Pond care during the summer: all the steps to keep your pond healthy

Proper maintenance of your pond is important to keep the water in your pond healthy for your fish and plants. In every season, the weather and climate is different and impacts your pond. In the summer, your pond is full of life and in bloom. Temperatures can be very high and droughts can occur. Before summer arrives, it is important to already make some good preparations so that your pond stays healthy.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all preparations and maintenance tasks during the summer. This way you can easily maintain your pond, keep your fish and plants healthy and enjoy a lively pond during the summer!

1. Effects of summer weather on your pond

In summer, temperatures are high and the sun shines a lot. Drought can also occur in summer due to prolonged heat. You may need to replenish water more often and even protect the pond from too much sun and heat.

The warmer conditions and increase in activity can cause you to have an algae explosion on warm, sunny, days. Water can become murky and fish can get sick as a result. So make sure you are well prepared for the heat of summer.

2. How do you prepare your pond for summer?

Summer is about to begin! How do you make sure your pond is ready for these higher temperatures and to enter summer?

  • Check water quality
    Check the quality of your pond by reading parameters such as pH, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite with a test kit. Make sure you change water when outliers occur, the filter is working properly and use remedies to compensate, if necessary.
  • Check operation of pond equipment
    Check regularly that your pond equipment is working properly. Clean pond equipment regularly to keep it working effectively.
  • Remove (organic) debris from your pond
    Remove twigs, leaves and other organic debris from your pond. This ensures that it does not decompose and can cause clouding of your pond water.

3. What maintenance do you do during the summer?

During the summer the activity in your pond is very high. It is teeming with (new) life. Good maintenance, regular checks and proper equipment help keep your pond clear and healthy.

  • Make sure you have proper filtration
    Check your pond's filtration system regularly. Check the flow and if there are any blockages anywhere. Clean dirt baskets of pond pumps regularly so that the capacity remains good. Do you sometimes suffer from an algae bloom? Then a UV-c device can help.
  • Change pond water regularly
    Despite good filtration, certain pollutants can build up. High temperatures can also cause a lot of pond water to evaporate. Therefore, regularly change the water in your pond and add new water.
  • Add fertilizers for plants
    Plants need various building materials to grow. Many of these can be obtained by plants from fish waste and other organic material (see also our article on the eco-system in your pond). Nevertheless, it can be advisable to help plants (especially in spring) with additional fertilizers. That way your plants will grow faster and better and bloom better later in spring and summer.
  • Protect from extreme heat and excessive sun
    You can protect your pond from extreme heat and excessive sun by stretching a cloth high above your pond. This will prevent extreme water temperatures and keep excessive sunlight from entering your pond.
  • Prune plants at
    Prune plants if necessary if they proliferate too much. This way you can keep your pond looking beautiful. Always check per plant what the best care tips are.

4. Pond preparation for vacation

Going on vacation during the summer? Then it is smart to prepare your garden & pond well. With proper preparation and with the right equipment you can go on vacation for 2-3 weeks without any maintenance for your pond. You can make the following preparations:

  • Refresh and replenish water in your pond to
    Just before the vacation, make sure the water in your pond is refreshed. Replenish the water in your pond properly. To more than you might normally do. This will ensure that if there is a lot of evaporation with warm temperatures, there will be enough water left in your pond.
  • Clean filter material and remove blockages
    Clean filter material according to instructions in the manual and remove any blockages. This will ensure that the filtration continues to work optimally during your vacation.
  • Put pond equipment on timer
    Do you normally turn a fountain or waterfall on and off yourself? Then put a timer on it so that this happens automatically during your vacation. A waterfall and fountain can remain very useful for a good oxygen supply in your pond.
  • Install a fish feeder
    With a fish feeder you make sure your fish are fed even when you are on vacation. That way you don't have to ask friends, family or neighbors to feed your fish daily. Buy the dispenser well before your vacation and set it up 1-2 weeks in advance. This way you can test and adjust properly when you are on vacation and avoid having to make last-minute arrangements.

Can't manage to set up a fish food dispenser? Then ask others to feed the fish for you. Write clear instructions on how much and when to feed the fish.

5. Tips for equipment in your pond during the summer

We recommend the following for your pond equipment during the summer:

  • Check UV-c lamps for function and replace them when they have reduced performance
  • Replace any filter equipment when damaged or impaired

6. After the summer

Summer is (almost) over and autumn is coming! This means your pond goes from full bloom, slowly transitioning to colder temperatures and autumn. Read all about how to prepare your pond for autumn in our article.