Tips For Winter Pond and Waterfall Maintenance
During the cold weather conditions, many ponds suffer a lot of chaos and damage. The cold weather conditions causes the surface to of the pond to freeze. If you don’t handle this with proper pond care and intelligence, your koi fish could potentially be at risk. Fortunately in Orange County CA (where we are located) we don’t have to deal with water temperatures dropping low enough to cause for worry, but for other states throughout the USA – sometimes it’s better to be safer than sorry.
If you aren’t sure how to handle the situation with your water feature, you can always call upon a pond maintenance expert to help you out. If your koi pond equipment ever ceases, pond appears to be leaking, or aeration shuts off – we suggest contacting a pond professional.
When it comes to cold temperatures and the surface of your pond freezes, potential lack of oxygen exchange occurs. In order for the turtles, fish, and other wildlife to survive, they tend to swim to the deepest parts of the water feature in a “hibernation” form. Typically California pond owners aren’t in need of assistance with frozen ponds – but those living in mountainous regions, and other states might expect to prepare for the colder temperatures.
Steps NOT to do when Maintaining Your Frozen Pond and Waterfall
Sadly, some might consider breaking the ice in order to “help the wildlife survive” – we do not suggest this. Breaking the ice can potentially create stress for the fish in the water which can cause the fishes to potentially die. The winter weather can be hard enough on the fish, you’ll want to avoid anything else that may cause koi fish to be harmed.
Turning off your pond equipment is also not suggested. Similar to RV’s and other water features – the cold can mean frozen pipes, and potentially broken pipes come next spring. Keeping your pond filters, pumps, UV-lights, Aerators, and Heaters running throughout the year can be a must in cold-enough climates. If you do decide to turn off your equipment, drain the plumbing, filtration, and pumps to avoid any issues. (this is assuming you do not have many fish or turtles)
Fortunately for Orange County Pond & Waterfall Owners
We typically don’t see frozen ponds or waterfalls in the Southern California area. However, living off the Ortegas, or high desert with just the right temps and pond depth can lead to a frozen pond in the CA area. If you DO experience a frozen pond – don’t panic it will most likely thaw out shortly and nothing drastic will need to be done.
If you think your fish, pond, or equipment is in jeopardy – consider calling for pond management services from a commercial and residential service company like Lake Management Inc. to help you out.
What To Do After Deicing A Pond
If you do live beyond Orange County and in colder parts of the USA you can consider getting yourself an air pump or a pond heater. With the help of an air pond or pond heater, you can be able to keep a steady stream of bubbles over the water to ensure oxygen exchange even if the surface of the pond has frozen.
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