Brace the Cold: 5 Winter Pond Maintenance Tips
The Importance of Winter Pond Maintenance
Ponds serve an array of functions for pond owners. They are the habitat for treasured fishes, they are a status symbol and more often than not they beauty a residential apartment. As such it would be a major shame to see such an important facility frozen over no thanks to an adverse season.
Winter comes with its unique problems, as such pond owners must be smart enough to follow some procedures to ensure they aren’t on the wrong side of the divide. Maintaining your pond during the wintertime is very important and in the course of this discussion, we’ll be showing you just how to do it.
How to prevent your pond from freezing over
There are a few ways you can prevent your pond from becoming an unwanted iceberg. They include:
- Make your pond deeper
The deeper your pond, the harder the chance of it freezing. It’s worthy of note that ponds which are more than 36 inches deep are easier to stop from freezing absolutely. The ideal depth of your pond should be 48 inches deep or thereabouts. If you built your pond to a particular cap, there’s no reason why you can’t contact a pond man to do the needful. This will be very helpful to your fish, pond, and also your resources before and after winter.
- Cover your garden pond
Winter tends to be super unforgiving and does not forget that ignorance is not an excuse. Don’t wait till your treasured pond is all frozen up before you react. The smartest way to handle a potential freezing catastrophe is to move swiftly into action. Cover your pond with a suitable material such as a section of netting, tarpaulin, or bubble wrap, well-stretched over a frame. The material you use for your pond depends on the said pond, take out time, make some research, and do what’s best for your pond and its inhabitants.
- Invest in a Pond Heater
There are as many types of pond heaters in the market as there are fishes in your pond. Okay, I might be slightly exaggerating there, but you know the drill. There are different sizes and strengths of pond heaters so it’s only right that you pick what’s best for your type of pond. They all have their unique uses. The smaller ones are nice for keeping a small area defrosted, the slightly bigger ones are adequate for filtering the pond and heating all the water while whole pond water heaters are great for mass effect and an all-round job.
Do you need to keep your pump running in the Winter?
Keeping your pump running in the winter is dependent on a couple of factors and a bunch of conditions. The main factor however is if and whether the place you’re living in is adversely affected by the winter season. This would therefore lead to a few questions which need answering.
- What are the Benefits of having your Pump running in Winter?
Once your pond water isn’t sitting still, there’ll be a next to zero chance of it freezing, that’s what the pump does. Also, this is extremely essential if you have aquatic animals in your pond. A frozen pond would mean sure extinction so it’s super important that the pump runs all winter to help keep the water warm enough for them.
- What are the Benefits of having your Pump running in Winter?
The only real way you can benefit from not having a pump during wintertime is if there is no aquatic animal present in the pond. As long as there’s none, monitoring the pond to avoid it freezing shouldn’t be that big of a deal. All you got to do is Keep an eye on weather reports to know when to turn off the pump. Simple right?
- The Nutshell
Honestly, it seems more work to not have a pump running than have one that’s running. You’ll be perpetually monitoring temperature (such a chore), there are so many pesky conditions (why won’t I have aquatic life), and the fact that winter is one of the laziest seasons ever. You should have a steady running pond pump as this will allay your fears and keep your aquatic buddies comfortable, productive, and super happy.
Professional Koi Pond Installation in Oklahoma
Getting a professionally installed Koi pond in your home is only a short phone call away. At Oklahoma Ponds, we have over 30 years of koi pond installation expertise in the great state of Oklahoma. We are Oklahoma City’s fastest-growing pond contractor, and that is not by accident. We strive to be the leader in all things garden ponds and water features. Every service we offer comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Why choose us?
Specialized Company
We specialize in the care and construction of garden koi ponds. This allows us to stay up to date with the latest technology and advances in our industry
Dependable Services
Each of our technicians are throughly trained in the care and construction of garden ponds and water features. All of our services come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!
Reputable Company
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Winter Pond Maintenance Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do I get my pond ready for winter?
- Reduce the number of leaves falling into the pond and quickly remove them with a net.
- Reduce significantly the dead or dying aquatic plant foliage during fall.
- Purchase a wheat germ-based pond food.
- Fully disconnect the pump, filter, and UV clarifier right before water freezes.
- Store ultraviolet clarifier indoors for protection.
Q2. Should I keep my pump running in the winter?
It depends on your unique situation like earlier discussed in this topic. This also really depends on just how severe this winter is. This coupled with the needs of your fishes in the pond might also sway you to keeping your pump running in the winter. Different strokes for different folks.
Q3. Do I need a pond de-icer?
Yes, it’s important especially if you care about your fishes in the pond. This is important if you stay in a place with high freezing over tendency. It might be a tad expensive, but it’s super important.
Contact us today for Winter Pond Maintenance in Oklahoma City!
At Oklahoma Ponds, our mission is to be the number one garden pond contractor in the Oklahoma City Metro area. We do this by providing our customers with professional service, expert advice, and a personal guarantee that you will love working with us.
Our family has been building and caring for koi, garden ponds, and water features for over 30 years and is the premier pond care company in the Oklahoma City metro area. We aim at providing you with lasting pond solutions as well as a speedy response to all your questions about ponds and pond related matters.
We’re just a call away and you can reach us on the American hotline 405-353-6144. If you prefer a face to face meeting then that’s fine by us, you can visit our head office every day of the week from 8 am to 7 pm.
