Fall Garden Pond Maintenance | Autumn Pond Preparation For Winter Ahead

Well autumn or fall depending upon your preference is upon us water gardeners. The colder nights and days are drawing in for those of us who live in the colder UK climate or Northern states of the USA and Canada.

The past few months have seen a lot of activity in our ponds which has been a privilege to witness.

Do you remember the start of the season?

Remember how spring brought with it a lot of work and maintenance, often leaving us wondering where to start. Remember those important necessities such as:

Checking the pond temperature and undertaking partial water changes (up to 25%)
Studying individual fish for parasitic infections or signs of possible bacterial infections, now that the pond water is warming up.
Replacing UV light bulbs in your UV clarifiers, in preparation for the warmer water and increased algae growth.
Vacuuming the pond to remove excess sludge and other debris such as leaves, twigs, dead plants etc that have accumulated on the bottom of our ponds.
Replacing dead plants and generally tidying up the look and feel of the pond.
Starting to feed low protein foods to the fish as their metabolism gradually increases after the cold winter weather and their semi hibernation state.

Now that those hot summer days have come and gone it is time to enjoy the time of year where leaves fall off the trees.

Mother Nature is amazing in how she prepares for the cold winter days and nights ahead.

Just like Mother Nature we pond keepers will also need to do some final preparation in the next month or two. For now however sit back and enjoy the life in your pond before winter brings with it a quietness and calm, not experienced for some time.

Take the time to fatten up your fish before their winter fasting starts. Click here to see the High Quality Fish Food reviews on this site ...

If you desire there are a few things you can do such as ensuring the pump and filter are free from debris and running smoothly. The addition of a fountain or waterfall to your pond set up will help to ensure that oxygen is present, as well as helping to prevent the pond from freezing over come the winter solace.

Autumn Pond Preparation For Winter ... Before The Onset ...

Significantly reduce the amount of food fed to your fish as their slower metabolism prevents them from digesting food properly. Some suggest that you stop feeding altogether. I don't agree. Instead feed small amounts of low protein, high wheat germ winter fish food once a day. Wheat germ is easier for fish to digest in cold water temperatures.
Make a final partial water change of 25% and carry out a final pond water quality test.
Winterize your aquatic plants before the colder weather hits.
Ensure you have taken precautions to prevent your pond from freezing over. Use a pond water heater to prevent the formation of ice from allowing gaseous exchange to take place. At least use a deicer to maintain a hole in the ice surface. Click Winter Pond Heaters & Deicers to see the reviews on this site ...

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