Every koi pond owner should make prepping their pond for fall and winter a priority. Dipping temperature can affect koi health and pond water quality. If you fail to winterize your pond, your koi may fall sick or even die.
Here are some tips to protect your koi pond in winter.
Do Not Overfeed Your Koi
Fish metabolism slows down in winter. As a result, they eat less in winter. When temperatures plummet, reduce feeding frequency. In spring and winter, when your water temperature falls below 50 degrees, stop feeding your fish.
If you continue feeding your fish as frequently as you do in summer, they will excrete more, affecting pond water quality. As the uneaten food decomposes, it will produce gases that are required for algae growth. Algae in your pond is a recipe for disaster. It looks unsightly and can compete with aquatic plants and animals for sunlight, food and nutrients.
In winter, replace summer food with wheat germ. Wheat germ is specially formulated to help fish build fat reserves that they need to survive in cold winter weather.
Clean Your Pond
Before winter hits in full force, thoroughly clean your pond. Remove leaves, twigs, plants and other debris. Use a sludge treatment and pond vacuum to remove the sludge and organic debris from the bottom of your pond.
Protect Your Plants
Lower temperatures affect fish as well as your plants. To prevent your plants from decaying, prune dead stems and leaves. Bring any non-hardy plants such as Water Hyacinths inside your home or they may perish when temperatures plummet. If your pond is deep enough (=/<a meter deep), move hardy plants to the deeper parts of your pond to prevent their roots from freezing.
Cover Your Pond
Install a pond net to prevent leaves from falling in it. Animals such as racoons, wild dogs, owls, herons and egrets prey on fish. During winter, lack of vegetation makes ponds more exposed attracting these and other predators. A durable and strong net will also discourage predators.
When installing a pond cover, make sure it is securely fastened around the edges slightly above the pond. This will prevent the net from sagging into the pond (if your net sags into your pond, it can cause leaves and debris to rot).
Add Cold Water Bacteria
There are several benefits of cold water bacteria. It contains strains of concentrated bacteria that can work even when temperatures plummet to as low as 32 degrees F. Cold water bacteria will help maintain water quality and clarity by breaking down and digesting debris that accumulate on the surface of pond water.
Atlantis Water Gardens is committed to helping homeowners make informed decisions when choosing a water feature for their garden. We are your go-to team for koi pond installation near you in Morristown. To learn more, call 973-627-0515.