Preparing the pond for winter

Pond care

Make sure you remove leaves that have fallen into the pond as quickly as possible when they fall from the trees in autumn. Best remove the leaves daily with a net to do so. If they are not removed, they will sink to the bottom and enrich the pond with too many nutrients. That would lead to strong algae multiplication.

For preventing this, it is furthermore advisable to use the pond care product sera pond phosvec in late autumn. This effective, lasting prevention binds the nutrient phosphate and thus withdraws the algae their nutrient supply. This is particularly important especially during winter, as the growth period of the plants is over and accordingly less phosphate is being consumed.

Fish

Fish require a strong immune system for being prepared for winter. They should therefore be prepared for the quiet time and cold water temperatures with food rich in nutrients. sera KOI Professional Spring/Autumn Food or sera KOI Professional Spirulina Color Food are suited for this purpose. Both are easy to digest and strengthen the disease resistance of the fish due to their energetic blend of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

sera KOI Professional Winter Food is recommended especially for feeding at temperatures below 12 °C (54 °F). The pellets containing highly unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids quickly sink to the bottom where the fish dwell and look for food when it is cold.

Technical equipment

A basic rule is: The pond should have a water depth of at least 100 cm (40 in.) if the fish are to hibernate in it.

Now in autumn it is advisable to cut, for instance, reed mace just above the water surface. This allows for quick and easy gas exchange.

We recommend the effective sera pond pumps SP. If you wish to keep the pond partially ice free. Install the pump in a depth of 30 cm (12 in.) to do so, so the fountain permanently agitates the pond surface. This will keep the place around the pump ice free.

The pond is thus perfectly prepared for the cold season if the fish are correctly fed and if the water quality is good.