Prepping your pond for the winter

[sissy]

.I use it on my neighbors pond all the time because i end up tending to it until some day they learn enough to do it .I have never used the sludge remover .This stuff i buy has a bottle and packets of dry stuff.it smells like rotten eggs and I buy the fall stuff this way the pond has a good start for spring .i have used it the last 2 fall seasons and have really noticed her pond come spring is much clearer .So guessing after seeing her pond years before it is a big improvement .It has a spring and fall dose in it .Comes in a box .i hope she remebered to buy it .

 

[Dave 54]

It's been a long day but all the filters are clean, weve added new filterwool airstones etc so as far as the filtes go we are ready and waiting for the cold to come in . As an added precaution to protect the koi and filter housing we are adding Quadruple thickness policarbonate sheeting and dispensing with the double glazed policarbonate the winter Jeff will be fitting the new policarbonate tomorrow .
Looking at the abundance of berries I have a gut feeling that this winter is going to be a long hard one maybe bellow last years -10c .
Nature has a way of telling us to be prepared just as the creatures prepare.

rgrds

Dave

 

[Sunshine]

We cleaned the bio filter Saturday, yuck !! The muck, the sludge, the smell .. horrible. But, it is clean and ready for winter. Did a big water change, will be doing another right before it gets cold. I have to lower the water to get in there and cut my lilies back. The older I get, the colder that water is ... lol I didn't mess with the bog, it was built this so hopefully it will be okay.

 

[sissy]

I am hoping mine is just as easy as last year .Turn on the pumps in the filters and clean them with fresh water from the hose and done .I at least don't have to do mine until the end of November ,but will see what the weather looks like .Take the plants in from the filters and trim back the grasses .I keep trying to make mine easier too .

 

[Dave 54]

Well we are now completely repped for winter with the new airstones installed in the bio filter on sunday afternoon.
All that remains for us to do is wait till the days and nights start to dip and then add the remainder of the 11 sheets of quad thickness polycarbonate over the net on top of the pond.
Last but not least we need to turn on the oil heated radiator inthe filter housing to warm the air and in turn the water.
Then keeping a close eye on water and outside air temeratures go through what ever the weather over the UK throws at us.
A friend of mine leaves his open to the elements and when his water achieve between 0-2c keep ours up at 11-14c feeding a reduced diet throughout the winter months at one meal a day.
But as I've said just because its winter doesnt mean you can forget the pond because maintenance is still required throughout waterchanges and vortex cleans.
The trickle meathod being employed with the ambient temperature of the water taking the cold of the fresh water and thus sfe for our koi .

rgrds

Dave