When do I shut down the pond for winter?

[Sweet Lew]

Hello All!

Well, the nights are starting to cool off in the Chicagoland area and after a fairly successful 1st season with my pond, I need to know when to shut it down for the winter..

I have a 420 gal pond with lillies and some algae. Nothing else. The days are still in the low 70s to low 80s, but the nights are dropping between high 50s and low 60s. When do I need to pull the pump out and drain\clean it? Also is there anything else I need to do? Remove as much algae as possible? Drain some of the water? I'm leaving the lillies in since they have never been removed (found them under a pile of mucky muck this Spring and they still survived).

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Lew

 

[koikeepr]

when the water temperature drops to 50 degrees, you stop feeding the fish. You can shut everything down at the point if you like, and people in very cold zones like yours will do that. So, make sure you buy yourself a floating thermometer at the pet shop and drop it in.

We have another thread going right now about keeping pumps outta the water or in, so you should give that a read. Some people keep 'em in, others pull 'em. You don't drain water from your pond, you leave it as it. There's another winterizing thread going on right now you should read as well...there's also a thread on the lilys too.

Some folks will stop feeding, but keep the filtration going a bit longer. That all depends on how cold things are. Also, not sure if you have leaves to deal with falling from trees, but you might need to consider building a frame out of wood or PVC pipe and creating a tent with either a tarp or netting to keep out leaves...but again, we have a nimber of other threads going on now already describing all this....

 

[Sweet Lew]

Thanks.. I didn't want to "Threadjack" anyone's thread, and the "Winterizing" thread didn't really pertain to me. I'll check out the others..

Thanks again,

Lew

 

[DrCase]

Were all one big family ..Sweet Lew

 

[Sweet Lew]

:beerchug:

 

[charrold]

Follow on question to Koi Keeper's answer to Lew:

Is the water temp or air temp more important? Obviously if there is a hard freeze brewing (which there is not yet), that is one issue, but should I be more concerned about the water temp as the gauge for my shut-down time?

 

[koikeepr]

Water temp is more critical. Fish like our koi are able to survive cold winters because they huddle at the lower regions of the pond where the water stays warmer. Normally, this is a dead zone...as there is little oxygen, but since the fish require little oxygen at this time because they are sort of in a state of hibernation, it's ok.

Let's say the weatherman says the day is going to be 60 degrees today, but your water temperature may very well be 70 degrees at this time. Water temperature changes much more slowly than air temperature. And that's why you need a thermometer in the water. You go by water temp, not air temp. Our fish live in the water, not out and about in air like us.

 

[charrold]

Cool - that is kind of what I though. I am still bringing in some of my more fragile plants this weekend due to the pending colder air temps, but I can leave the pond plants longer it seems. Thanks!

 

[koikeepr]

well, pond plants aren't fish. Fish are completely submerged and pond plants have just roots under the water...the leaves are up in air temp...and many of them suffer once cold hits. So, that's a different matter altogether.

 

[charrold]

That is my major confusion since all the stuff I can find references temperature but makes no distinction between water and air temp.

Thanks to your info though, all the floating plant rings and potted marginal plants are in to their winter home upstairs in a nice ruber-maid tote with a small pump for circulation. Water temp was around 60 still so the fish, lilies, and Hyacinth/Waster Lettuce will live until another day in the water (well the fish aren't going anywhere really - they are there for the winter like it or not and so are the lilies...).

Anyway, thanks again.

 

[Sweet Lew]

Water temp was around 60 still so the fish, lilies, and Hyacinth/Waster Lettuce will live until another day in the water (well the fish aren't going anywhere really - they are there for the winter like it or not and so are the lilies...).

Anyway, thanks again.

Same with me..When I moved into the house this April, the lillies were covered in a muddy muck and they still survived!! If they can hangle that, then they are staying in the pond this winter!!

 

[koiguy1969]

lillies are fine as long as your pond doesnt freeze solid...cut them down to an inche or so above rhyzone, put them in the deep end and forget about them 'til spring............if your fish stay in put an airstone in the pond 1/2 way down in the deep end to keep a hole in the ice and allow for gas exchange.

 

[Sweet Lew]

lillies are fine as long as your pond doesnt freeze solid...cut them down to an inche or so above rhyzone, put them in the deep end and forget about them 'til spring.

Thanks for the advice!! :biggrin:

 

[oldmarine]

Hi Sweet Lew,

Leave the alfae, the fish will take care of that for you. They need it in their diet anyway.

 

[Sweet Lew]

Hi Sweet Lew,

Leave the alfae, the fish will take care of that for you. They need it in their diet anyway.

Thanks for the tip, but I don't have fish in my pond..Too many possums and raccoons in my neighborhood...:banghead3: