Featured Cold Weather Fish Food: Microbe Lift Legacy

In a past post I talked about the power of cold weather fish food and how important it is to your pond life's health. Today I’m going to talk in greater detail about one of the specific kinds of food we at Pondliner recommend you buy: Microbe-Lift Legacy Cold Weather Fish Food.

This type of fish food comes from a brand that our pond supplies professionals really trust. Microbe-Lift makes great products, and we think this fish food does wonderful things for your pond life during the cold winter months.

Why is it so great? Well, this particular cold weather fish food is made with lesser amounts of protein and wheat germ, and instead contains a higher level of fats. This makes it much easier for your fish to digest as their systems begin slowing down and processing food less effectively. In addition, it contains probiotics that produce enzymes used specifically to break down carbohydrates, protein and fat.

So not only does this cold weather fish food contain ingredients that are easy to digest, it also contains elements that help with the digestive process itself. Pretty cool.

The Microbe-Lift Legacy brand provides a balanced feeding system that will keep your fish healthy and happy even as their systems begin steadily shutting down for winter. It meets their unique nutritional needs = and helps to keep them strong even during the coldest months of the year.

Remember, feeding your fish the proper kind of food during winter is essential for keeping them healthy and happy. Take a step in the right direction by purchasing the Microbe-Lift Legacy brand this season.

Prevent Your Pond from Icing Over with Pond Heaters

Now that we've discussed the difference (or lack thereof) between pond deicers and pond heaters, it's time to talk about how to use them effectively. One of the biggest concerns pond owners face each winter is how to keep their fish alive when the temperatures plummet, and pond heaters/deicers are an essential part of doing so.

The process for keeping your fish comfortable in cold weather is two-fold:

1. Have a section of the pond at least 18 inches deep
2. Keep the surface of the pond from completely freezing over

Allow me to explain why both steps are important. First of all, your priority needs to be keeping your fish from freezing to death. By having a section of the pond at least 18 inches deep, you ensure that your fish can get deep enough to avoid the risk of freezing. When temperatures are their coldest, your fish will head to the deepest part of your pond to hibernate.

As for keeping your pond surface from freezing over, this is necessary to allow a healthy exchange of gases to occur. As your fish’s digestive systems work, they release ammonia into the water. If that ammonia is trapped beneath a layer of ice and can’t escape into the air, you run the risk of poisoning your fish. Likewise, oxygen from outside the pond needs a way to get into the water.

Remember that you don’t have to worry about keeping the entire surface of your pond free of ice. That would be a very big job! Instead, you can use pond heaters or a pond deicer to keep a small section of the water’s surface from freezing. Just a small hole is enough to allow the necessary gases to exchange to keep your fish happy and healthy all winter long.

Have questions or want more information about buying winter pond supplies? Contact a Pondliner professional today.

Pond Heaters, Pond Deicers - What's the Difference?

When it comes to winter pond supplies, one of the most important pieces you can buy is a pond heater. Or is it a pond deicer? Wait a minute…

Some pond owners get confused when it comes to buying one of these products, but we’re here to help.

The first thing to note is that pond heaters and pond deicers are the same thing.

That’s right. Two different names, but it’s the same product and it achieves the same outcomes. So either one you buy, you will be getting a product that is designed to keep your pond from completely freezing over in frigid temperatures. The choice you have to make it whether to purchase one that is submerged or floating:

• Floating pond heater/deicer: located on the surface of your pond, these floating pond supplies are used to keep an area of your pond’s surface open during the winter. In addition, they are temperature programmed, so they only run when the water temperatures hit a certain point. Floating pond heaters/deicers won’t keep your entire pond surface free from ice, but they will create a big enough hole for the exchange of gases to occur.
  
  
• Submerged pond heater/deicer: placed in the bottom of your pond, these pond supplies are used to heat the water at your pond's lowest point. These are most beneficial in ponds less than 18 inches deep, because they will give your fish enough warmth to prevent them from freezing to death. You’ll want to monitor your pond’s surface closely, though, because a submerged heater can’t guarantee that it will generate enough heat to keep the surface of the pond from freezing over. If you notice that it isn’t doing enough on its own, you may need to purchase a floating version as well.

So there you have it. Pond heaters and pond deicers are one in the same. You can buy versions that live at the bottom of your pond, or those that float across the top. Either way, your ultimate goal during winter needs to be to keep a small section of your pond from freezing over. Do this, and you shouldn’t have to worry about your pond life making it happily to springtime.

*Image provided by debs-eye on Flickr.