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Spring is Coming, Time to Prep Your Pond

Spring is nearly upon us. Even though it still looks and feels like winter, the days are getting longer, and the sap is beginning to run in the trees. That additional sunlight also brings about changes in your pond. Snow cover and ice begin to thin rapidly and with this thinning, sunlight begins to penetrate to the bottom of the pond again. This warms the water, makes your fish more active and stimulates plant and algae growth.

As with the beginning of any new season, there are a few steps you should take now to ensure that your pond gets off to a good start. Take a look at the following list for some tips on getting back to Pond Season.

Tune Up Your Aeration System

  • Replace the air filter on the compressor
  • Make sure pressure gauges are working
  • Clean out/sweep out any dirt and debris from the compressor cabinet
  • Remove any leaves around cabinet that may be blocking ventilation openings
  • Check that pressure gauges are working (replace if not)
  • Change vanes in rotary vane compressors (every 2 years)
  • Install rebuild kits in rocking piston compressors (every 2-3 years)
  • Pull up and clean air diffusers (once ice is out)

Apply Pond Dye Now

Pour it right on the ice and let it melt through or apply it through a hole you bore in the ice if it is still thick enough to be safe. This helps to inhibit excess plant and algae growth right from the start of the season. We recommend Easy Pro Concentrated Pond Dye as a very cost-effective solution that comes in three popular colors: Blue, Black and Serenity (a mix of blue and black).

Remove any Dead Vegetation like Cattails or Phragmites

If the ice is still safe you can do this easily by cutting the dead stalks with a weed whacker or sharpened steel shovel. If the ice is no longer safe, work from shore with a long-handled weed cutter. Getting this dead vegetation removed from the pond edge prevents them from adding to the load of decaying vegetation that leads to muck build up in your pond. Removing seed heads from these plants before they release seeds also reduces the spread of these plants in your pond.

Install Fish Habitat

If you still have safe ice, now is a great time to install fish habitat structure. Whether you are using natural materials, constructing structures from materials on hand, or if you are using our fish habitat structures, this is a great time to do the job. Simply position your structures on the ice above the location that you want them in the pond and let nature do the heavy lifting. The structures will sink through the ice as it melts, and the job almost takes care of itself. If you install structures when the pond isn’t frozen, the task takes considerably more work using boats.

We have everything you need to get these tasks done from aeration to habitat structures, just visit our store and get what you need in one easy stop. If you live in Michigan and would like us to perform any of these tasks for you, just contact us and we will get you on our schedule for service. For more information, or assistance in creating a pond plan tailored to your unique needs, call us toll free at (877) 389-2514, or email us at info@harriettahills.com.