Is your pond ready for Winter?
We know, many of you reading this are southern California residents thinking “Winter? Yeah, right! I don’t have to do anything different to my pond!”
Even though we do not have to worry about freezing temperatures in So-Cal, there are plenty of other items that must be addressed when the whether cools!
It is important to keep falling leaves from surrounding plants and trees out of the water. The decaying foliage produce gasses, which dissolve in the water and can be harmful to the fish and will add nutrients to the water which will cause spring problems and algae blooms.
It is safe to heavily trim back most aquatic plants. Remove the spent blooms and leaves of hardy water lilies as they die off, finally trimming the lilies back to the crown and submersing them in the deepest part of the pond. Tropical plants should be taken indoors or disposed of. As an added step of precaution, spread a fine mesh net of plastic over the pond to collect and remove falling leaves.
Change 1/2 to 1/3 of the pond’s water, removing as much accumulated debris as possible. Remember to monitor your pond’s water chemistry!
Keep your pond clean with minimal debris to prevent decaying matter from discoloring the water. This minimizes production of potentially harmful gases that can affect fish when the pond cools over in winter.
A clean pond is not only nicer to look at, it discourages parasites or harmful bacteria from colonizing that may put fish at risk!
This is a vital time to ensure that your equipment is working properly and is effective. Allowing a simple component such as a pump or filter O-ring to become cracked may lead to water leaks, inefficient filtering, or possible severe damage. Leaving dirty equipment to sit over the winter will cause problems such as ineffective equipment, bad water, fish suffocation and death, and large algae blooms come spring!
We often see an accumulation of debris in the bottom of a skimmer that is easy to miss. If left, the debris will break down and could cause algae blooms and provide a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and parasites.
If you have So-Cal Pond’s provide a Fall Maintenance visit, we will inspect all equipment including lights to ensure your pond is looking beautiful for the Holidays.
As in spring, the food should be of a high carbohydrate, low protein formula. Discontinue feeding when the water temperature is consistently below 45 degrees.
Whether you are a DIY or you hire professionals, Fall Maintenance, if done correctly, will help your fish over winter and will insure a healthier pond in the spring. Removing debris and cutting back plants can improve water quality dramatically, and it is important to the overall health of your pond and your fish to be sure this integral service is performed each year before the autumn leaves fall.
We know you’re busy this season! Let us take care of your Fall Pond Maintenance.
