Pond owners tend to ask themselves how to keep their pond running during the winter months, especially once the temperatures start to drop. These helpful tips will keep your pond running smooth during the winter season.
1. Keep a hole in the ice
As temperatures drop, the pond will start to freeze and ice over. No need to panic about your fish, they will hibernate at the bottom of the pond where it doesn't completely freeze. It is extremely important to make sure that you keep a hole in the ice to let harmful gases escape. Decomposition happens during the fall and winter, as debris sinks to the bottom of the pond and breaks down, expelling harmful gases. If these gases have no escape it can become toxic for your fish.
2. Refrain from poking unnecessary holes
Aside from the hole noted above, required to keep the your fish healthy, it is unnecessary to poke additional holes in the ice surface. Poking new holes can actually cause more problems down the line. The ice on the surface of your pond is a barrier between the flowing water and the cold air temperatures. If you continue to create more holes in the surface, it is exposing the flowing water to the cold temperatures, causing more ice to form.
3. Watch for running water over ice
If you have a waterfall in your pond feature you may notice an area of water running over the ice build up. This can happen near waterfalls where water splashes up and ice build up creates a dam. To fix this issue you can carefully open a hole where the damming is occurring. A good way to eliminate this build up is to pour warm water over the dam to melt it.
