If you've been out in the garden over the last couple of days, you will have noticed plenty of signs of spring - the smell of new grass, the lively chirping of birds, colourful spring flowers, and even the garden pond shows new signs of life. The experts from specialty chain Maxi Zoo have some tips on how pond owners can get their aquatic biotope ready for the year ahead.

The best time to start spring maintenance depends on the weather. Fish start to become more active when the water reaches 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. Keep in mind however that fish still can't dodge you quickly when you disrupt their habitat, so be careful when carrying out any pond work. Pond maintenance can be roughly divided into four areas: the initial inspection, planting, water quality and fish.

1. Initial inspection: Start by getting a general idea of your pond’s condition - Are there too many leaves or other plant matter in the water? Has it become overgrown? Has the pond liner become torn or been damaged by winter frost? Is the bank reinforcement stable or have stones or other elements become loose and have to be secured? Only then you can start with the regular pond maintenance.

2. Planting: Prune back pond plants that have grown strongly and that were not already pruned in autumn approx. 10 cm, separate and transplant these as necessary. Take care not to damage young shoots and sprouts and leave sufficient room between pond greenery for these to grow. Now is the best time to decide whether you want new pond or water plants, e.g. water lilies, water hyacinths or water poppies.

3. Water quality: Remove loose, dead plant material such as leaves, trigs and mulm with a dip net to prevent excessive amounts of nutrients from building up. Now you can change part of the water, but not more than a quarter – otherwise you disrupt the biological equilibrium too much. Fill the pond with clean, soft rain water if possible. You can now also reintroduce equipment such as pumps, filters or surface skimmers to balance out the water quality. Check the pH and water hardness regularly with the appropriate test strips from May on. The pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5 and carbonate hardness should be about 8.75 (UK water hardness scale).

4. Fish: You can start feeding your fish again when the water reaches 10 degrees Celsius, but in only moderation and at best with easily digestible feed, so as to not overstress their digestive system after the winter break.

You can switch to regular feed once the water reaches a constant 12-15 degrees. And for those who are yet to build their own garden pond, spring is the perfect time to start!

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Spring pond makeover Now is the time to get garden ponds ready for the warmer months to keep goldfish and co. happy. Photo: Maxi Zoo/Ulrike Schanz (Photos may only be reproduced with permission and in connection with editorial text. High-resolution photos can be requested from the Fressnapf press office.)