Fishpond Care in Summer

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related articles: Pond Algae Control
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How to care for a backyard pond in summer

After you have cleaned and re-planted your garden pond in spring all water-flora grew and your pond fish started swimming again through the water garden after their long period of hibernation. In summer, fishpond care takes less pains than your pond cleaning in spring, but your need to have a close eye on water quality and aeration of the entire aquatic ecosystem. We suggest to control the pH-factor periodically. With pH-test sets you are able to check acidity and hardness of your pond water. How to care for a backyard pond in summer? We advice to keep the pH-factor between 7 -7,5 and the water hardness balanced around 4. All values also depend on the relationship of pond volume and amount of fish. For the health of all your water life avoid heavy fluctuations of the pH-factor.

To keep track on the biological balance in your fishpond it is our suggestion that you write in a pond calendar all changes in your water garden together with all measurements.

This makes fishpond care in summer much easier, because you are able to check back in your notes for the reasons of suddenly appearing problems in your aquatic ecosystem.

With increasing temperatures outside also your pond water is getting warmer what worsens water quality as well as living conditions of all water life. Your can simply avoid lack of oxygen in your aqua garden by installing a waterfall, a pond stream or a  fountain to increase water circulation.

The following will show how to care for a fishpond in summer not only by checking pH-factor periodically and increasing aeration with floating pond fountains and water pumps (see related article: How to install Pond Pumps), but also how to avoid excessive algae growth. Put underwater pond plants in your water garden. This will increase the amount of oxygen and reduce harmful substances in the water. Against intensive warming of a garden pond you should bring floating pond plants like Water Lilies, Hydrocleys and Eichhornia (Water Hyacinths) in your water garden. Anacharis is also a perfect choice for your fishpond to increase water quality and reduce excessive algae growth. Only worst cases of water pollution we suggest a partial change of the water in your backyard pond.

Fishpond Care in Summer | Stop Algae Growth

A very common problem is excessive algae growth in a pond during summertime. Algae control and pond maintenance in summer are vital to fight all kind of algae, duckweed and pond water that's getting green. Algae growth occurs even after best garden pond care, just because to many nutrients could get into the aquatic eco system.

Algae in a garden pond grow:

• from nutrients that come from rotten foliage and leaves that were not take out,
• from lots of fertilizer in the water,
• from to many excrements of the water life,
• from pollen count in springtime,
• from less circulation and exchange of your pond water,
• from warm water as a result of insufficient shadow spending floating pond plants.

There are various ways of oxygen supply for fishponds to keep water conditions healthy and balanced. We suggest Anacharis as a very helpful garden pond plant that produces oxygen by reducing harmful substances from the water. Anacharis binds lots of nutrients, like all floating water flora that takes its nutrients direct from the water and filters the pond.

The foundation for the growth of green algae or string algae and for your fishpond becoming cloudy by plankton may be laid already in spring, when fertilizer for grass and garden plants was unintentionally washed into the pond. Always avoid that garden fertilizer or even garden soil can get into your water garden by rain and pollute the water. But also to much fish food or food that is rich on nutrients can cause algae in a fishpond. Look for quality fish food and avoid over feeding your fish.

With bio filters, and biological clarifiers (aqua clean) your are able to bind big amounts of organic and inorganic substances without doing any harm to the natural pond environment, to important bacteria, and without destroying the ecological balance in your aqua garden. Just to get rid of a few string algae you can use a rough, not lacked stick. By turning the stick around in the water, you can rollup the string algae and get easily a greenfree garden pond. From dark to light green shining, string algae can become several inches long. You should remove these green algae, before it spreads excessively and tangles up with your pond plants. Just small amounts of green algae don't harm your pond, - instead they can help to increase water quality.