Preparing your pond for the cold months is a fairly simple but extremely important process. With a few steps, you’ll be able to ensure that your aquatic habitat stays in tip top shape for next spring.

With changes in temperature and weather, many issues can be present in your pond. One of these issues is erosion that leads to sediment build up in ponds. If you’re facing this issue, you should contract sediment removal services to keep your pond in top shape. 

Now, let’s discuss five ways to get your pond ready to withstand the cold weather.

Remove any debris

Use a net to remove any leaves or other debris that has collected in the pond. Make sure to sweep the entire pond, not just the surface. Picking debris from the bottom of the pond is just as important. If you don’t remove all of the debris, it will decay during the winter. This will create much larger issues when you’re ready to unveil your pond again in the spring, because the ecosystem will have been completely thrown off. 

Install pond netting

Once you’ve cleaned your pond out, install some netting before the leaves change and begin falling from the trees to ensure that your pond stays clean and you only have to clean it once. This is the easiest way to make sure you don’t miss any debris that could sneak in and cause a problem. You might also consider any low-hanging trees or other foliage that might produce a lot of debris directly into the pond.

Make sure your fish are healthy

If you have fish in your pond, make sure that they are as healthy as possible before the winter months set it. This means helping keep their diet balanced. Once the water gets cold, the fish will go into hibernation, meaning that their metabolism and digestion begin to slow down. You want them to be properly nourished before this happens, so they can sustain themselves while they hibernate. Once the temperature is below 50 degrees, you’ll want to stop feeding your fish completely until the temperature rises again.

Place a tennis ball in your pond

This tip is specifically for people who live in a climate where your pond is likely to freeze over. It’s quite important to stop your pond from completely freezing over if you have fish that live there, because the ice will trap in the carbon dioxide and not allow any oxygen to enter. By placing a tennis ball in the pond, the gentle movements will help break up the ice so that it never forms a complete layer over the top of the ice. No matter what, you shouldn’t break the ice on the top of the pond because the shock can be fatal to your fish. 

Plan to shut down your pond equipment

Create a plan for when you will shut down your pond equipment. In extreme temperatures, the pump and filter will need to be turned off. In more moderate temperatures, you may be able to get away with keeping it on. Check the weather forecasts to make sure that you turn off your equipment before it gets cold enough to damage it or ultimately putting your pond at risk.