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Springtime is the most critical time of the year for fish in the pond. As water temperatures rise it puts our fish in the danger zone also referred to as Aeromonas Alley. The danger zone is water temperatures between 50° and 65°. In many states during the winter the water temperature drops below 50° which kills all the bacteria (good and bad) and most parasites become inactive. Fish do not eat at these temperatures and the pond goes into a period of dormancy. Here in Georgia, however, spring's warmer daytime temperatures starts raising the water temperature but we still have cool nights.

That spot in the yard where a waterfall and pond would look the most natural is most often the worse location for the pond. It’s often a hill that spills down to an area around the deck. Perhaps it’s hard to grow grass on the hill and the hill is eroding. Instead of planting low-growing junipers like everyone else in the neighborhood is doing, you may want something more dramatic like a lively waterfall that splashes into a nice, big koi pond. After all, it would look natural spilling out from the line of trees on top of the hill.

Traditionally during pond season one must spend an hour or so every weekend maintaining the pond otherwise the pump gets clogged and the waterfall stops running. Anyone who “never has to clean his pond” is probably the proud owner of a swamp. Submersible pumps are often set in heavy containers filled with rocks or other filter media making it difficult to pull up out of the water. Gravity-fed biofilters, even the expensive ones, require routine cleaning regimens. If they are not cleaned regularly the pads tend to clog as well.