| Most water gardeners look to their ponds as a | | | | maintenance with this type of system consists of |
| source of relaxation and escape, not a source of | | | | emptying the debris nets and cleaning the filter pads |
| work and maintenance. Fortunately, a properly | | | | in the skimmer. This only takes a few minutes of |
| designed water feature should require very little | | | | your time, and this type of filter is easily accessible |
| maintenance. Other than regular doses of bacteria to | | | | too! How often this is required depends on the |
| help keep the water clear, there are a few items of | | | | amount of debris and leaves that find their way into |
| regular maintenance that you can expect. | | | | your pond. |
| It's reasonable to expect that most of your regular | | | | When the aquatic plants in your pond are actively |
| pond maintenance will relate to the filtration system. | | | | growing, you'll also need to keep an eye out for and |
| The amount of maintenance your pond requires | | | | remove any yellowing leaves and spent flowers, |
| generally depends on the type of system that filters | | | | especially on water lilies. Like many terrestrial |
| your pond. For example, if the pump and filter sit at | | | | perennials, this is a normal part of the plant's seasonal |
| the bottom of the pond, then you may find yourself | | | | growth cycle. |
| cleaning them at least once a week. Not only that, | | | | Daily water testing is generally not needed. But |
| but you'll need to get into the pond to perform the | | | | because poor water quality is often the cause of |
| cleaning. | | | | pond problems and sick fish, it is sometimes |
| A pond that is filtered with skimmers and biological | | | | necessary as a key, first step in determining the |
| filters will require much less maintenance. Regular | | | | treatment. |