We are heading into spring and here at Lyn’s Ponds and Pavers and Lyn’s Garden Market we are preparing. LGM started back in the third week of January, and has over 6,000 young plants growing in their greenhouses right now. Additional plants, pottery, soils, fertilizers, trees, shrubs and so on, are arriving daily. Look for LGM to be open full time as of the First of March, with plenty of your favorite spring flowers. Meanwhile LP&P has orders of koi, goldfish, and pond supplies getting ready for arrival. Now is the time to start thinking about any landscaping projects you want to tackle in the 2008 season. This includes new pond and paver projects. Just because it is cold is no reason to hold off, ponds and pavers can be installed virtually any time of the year. Actually, now is the best time to set up an appointment and go over your project since time slots fill up quickly in early spring. That being said, the main theme of this month’s article is directed at those of you already owning a pond. At this time we want to stress to you the importance of routine SPRING MAINTENANCE! We have limited space, so call us with any questions beyond what we can cover here.

Yes it’s true that no matter how good your filtration system may or may not be, throughout the course of last year and even the very beginning of this year, at least some organic debris has built up. Whether it is on the bottom, on the plant shelves, in between the decorative rock lining (if so adorned), or in the filtration system itself, it’s in there. Debris, such as uneaten fish food, fish waste, aquatic plant waste, grass clippings and so on, has settled down into your pond. Even if you have an adequate filter system with a skimmer and bottom drain some debris will have settled into your pond. This organic debris or castoff, also called detritus, if left unchecked, will lead to various problems. I have cleaned out ponds that have been left without yearly clean outs for up to 10 years, the detritus having built up to depths over 12 inches. This is an extreme case, but even an inch of build up, or a filter not cleaned for a year or two is a haven for many parasites, anaerobic bacteria (bad bacteria), and a wide range of diseases and is a toxic gas production zone. Will one year of build up lead to diseased fish? I will not say this is for sure and definite in only one year, there are many factors. However I will say that it is not good and maylead to less severe problems which in time will lead to diseased fish. It is merely a matter of time until problems arise. In all the cases of neglect I have been called in on it has lead to a serious problem, which is the very reason they called me. Do not wait until there is a problem! By this time it may very well be too late for some or all of your fish! Please don’t risk it, trust me. I have seen some horrible things happen to the family pet fish and it is heart breaking.

Now I will sum up your pond in the winter months and into spring as best I can. During the warmer months of last year your fish and filter hopefully were just fine, clear water and healthy fish. However, as the water temperatures dropped from 70’s to high 50’s you noticed the fish begin to slow up a bit. Then down to 40 you saw them come to an almost motionless state (you did stop feeding when the water hit 50 right?). Now as the fish came to a standstill at these low temps, their internal systems, including their immune system, came almost to a halt as well. The good news is that as the temps hit the 40’s the parasites, bad bacteria etc. also went dormant. Even though many people panic in the dead of winter when the temps are the lowest thinking this is harming the fish, the reality is that in this temperature zone (Southern New Jersey) they are fine as long as your pond is 24” deep or more and there is some circulation. For just a second I want to break slightly off topic to dispel a myth that I have heard more than a few times. Your fish DO NOT freeze solid during the cold months and simply thaw out in spring and continue on their merry way. That being said, let’s talk about the warm up period.

Just before the water warms up and the fish can start feeding again at 50 degrees the fish have gone the longest time without food and are at their weakest. Also their immune systems are not operating at peak performance until around 70 degrees. Now the bad news, the parasites and bacteria that I mentioned before, the bad guys, became active around 45 degrees, before your fish have had a chance to feed regularly and build up their immune system. Their bodies are under siege 20 degrees in advance. This makes spring the trickiest time of the year for your fish. Most of the problems a pond owner will encounter will be in this few week corridors, referred to as ‘spring pond sickness’. Now to be fair many problems that occur in a properly maintained and filtered pond during spring are minor in some cases remedying themselves as their immune systems strengthen. However, if not observed closely and without proper maintenance, things can get very ugly and many fish have lost their lives to ‘spring pond sickness’. Many family pet fish, many named by the children and grandchildren, have died horrible deaths due to parasitic and bacterial infections in the very beginning or spring before they have even had a chance to enjoy those long sunny summer days!

What should you do? Make sure you have a properly designed and filtered pond, stocked at the right rate, and have plenty of plants. Always provide routine pond maintenance! Observe your fish closely on a regular basis, and at the first sign of trouble call a qualified, experienced and reliable pond and fish expert!