Can My Fish Survive the Winter?

If you live in a climate that endures harsher winters, you’re probably wondering whether your fish can survive the cold. While deeper ponds are better for fish than shallow water gardens, there are some precautions you can take to keep your fish alive in the winter. Protect your fish with these pond winterization techniques:

Make Sure Your Pond is Deep Enough

Fish are made to survive in cold temperatures, and even frozen water. However, there needs to be enough unfrozen water under the ice for your fish to live healthily. Your pond should have an area that is at least 18 inches deep in case it freezes over completely. This can give the fish enough room to create a warmer living space under the ice.

Add a Pump or Heater

If you want to avoid a frozen pond, you need to invest in a pond heater or pump. Heaters are made for cold temperatures, so installing one could be a good option for keeping a small area of your pond warm. Heaters can also create holes in the ice to allow more oxygen to enter the water for your fish.

While a pond pump is more likely to be internally damaged by cold weather, a pump with a fountain can also add oxygen to your pond. The area of water surrounding the fountain stays unfrozen, creating a large hole in the ice through which oxygen can enter the water.

Leave Some Dirt

Because your pond will be more sealed off from nutrients in the winter than in other seasons, it’s important to not over-clean your pond before it gets cold. You don’t need your pond to look perfect in the winter, so leave some dirt, bacteria, and debris in the water. This will provide natural nutrients for your fish to consume.

Limit Food

When the temperature drops, so does a fish’s metabolism. Feeding them more than they need to eat will cause extra waste products, so be wary of feeding in the winter. As the temperature gradually decreases in the fall, scale down the amount of food you give them. When the weather drops to under 45˚F, you can stop feeding your fish altogether. The above precautions can keep them alive throughout the winter without requiring food.

When you’re ready to start preparing your pond for winter, check out the from Pondliner.com. Contact us for answers to your pond and water garden questions.

Why Do I Need a Pond Pump for my Water Garden?

If you’re backyard water feature is a small water garden, you might be wondering why a pond pump is necessary. You don’t have fish or a large amount of water, so what good can a pond pump do for you?

Filters do the water cleaning, but without a pump, much of your water would remain dirty. A pond pump can do the following for your water garden:

Circulate Water 

Circulation is vital to water garden health, even with minimal fish, plants and water. If your water isn’t circulating, it can’t all be cleaned. With a pond pump, your water will circulate, which allows your filter system to clean all of your water equally and efficiently. Water circulation also creates healthier water in itself. By allowing movement, you can avoid stagnant water in your garden.

 Limit Bacteria Growth

Water gardens can be especially susceptible to unhealthy bacteria growth due to shallow water and extreme temperature changes. To reduce unwanted bacteria without harming your plants and fish, use a pond pump to keep water moving and distribute extreme temperature areas.

Assist Filtration

In summer and fall seasons, extra leaves and debris can enter your filtering system. With a pump for your water garden, you can screen out larger items before they reach the filter. Give your filter a longer life with a pump and connecting pipe that screens out large debris.

Drive Water Features 

If you have a waterfall or fountain feature in your water garden, you’re likely using electricity to power it. With a pond pump, you can not only circulate water, but also add water flow to your garden features. Circulate more efficiently by using one device to both improve the cleaning and water power of your garden.

Water garden pumps  can clean your water and power circulation efficiently. To be sure your backyard pond has the pond supplies necessary to stay healthy, contact Pondliner.com.

3 Advantages of Pressure Filters

Are you trying to find the perfect water filter for your backyard pond? You know you need to keep your water, fish and plants healthy, but it can be difficult to decide between the many pond filter supplies available. Consider the advantages of pressure filters, ideal for small backyard ponds:

Sealed Units 

Pressure filters are sealed units made to be placed outside of the pond and fed water via a water pump in the pond. The filter unit is sealed, so it can be placed nearly anywhere, including below ground level or behind a water feature. If you’re looking for a filter that can be installed in a variety of places, a pressure filter gives you flexible options.

Re-routed Water Path

Water must leave the pond through a pump to enter the pressurized filter. This allows creative options for water’s re-entrance to your pond. Want to install a fountain or create a waterfall to enhance your yard? A pressure filter can route filtered water back into your pond through a water feature.

Eco-friendly Options

Pondliner.com offers eco-friendly pressurized pond filters. These filters are self-cleaning; all you have to do is switch the control valve to backwash and pull the cleaning handle. Magnetic pumps operate the filter, while a UC clarifier keeps water efficiently clean.

The pressurized filters at Pondliner.com are made of two kinds of filter foam: fine and coarse. The contrast of these textures creates an optimal environment for growing the bacteria that’s good for your filter supplies. Using this advantage of a pressure filter, you can grow the bacteria your pond needs without adding more chemicals that could be harmful to your fish and plants.

If you’re looking for a flexible, easy to manage filtering system for your small pond, a pressure filter can provide you with the supplies you need. Contact Pondliner.com to learn more about your filtering supply and service options today.

Making the Transition to Pond Filtering

You know you should have installed a pond filter long ago, but you just never got around to it. Now you’ve realized your pond life can’t stay healthy without one. So how should you go about installing a pond filter when you’ve been going without one? Here are some important steps you should take to safely install your filter.

Clean, Clean, Clean! 

Pond filters can be delicate, so it’s important to manually clean your pond before you start filtering. You might need to invest in some pond supplies to effectively clean your water feature. If your pond liner is too dirty to clean manually, consider draining your pond and purchasing a new filter. However, if you think you can clean your pond without making any replacements, you can treat the water with algaecide and chemicals that clean up bacteria. If there are fish living in your pond, be careful not to over-use these chemical treatments. Consider purchasing a non-toxic algaecide.

In addition to chemical treatments, you can also scrub your pond liner. Simply use a non-toxic cleaning chemical and scrub dirty areas with a hard-bristled brush. When you’ve finished with chemicals and are nearly ready to install your filter, skim the water surface with a net or skimmer to remove any excess plants.

Monitor Your Filter 

It’s always good to keep a close eye on your filter so you notice when it’s time to change it. This is especially important to do when you first install a filter. You will quickly learn what your pond filter looks like when it’s working properly so you can notice any future malfunctions. You will also be able to make sure your filter doesn’t experience overuse due to the extra cleaning it does at first. Your pond might look clean to you, but it could still have a lot of bacteria that the filter catches, so be sure to monitor it after installation.

As long as your pond isn’t too dirty, you should be able to transition to filtering without much trouble. Simply remember to keep your pond clean, even after your install your new filter.

If you’re looking for more pond filter suggestions or supplies, Pondliner.com can help you. Contact us today to take advantage of our expert solutions and quality products.