No aquatic garden is maintenance "free"; though with proper design, construction and stocking, coupled with regular, conscientious checking, up-keep can be reduced to a minimum. The best advice I'm able to offer you in minimizing maintenance is to become aware of the rhythms of your water feature; the daily and seasonal changes in its life, and chemistry; work with these rhythms... go slow when the weather is cold, overcast... look to feeding more, doing more water change-outs in hotter, sunnier times. Further, learn to look at working on your aquatic garden as a joy, not drudgery; this is your private time to be involved with the living world. Bodies of water are magical in their allure and changing. Embrace the times you have to become yourself with their interaction. Let's use the space here to expand on the list proffered above regarding what should be done on a routine basis for a typical system, and then in following Sections present in more detail critical winter maintenance, and other operations topics, including some of my better efforts on the easiest ways to keep your aquatic garden, clean and clear.