Fall is the quiet season that decides how your pond comes through winter. Get a few things right now and spring is easy. Skip them and you are cleaning up a mess in April. Here is what actually matters.
Net the pond before the leaves drop
The single best thing you can do is get a net over the pond before the trees let go. Leaves that sink and rot all winter turn into sludge, foul the water, and rob your fish of oxygen under the ice. A net catches them while they are still easy to remove.
Ease off the feeding
As the water cools, your koi and goldfish slow down and so does their digestion. Once the water holds below about 50 degrees, stop feeding. Food they cannot digest does more harm than good heading into winter.
Cut back and clean up
Trim back dying plant growth and pull out what has already gone to mush. The less organic material sitting in the pond over winter, the cleaner your water stays and the easier your spring opening will be.
Decide what runs through winter
Depending on your setup and your fish, you will either shut the system down properly or keep a small amount of water moving and a de-icer going to keep a hole open in the ice for gas exchange. The wrong call here is what costs people fish, so it is worth getting right.
Protect the equipment
Pumps, filters, and exposed plumbing can crack in a hard freeze. Anything that is not running through winter should be drained and stored. A few minutes now saves a ruined pump in January.
Not sure what your particular pond needs before the cold? That is exactly what fall winterizing covers, and you can always get in touch and we will walk you through it.
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Tell us about your water feature and we will put together a quote. No pressure, just a straight answer on what it needs.