Closing Your Pond in the Fall

CLOSING YOUR POND IN THE FALL

WATER QUALITY

Water quality is the most important when closing your pond.   Poor water quality will yield sick fish in the spring. Dip out as much debris from the pond as possible.  There are also vacuum machines for this purpose. Place your pump at the bottom of the pond, at the deepest part where toxins build up. Pump 20% to 30% of the water out. Clean in the fall when fish are strong and healthy, not in spring when they are weaker and more susceptible to disease.  The last thing to do is put a net over the pond to keep more leaves from getting in the pond.   If leaves are a real problem for you a product called AUTUMN PREP is a big help.   This will break down plant matter and maintain good water quality.  

 Test the water
Use an easy-to-use test strip. Some all-in-one strips test for general hardness (GH), nitrite (NO2), nitrate (NO3), pH and alkalinity (KH). Testing your water makes it easier and faster to monitor the health of your pond and protect your fish. Additionally, testing your water once a month helps you to make necessary water adjustments before your fish are in danger.

FISH

Early in the fall you should start feeding your fish an autumn food.  This food contains wheat germ, which is more readily digestible by the slowing metabolism of your fish.  This creates less waste, therefore improving water quality.  When water temperatures reach 50 degrees, stop feeding the fish.  This food should also be used first thing in the spring. 

Stress will leave fish vulnerable to disease.   STRESS COAT or a 1% salt level in the water will help with this. Adding salt to the pond helps the fish make it through the winter. The fish’s immune system is at its lowest point in the winter. Salt strengthens the fish’s slime coat for greater protection, and kills 8 out of 10 pathogens that attack the fish. The rate is 3 lbs. per 100 gallons of water. Your fish can take more salt, but the plants in the pond can't, so you need to KNOW how many gallons you have.

PLANT REMOVAL

Remove the potted plants from the pond and trim them back.   If your plants are planted in plant pockets simply trim them back.   The hardy plants can go back into pond through winter.   The bottom is the safest place.   If you have Tropical plants you can bring them in as houseplants for the winter.   Just give them lots of sun and don’t let them dry out.   Tropical water lilies can be brought in side and kept at 40 degrees, no sun needed.   For most people an inside wall in a garage will be a good place.

 PUMPS

Place a small pump (a 250 GPH will do) on a shelf in the pond with the discharge aimed toward the surface.   This will circulate the water thus keeping a hole open most of the winter.   Put a pond heater on the pond, but don’t plug it in until the pump will not keep the ice open.   When the pump opens the ice again, unplug the heater.   This will save electricity.

UV STERILIZERS & EXTERNAL FILTERS

These items should be disconnected, cleaned, and stored in a safe place where they will not be damaged by freezing temperatures.  The pond can, and probably will turn green.  That is okay.

Have a good winter season and we look forward to seeing you in the spring!