, any animal that drinks from the pond and humans who come in contact with it. 

Completely Drain the Pond and Turn Off the System

This can easily be done if you have a bead filter by simply turning the valve to the DRAIN position while the pump is running.  If using a submerged pump with flex hose you can re-route the hose to drain outside the pond instead of re-circulating the water.  Once the water is completely drained from the pond, turn off the pump.

Remove the Plants

Remove all the plants from the bottom of the pond and plant shelves.  In early spring water lilies may have a few bundles of small pads popping out of the corm.  Do not allow the young growth to dry out.  Place them either in the holding tank with the fish or in a separate bucket.  If there is no growth yet and the pots are bare you do not have to hold them in water for the small amount of time that they will be exposed.  If you have whole sections of water plants that have jumped the pot and growing on the liner you must make the decision of whether you want to remove the plants or let them lie.  If you remove them be prepared to repot them or throw them away.  If you allow them to stay put, no matter how many times you scour them with the force of the hose spray, you will always see dirty water coming out from of the roots.   

Pressure Clean the Rocks

Thoroughly clean the stream, waterfall and rocks that surround the pond by using the pressure spray nozzle on the hose. You may have to pull some string algae off the rocks by hand. Allow the muck that comes out from between the rocks to flush down to the bottom of the pond.

If the bottom of your pond is lined with rocks our sympathies go out to you. It’s next to impossible to clean out all the muck that falls between them.  Now would be a wonderful time to remove them!  (Refer to our article titled, “Turn Your Pond Into a Cess Pool — In One Easy Lesson” ).

Vacuum Out the Muck

A wet-vac or shop-vac is something a pond owner should never be without.  The stronger the vac, the better!  With the wet-vac suck out all the muck that has washed down from the top of the waterfall, etc. and all the fine dirt that has, throughout the season, settled to the bottom of the pond.  Spray the sides of the pond down with the force of the hose but do not scrub them and use your wet-vac to suck up all that collects from that.  A second person is very helpful during this phase of our cleaning process.  The wet-vac will constantly need to be turned off and emptied outside the pond.  A second person can empty the vac without the one inside the pond having to constantly climb out and do it himself.

Clean Up the Plants

Before returning the plants to the pond be sure to clean them up first so that the plants do not "track in" old dirt.  Remove by hand or gentle spray from a hose any string algae that may be clinging to the plants or pots.  Trim off any dead leaves left over from last season.  Take the opportunity now to repot and split any plants that need it.  (Don't do the Lotus yet)  The plants can always go in last and can even be held in water for a week or so to give you time to repot them.

Refill the Pond

Turn on the hose and begin refilling the pond.  While you’re doing this fill a portion of the holding tank with new water (don’t forget to de-chlorinate).  Pump out some of the water then fill a portion again. Do this several times so that the temperature of the water gradually decreases/increases to the temperature of the new pond water.  We suggest that you use Ultimate instead of regular de-chlorinator in the pond when you first fill it up.  Ultimate removes chlorine while detoxifying ammonia and nitrites.  During early spring when the water temperatures are not very high the biological filter will not be established and this is the time when your pond will experience ammonia and nitrite spikes that can kill your fish. 

Clear Out the Baskets

Empty the contents from all baskets on the skimmers and external pumps.

Replace the Fish

Again, it’s easier if you drain most of the water out of the holding tank before trying to catch the fish.  Place them in the bucket and transport them to the pond.  Release them immediately into de-chlorinated pond water.

Turn the System Back On

The hard part is over.  The cleaning is done.  If you have an external pump you may have to prime it by filling the leaf pot with water.  Some systems when they first crank up will spit back a little dirty water.  That's okay.  It will pass.

UV Maintenance

While the nitrifying cycle is developing DO NOT run the UV.  It will kill the delicate budding good bacteria.  Now is the time, however, to check out the equipment and order any replacement lamps or parts. 

Before plugging in the power supply to your UV it is advisable to first check the quartz sleeve for moisture.  If the lamp gets the least bit damp while it's plugged in to electricity you can not only blow the lamp but the transformer as well.  That can lead to big bucks.  If the glass components (lamp and quartz sleeve) were not removed for the winter it's very possible the quartz sleeve may be cracked.  To check for this remove the lamp and power supply and allow water to run through the unit for a couple of days with the quartz sleeve intact.  There should be NO MOISTURE what-so-ever inside that tube!  You can run your finger inside the quartz sleeve and feel for moisture - but I  must warn you - if the sleeve is broken you might cut your finger.  Another way to check is after the system has run for several days you can turn it off and remove the quartz sleeve.  Dry the outside of the sleeve with a paper towel and look through it to see if there are any water spots or condensation inside the tube.  Take a dry paper towel and wipe the inside to see if there is any dampness.  If you find moisture inside you must replace the quartz sleeve.  Manufacturers also suggest that we replace the O-Rings and Gaskets on the quartz sleeve as well.  That is a good idea because worn gaskets can allow moisture in.             

Plug in the power supply with the lamp attached but DO NOT look at the lamp while it's glowing.  If the lamp comes on everything is fine with the transformer.  If it doesn't it may either be the transformer or the lamp.  In either case, the lamp should be replaced every year because it loses strength over time and an old lamp, even though it still shines, will no longer be effective against the algae.  Go ahead and order your replacement lamp (and quartz sleeve if you see moisture inside).

Once the nitrifying cycle is functioning you can safely plug in your UV and begin enjoying a clear pond.

Here are some items you might need when opening your pond:

Replacement Filter Material and Pads

Replacement Lamps, Quartz Sleeves, O-Ring Kits and Power Supplies

	Ultimate Water Conditioner Removes Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia, Chlorine & Chloramines Safe for Salt, Reef, Live Rock & Fresh Water Aquariums & Ponds. Ultimate is a "full-function" water conditioner that works in the principle way that Amquel Plus does.  It removes ammonia and chlorine, destroys chloramines, detoxifies nitrite and heavy metals, boosts alkalinity, replaces skin-slime coat, adds electrolytes, reduces stress and instantly "ages" water. Great for new ponds where biological bacteria have not been established, for under-filtered ponds where persistent ammonia and nitrite readings occur and for over-stocked ponds.
	Ultimate 32 oz. Bottle.......treats 1920 gals.....$ 19.95
	Ultimate Gallon Size.......treats 7680 gals.....$ 69.95
Not all test kits will give you proper readings when Ultimate is used.  For accurate test results use only Kordon or Pond Care by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals brands of Ammonia and Nitrite drop test kits.

		The Doc's Prescription De-Chlor The Doc's own brand of de-chlorinator safely removes chlorine instantly from tap water, making water changes safe for fish while saving you a few dollars.
		32 oz. Bottle @ $19.95 treats 9600 gals.	DDeChlor32
		16 oz. Bottle @ $10.95 treats 4800 gals.	DDeChlor16

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