/Aquatic Gardens, Design, Construction & Maintenance

Your Pond In the Dead of Winter

by Robert Fenner

Aquatic Gardens
Ponds, Streams, Waterfalls & Fountains:
Volume 1. Design & Construction
Volume 2. Maintenance, Stocking, Examples
V. 1 Print and eBook on Amazon
V. 2 Print and eBook on Amazon

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

The 'dead' of winter is an appropriate descriptor for this time of year'¦ even for more balmy states like southerly California and Florida. Not much is going on in your outdoor water feature at this time, chemically, physically or biologically, and there is not much you should be doing for your pond as well. If you've been diligent in fall cleaning of the system, conditioned your fishes well, possibly removed them and your living plants to more moderate quarters, secured pumps and plumbing in the event of freezing weather'¦ this is a time for relaxation and simple contemplation.

Like your terrestrial garden, there is not much going on in your pond during the lowest temperature months of the year. No weeds/algae to pull, no organisms to feed likely, coldest winter is a period of dormancy for ponds and their keepers.

Here is a wrap-up if you will of pond items to bear in mind during winter.

Feeding: Don't (Usually)

When water temperature drifts below 65 F. on a regular basis, you are encouraged to utilize a lower protein food for you goldfish and koi, and cut back feedings to once a day. As temperatures meander below 55 F. feeding should actually cease. Don't be mistaken by those apparently eager mouths approaching you as you near the pond. Your fishes may seem hungry, or at least interested in eating, but they cannot process foods readily at low temperatures, and feeding them when the water is/stays cold not only does them no good, but contributes to water pollution.

It's best to have a decent submersible thermometer so you can check in the mornings while checking your pond out, drinking your coffee/tea'¦ and a handy notebook to record what you read.

Ice Is Not Nice

Many people are killed each year from falling on ice'¦ and many more pond fishes are killed from folks walking on or worse, striking the ice on their ponds. Take care to absolutely avoid walking on frozen ponds. Not only is this extremely dangerous for you, but the concussive damage from even carefully sliding over the pond is deadly to your fishes.

Popsicle Toes and Fishes!

Some folks whose ponds are too shallow, too exposed to the elements'¦ and find themselves in very inclement weather, are faced with the possibility of their pond freezing all the way to the bottom. This is very bad for your plant and fish livestock. If you are uncertain whether your pond may freeze altogether, it's a very good idea to remove and store your livestock in another setting (garage, sunroom'¦) in a large-enough, covered, filtered kiddie wading pool or such rather than risk their becoming non-living ice-cubes.

An alternate strategy is employing various means to keep a good part (a couple of feet plus) of the bottom liquid'¦ by covering the pond with straw, perhaps erecting a plastic dome, securing some sort of heat source (floating heater'¦), possibly using a fountain and pump during winter'¦ to allow circulation and aeration at an open area of the pond. Several types of devices are available and offered by pond supply companies that can be visited (if you're luckily situated nearby) or ordered through catalogs or the Internet.

Gear Concerns:

If freezing weather is possible, you are advised to make sure your water lines and pumps are drained of water and double-checked to assure the power is turned off to them and any other mechanical device servicing the pond. The force of freezing water expansion is formidable and can/will split plastic and metal piping, valves and even pump volutes.

Should the weather warm up for a few days after securing your fluid moving systems for the season, don't be overly concerned with filling them, firing them over again unless the weather warms the water itself considerably (like ten degrees F.) for a week or more.

Time to Plan for Spring!

Though you can't actually 'do' anything with your pond during winter, you can definitely spend your 'pond time' profitably and enjoyably planning what changes you might make come spring. Winter is a great time for gathering catalogs and perusing pond outlet URLs on the Net for possible new equipment and livestock. There have been light-year improvements in fluid-moving pumps and filters for ponds in recent years, with many upgrades more than paying for themselves within a year of switch-out.

Use your search engines for 'ponds', 'fishes', 'equipment''¦ and you'll likely find some of the larger players: One of my favorite directories: http://pacificcoast.net/~drectory/ponds/mailordr.htm, the Pond Directory, listing sources for gear, lilies, fishes, foods'¦

It's not too early to make a drawing, laying out what and where you'll plant when the weather warms. This sort of anticipation adds tremendously to the enjoyment of sharing your life with a pond.

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