Pond Maintenace

Depending on where you live, the winter months can mean additional pond maintenance for some and very little for others. Usually during the winter there is not much to do if you have done the proper pond maintenance in the fall, as far as cleaning in and around your pond and checking your equipment. As the water gets cold, the fish require almost no food, as they are extremely inactive. Furthermore, cooler water retains dissolved oxygen better meaning oxygen is not as important as in the summer. However, in areas where temps get low enough to freeze over a pond, there are some things that need to be done to make sure your pond and anything that’s living in it survive the winter.

The most important pond maintenance tip to remember is to not let the pond freeze over completely. If the pond surface completely freezes over, then the gases that are produced during the breakdown of debris cannot escape and can pollute the water. Also, if the toxic gases cannot get out, then that means oxygen cannot get in, which of course is a problem.  An easy solution to assist in your pond maintenance would be to add an aerator as a means of keeping the pond from freezing over.  Sanco Industries, Inc. has a large selection of Crystal Blue aerators and water features that will add the proper amount of aeration to any size pond.

Another winter pond maintenance tip is to use you pond maintenace products sparingly.  During the winter months it is not crucial to continue with heavy doses of bacteria, like Natural Pond Cleaner, as the bacteria become inactive in the cold water. However, at least one dose of Natural Pond Cleaner and a dose of the pond dye, like Crystal Blue Lake and Pond Colorant, throughout the winter can be helpful for the early spring warm-up by giving you a bit of a head start on maintaining a clean and healthy pond throughout the year.

For more information on pond maintenance Contact Sanco.