Here is the thing about winter and ponds: it is rough on the ones that are not ready and completely uneventful for the ones that are. The difference is a couple of hours of work in the fall. I would much rather you spend those hours now than lose fish or crack your plumbing and call me in January. Here is the checklist I run before the first hard frost.
Beat the First Hard Freeze
Around Chester County that usually lands late October into November. The goal is to have the pond buttoned up before a deep freeze hits, not scrambling after it.
The Checklist
- Net it. Getting the leaves out now saves you hours later and keeps them from rotting on the bottom all winter. If you do one thing, do this.
- Cut back the dying plants. Anything left decaying in there fouls the water and feeds algae come spring.
- Clean the filters and clear the debris. Start winter with a clean system, not a dirty one.
- Shut it down the right way for your setup. Some ponds run all winter with a de-icer and an aerator. Others get fully shut down and the lines blown out. Which one is right depends on your pond and your fish, and that is where I can help if you are not sure.
- Take care of the fish. Your koi and goldfish drop to the bottom and basically hibernate. They need stable, oxygenated water and a hole kept open in the ice so gases can escape. Get that wrong and it goes bad fast.
What Happens If You Skip It
The two calls I get every winter are cracked plumbing from water left sitting in the lines, and fish that did not make it because the pond iced over solid with no way for gases to get out. Both of those are completely avoidable with a proper shutdown. Every time.
Want it done right before the cold sets in? Get on the schedule and I will winterize your pond.