| Preparing Your Pond For Winter |
Here are ten simple steps you can take to prepare your water garden for winter.:
1. Cut back your aquatic plants and move your marginal (bog or shallow water plants) into slightly deeper water. If your
plants are planted directly into the gravel and stones on the bottom of your pond, it’s not necessary to move them, they’
ll be fine where they are.
2. Stop feeding your fish as their metabolism is slowing down and they don’t have a need to eat any more.
3. Clean the filter mats in your biological filter. Simply remove them, wash them down with a hose and place them back
into your filter. If you have lava rock in your filter, that too can be rinsed off and placed back into the filter. Note: Some
folks clean their filters in the spring instead of in the fall and that too is okay.
4. Empty the net in your skimmer and remove the filter mat in the skimmer, rinse it thoroughly and place it back into the
skimmer.
5. Cover your pond and stream with a light weight netting to prevent leaves and other debris from getting into the pond.
It is helpful to place a frame of some type (2x4’s) across the pond to help support the net and keep it out of the water.
Lightweight netting is available at most hardware stores.
6. When temperatures drop to the point that your pond begins freeze, place a floating pond heater in the pond. The
heater will keep a hole in the ice which will permit oxygen to get into the pond and the bad gases that accumulate in the
pond will be able to escape.
7. You can leave your pump in your skimmer and keep your waterfall flowing over the winter months however, if you
decide to shut your pump down for the winter, it’s best to remove the pump from your skimmer, place it in a bucket of
water and store it somewhere where it will not freeze.
8. Remember, when your pond freezes over, don’t use a hammer to knock a hole in the ice. The shock waves from
hitting the ice can injure your fish.
9. In the spring, when your water temperatures rise and stay above fifty degrees, start placing bacteria in your pond.
Dry or liquid bacteria can be used.
10. Finally, if you have a question that we have not answered please use our contact page, email us at
ponds@infionline.net or call us at 717-285-3510. We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
1. Cut back your aquatic plants and move your marginal (bog or shallow water plants) into slightly deeper water. If your
plants are planted directly into the gravel and stones on the bottom of your pond, it’s not necessary to move them, they’
ll be fine where they are.
2. Stop feeding your fish as their metabolism is slowing down and they don’t have a need to eat any more.
3. Clean the filter mats in your biological filter. Simply remove them, wash them down with a hose and place them back
into your filter. If you have lava rock in your filter, that too can be rinsed off and placed back into the filter. Note: Some
folks clean their filters in the spring instead of in the fall and that too is okay.
4. Empty the net in your skimmer and remove the filter mat in the skimmer, rinse it thoroughly and place it back into the
skimmer.
5. Cover your pond and stream with a light weight netting to prevent leaves and other debris from getting into the pond.
It is helpful to place a frame of some type (2x4’s) across the pond to help support the net and keep it out of the water.
Lightweight netting is available at most hardware stores.
6. When temperatures drop to the point that your pond begins freeze, place a floating pond heater in the pond. The
heater will keep a hole in the ice which will permit oxygen to get into the pond and the bad gases that accumulate in the
pond will be able to escape.
7. You can leave your pump in your skimmer and keep your waterfall flowing over the winter months however, if you
decide to shut your pump down for the winter, it’s best to remove the pump from your skimmer, place it in a bucket of
water and store it somewhere where it will not freeze.
8. Remember, when your pond freezes over, don’t use a hammer to knock a hole in the ice. The shock waves from
hitting the ice can injure your fish.
9. In the spring, when your water temperatures rise and stay above fifty degrees, start placing bacteria in your pond.
Dry or liquid bacteria can be used.
10. Finally, if you have a question that we have not answered please use our contact page, email us at
ponds@infionline.net or call us at 717-285-3510. We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
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