Will your pond be ready for the Fall and Winter?

There is no doubt, the winter of 2014/2015 was one of the hardest that pond owners have endured since A Frog’s Dream Aquatic Services was started 10 years ago.  The cold temperatures and prolonged snow cover was a challenge to all pond owners.  In many cases, the ponds were covered with thick ice and snow pack causing harmful gases to be trapped in the water.  This winter caused many to lose fish, I even lost several.
We want everyone to be prepared for the upcoming winter.   I have come up with the Top Ten things you SHOULD be doing to ensure your pond and fish are prepared for this winter.
1.  Keep the Leaves Out!  Cover your pond with a net to keep harmful leaves that produce toxic gasses out of your pond.  This will go a long way towards keeping your fish safe this winter.
2.  Clean Your Pond.   If your pond is filthy- Clean-It!   Fish can succumb to many diseases in a dirty pond.  A clean pond will increase their chances of survival over the winter.
3.  Pond Thermometer-  Keep one on hand at all times so you can gauge water temperatures.  This will help you know when to switch fish food and stop feeding your fish
4.  Fall Fish Food-  We recommend switching to a fall fish food (lower protein) around September 15th or when water temperatures in your pond drop below 60 degrees.
5.  Stop Feeding- When water temperatures are below 50 degrees.  NO EXCEPTIONS. Just don’t do it.
6. Cut Back Plants- Foliage from water lilies, marginal and stream plants should be cut back to keep dead foliage out of your pond.  Make sure to discard any annual floating plants like lettuce and water hyacinth.
7.  Keep a Hole in the Ice- We always suggest a two pronged approach for keeping a hole in the ice during the winter.  You should have a strong, energy efficient bubbler for continued use and a pond deicer for times of severe cold or prolonged heavy snow.
8.   Keep a Hole in the Ice DON’T-  Banging on the ice to create a hole should only be used in extreme emergencies.  A floating beach ball, Clorox Bottle or Pipe are NOT acceptable methods (because they don’t work) for keeping a hole in the ice.
9.  Protect your Electric Source- Make sure your electrical outlets are covered and protected.  Many pond owners lost power when the snow reached their electrical source.
10. Mink Happens!-  Mink do live in our area and is a viable winter predator.  Contact us with tips on how to deter this predator form getting to your fish.

These pond tips are sure to help you have ‘Great’ winter.  We offer our Fall Pond Cleaning service as well as our Fall/Winter Preparation service to help you prepare your pond for this winter.

As always, feel free to call us with any questions.  we are here to help!
Not sure you want to tackle this yourself.  We can handle it all for you.  Sign up online today at: Fall/Winter Service Request Form

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