How to Prepare Your Pond for Winter Season: 5 Top Tips
Autumn has suddenly arrived, and this makes it the perfect time to start thinking about how to prepare your pond for the winter, so that you fish stay healthy and happy!
Peter Mills, of Pond and Lake Management, strongly recommends his 5 Top Tips and advice to carry out a winter tidy-up:
- RID TOXINS: Remove any debris and leaves from the surface and base of your pool. Why not invest in a new fish catching net and, at the same time, make sure you cover your pond with a suitable pond cover net to avoid further leaf contamination and to assist with pests. It is also good practice to use a sludge reducing product to help prevent the build-up of toxins over the winter months.
- ADD A TONIC: Adding tonic salts is a must, particularly in winter and spring. They promote good fish health and prepare your fish for the winter, and changes in temperature.
- FEED CORRECTLY: Invest in a pond thermometer so that you can accurately engage when to change to wheatgerm food. Stop feeding the high protein summer foods when the water temperature falls below 10 degrees celsius and switch to wheatgerm. If your fish are still active, then they still need food to help build them up for the winter. When the water temperature drops to below 4 degrees celsius the fish will become inactive and will not accept food. Only then do you stop feeding!
- PREVENT ICE: Just in case the winter has been predicted to be severe, take the precaution of installing a pond heater. It is crucial to keep an area of the surface of the pond ice-free, to allow toxic gases to escape and for vital oxygen to get in – again beating the toxins! Never smash a frozen pond or pour boiling or hot water to melt the ice as this is extremely stressful to your fish.
- PREPARE EQUIPMENT: Years ago it was believed that you should turn all your equipment off for the winter, but nowadays it is more common to leave it all running. However, what you must not do is turn the electrics off to the ultra-violet unit and still leave the unit in place, undrained. This would crack the quartz sleeve. Instead, either remove the ultra-violet unit and drain it down, or leave it running 24/7. It is also advisable to leave air pumps running all winter as they agitate the surface and help to prevent ice from forming!
If you are in any doubt as to what to do with your pond in the winter, or need further advice, Peter is pleased to advised. We hold a limited stock of the above equipment, including fish catching nets, pond cover nets, sludge treatments, tonic salts, pond thermometers, wheatgerm food and pond heaters, so do ask if you wish to buy and we can send them out to you!
In particular, we have an offer on the energy-saving Affinity Ice Vent Pond Heater (for pools up to 5000 litre – 1098 gallons), at the super price of £28.99 including UK postage – usually priced at retail £53.50.
Call on 01564 316001 or email info@pondandlakemgt.co.uk and we will be happy to help.
Happy Winter Fishkeeping!
Peter Mills
Pond & Lake Management Ltd