Fall Pond Care Tips

We can't believe Fall has come upon us already. We love the leaves changing, tastes of pumpkin & apple and the smell of Autumn but hate the thought of having to close the pond!

Here are a few tips to make closing your pond easier:

1. Use water gardening gloves: the water temperatures are not always conducive to pulling out the pump, cleaning out the algae and cutting back the plants but wearing pond gloves helps keep your hands/arms warm and clean.

2. Maintain your bacteria: Keeping up with bacteria throughout the season will help reduce the amount of sludge build up at the bottom of your pond which will help for an easier closing process.

3. Remove all the debris you can: Using a Pond Shark with a deep net and double sided opening will allow you to scoop out the leaves and debris at the bottom of the pond while the rake will help pull off any dead leaves. Rent one of our pond vacuums to clean the pond fully before shutting it down for the winter. Any sludge or debris that is left at the bottom of the pond will decompose and become toxic to the fish. In Central New York, we have a Pond Service Technician we can send out to your home with our stainless steel professional vacuum to clean out your pond of debris.

4. Cover your pond before the leaves begin to fall: Pond netting is great for keeping leaves and debris from falling into the pond. We can custom cut the length for you and offer different widths that will surely cover your pond. Also, don't forget your stream! If you are concerned about bending plants with a leaf net we do offer a dome leaf net by Atlantic Water Gardens.

Keeping your fish in the pond over winter can seem like a daunting task but keeping some key information in mind can help.

1. Maintaining a hole in the ice at least once every 24 hours is critical: The #1 most important thing you need to do during the winter is to make sure there can be an exchange of gases. We recommend using a de-icer in the pond, the de-icer is perfect for our cold winters and because they are thermostatically controlled they come on only when they are needed. We do recommend putting the de-icer on a timer to extend the life of the de-icer, turning it on for a few hours in the morning and afternoon is ideal. If the temperatures are below freezing for extended period of time you should consider extending the amount of time the de-icer is on. The de-icer can and should be used in conjunction with an aerator. The aerator should be placed near the surface of the pond, it can even be placed on a marginal plant shelf. The aerator helps ensure the toxic gases are removed from the pond. Please do not simply break the ice as the trauma can shock and kill your fish.

2. Remove excess debris: We can not stress enough how important it is to remove any leaves, annual plants (hyacinths), and sludge that is in the pond. They will decay through the winter and give off toxic gases that can kill your fish.

3. Use temperature appropriate bacteria: There is bacteria specifically designed to work in cooler temperatures and we would recommend switching over now if you need to purchase new bacteria or starting in the beginning of October when the water temperatures get cooler.

4. Perform a partial water change: Before "closing" the pond for the winter we would suggest doing a 20-25% water change in the pond. The fresh water will replenish oxygen and reduce ammonia and nitrite levels. It is ideal to do a water change 3-4 times a year. Don't forget to add salt back into the pond after the water change, if you need to check the salt levels you can purchase a salt pen or we would be more than happy to check it for you.

Even with the cooler weather approaching algae can still be a problem in some ponds. Here is a breakdown of which algae control products to use during Fall.

Microbial Algae Clean: Our favorite product for single celled algae. This is a bacteria based product that can be used Spring through Fall.

AlgaeFix: It's the all in one product, no matter what type of algae you're fighting AlgaeFix will do the trick. Our biggest caution with AlgaeFix is to not use it in extremely hot temperature and do not overdose. AlgaeFix should not be used in ponds with crustaceans.

Pond Balance: Another one of our favorites, Pond Balance is perfect for treating and preventing string algae. Pond Balance is a natural product that will not harm any animals in your pond.

EasyPro Rock & Waterfall Cleaner: Great for algae growing on rocks, waterfalls and plants. EasyPro Rock & Waterfall Cleaner uses oxygen to lift algae  so it can be filtered out of the pond.

We always recommend using a dry bacteria when treating algae to help inhibit new algae growth.

 

Fish have the weakest immune systems in the Fall and Spring so before closing the pond for the winter we would suggest monitoring the fish for any signs they may be sick and to take preventive measure to ensure they do not get sick.

Signs your fish may be sick: If you see your fish flashing, rubbing, see red sores (ulcers), or notice they are much less active than normal.

Treating sick fish: We would suggest treating for parasites and bacterial infections if your fish are exhibiting any of the signs listed above. There are an abundance of products on the market to treat your fish and we have a few favorites. Only one treatment should be done in a pond at a time so we recommend treating for parasites first. Most of the time when fish have signs of a bacterial infection it is because there is a parasite present. To treat all types of parasites would suggest Paracide Green. The treatment would entail 2-3 doses over a 7-14 day period depending on the severity of the fish. For bacterial infections we always recommend Medi-Koi, a medicated fish food. Feed your fish Medi-Koi exclusively for 10-14 days.

If your fish are not showing signs of being sick it does not mean you should take no action but rather treat with medications that will prevent them from becoming sick. Our favorite products for prevention are: Pimafix (Fungus), Melafix (Bacterial) and AquaPrazi (Flukes). Flukes are one of the most common parasites found in a water garden and they can often be compared to fleas on a dog or cat, always present but do not take control unless the immune system has been compromised.

With the cooler weather fast approaching we have had many customers ask us if it's time to switch to Fall and Spring food (high carbohydrate food)- the answer is it all depends on your water temperature. If your water temperature is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit then yes you should begin their Fall diet. If your water temperature is above 70 we would suggest continuing a Summer food for the extra protein before the introduction of high carbohydrate foods. If you do not already have one we would suggest adding a thermometer to your pond to ensure your fish are being fed the correct food for your water temperature.

Don't forget when your water temperature reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit you should stop feeding your fish.

 

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