How to clean up and winterize your Water Garden?

FALL CLEAN UP & WINTERIZATION

Debris clean up form the fall is inevitable in many areas.  If your skimmer does not collect all the surface debris, you may need use a net to remove the leaves and organics left in the pond.  Decomposed material releases gases that can be harmful to fish.  Plant material should be cut back to just about water level.  Lily leaves and stems should be cut back to 2-3" at the base.  Tropical plants should be removed.  Stop feeding your fish.

Only ponds that experience ice cover over long periods of time require winterization.  The beautiful ice formations during the winter can be breathtaking.  Should you decide to keep the pond running, the main concern is enough water for the pump to operate.  Long or slow moving streams may cause ice dams to form and can divert water over the liner.  As the water freezes the water level lowers, it may go below the skimmer opening preventing water flow. Therefore, you  may have to use an alternate source to "top-off" the pond.

A 2,000 gph pump size should be operated so the waterfalls will not freeze solid causing excessive ice build-up but must run continuously.  Moving water will keep a hold open in the ice around the waterfalls and in front of the skimmer.  Pipes and filters will not freeze.  A floating pond de-icer (25 watts) may be used to keep a small area in front of the skimmer open.  Should the skimmer run dry, it may be necessary to shut the system down.  If the pump is turned off during a heavy freeze, the check valve should be removed so the water can drain from the pipe and filter.

If you close the pond down for the winter, there are a few precautions you can take.  Remove the pump from the skimmer and store it submerged in the bucket of the water in a frost-free location to prevent the seals from drying and cracking.  Remove and rinse the filter mats and bags of biological media from the filter. Store these in a garage or shed until spring.  Remove the check valve so the water drains from the pipe and filter.

Fish can survive the winter in just two feet of water as long as they have oxygen.  Therefore it is important to keep a hole in the ice to allow the escape of harmful gases in the water.  One way is to place the waterfall pump in a basket surrounding the pump with stone to prevent clogging, while placing it on the second or third shelf of the pond so the surface water is broken from the aeration.  The agitation from the pump will prevent freezing and provide oxygen.  Another option is to use a floating heater in combination with a small submersible pump - at least 150 gph - placed on the first shelf of the pond and bubbling at least one inch above the surface.  Floating heaters (1,250 watts) are expensive to operate and do not provide oxygen for the fish.  Heaters must be placed away from the skimmer and re-circulating pump to avoid causing the heated water to move thereby forcing the heater to run constantly.