Depending on where you live, a Minneapolis backyard pond may not be quite ready to set up just yet, so take a few things into consideration before you decide to start feeding the fish. Snow is still falling, and ponds are still freezing and thawing this time of year, so don’t be fooled and start setting up plants and fish that could easily pass away this early in the year. Spring is still a few months away.
You may start to see some string algae at this time of the year, but this is ok. The pond is still dormant, and the bacterium is not active this early in the year. Nothing is stealing nutrients just yet, and this alga is the only green thing in there, so let it be. Remember, even after you clean the pond some algae may still grow this early in the year, but this is not a problem at this time. Once the temperature reaches a consistent 50 degrees, this is the time to start adding beneficial bacteria and other balancing chemicals to the water.
You may start to see some fish coming to the surface looking for food, but if you really care about them, you will wait until their digestion acclimates to the 50+ degrees. It could cause them some problems if they are fed too early.
Cleaning out the pond, and setting the stones in place is fine to do this early, you may even want to drain it a little and take a closer look at what is going on down there. Just remember that you can’t force nature, and trying to jump start your pond too early is mistake that may cost you later in the year. It never hurts to get the advice of a professional in this area, and you will find them at Minneapolis’ Architectural Landscape Design. We are a fully licensed and insured team of horticulturists that love what we do. Setting up a backyard pond, stream, or waterscape is our specialty. So when you are ready to take action, give us a call at 952-292-7717. We are here to serve you.
