Keep Your Backyard Pond in Great Shape this Summer with These Four Tips

There are a number of things you can do to keep your backyard background pond in great shape this summer, including maintaining your water levels, balancing your bacteria levels, and taking care of your fish and plant life.

Maintaining water levels. The heat of the summer will cause the water in your backyard pond to evaporate very quickly especially if you have water features like fountains or waterfalls. When you allow the water levels in your backyard pond to drop too low, your skimmer and pump will not operate properly.

Balancing bacteria levels. The heat and sun in the summer months cause algae to grow at a rapid pace. In order to keep your algae at a manageable level, you have to make sure the bacteria levels in your backyard pond stay balanced. While bacteria isn’t always seen as a good thing, balanced bacteria levels are a natural way to keep your pond free of algae blooms.

Keeping your fish healthy. A main component in taking care of your backyard pond in the summer months is making sure the water is properly oxygenated. You should not overfeed your fish as it depletes oxygen in your pond’s ecosystem. To ensure proper oxygenation, feed your fish in the morning with only the amount of food they can eat in sixty seconds.

Taking care of your aquatic plants. Like fish, aquatic plants can have a large impact on your pond’s ecosystem. You should keep an eye on your plants and remove any dead or old growth as it occurs. Commonly used, water lilies are a great aquatic plant to have as part of your pond’s ecosystem.

If you have any questions about how to take care of your backyard pond this summer, contact Great Lakes Pondscapes today!