How to Prepare a Fish Pond for Winter

Decorative fish ponds have become a very popular addition to many backyards--but in areas where winter temperatures regularly drop below freezing--ponds and their fish need to be prepared for winter. Here are some ideas on how to do it.

Things You'll Need

  • Scoop net
  • Leaf netting
  • Pond cover (commercial or homemade)
  • Floating de-icer or bubbling machine
  • Bacterial additives or chemicals to speed decomposition of organic matter
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clean out leaves and bacterial debris in the pool itself, with your scoop net, and remove any vegetation that is already dead or dying. Also, clear away any debris such as leaves close to the pond that could blow in.

    • 2

      Spread leaf netting over your pond to keep newly fallen leaves from getting into the water and causing a spike in harmful ammonia levels as they decompose over the winter.

    • 3

      Consider installing a pond cover or wind protection around your pond to prevent things from blowing in during the winter and damaging the pond liner or hurting the fish.

    • 4

      Shut down any above-ground water sources such as fountains or waterfalls. During winter, while it may not freeze itself (because the water is moving), the water it would be putting into the pond would be very close to freezing and would cool the pond water dramatically.

    • 5

      Remove the pump from the pond and store it away for winter. You don't want your pump to be running during the winter because the moving water will mix up thermal layers in the water, making the water near the bottom colder (where fish will be). When you've got the pump out of the pond, remove and clean or replace the water filters.

    • 6

      Understand when it's time to stop feeding your fish. When the water temperature is steady between 55 and 60 degrees F, only feed them wheat germ foods once a day, and once the temperature is steadily between 50 and 55 degrees F, feed them only once a week. Once the temperature stays below 50 degrees F, stop feeding them altogether. Don't start feeding them again until the temperature warms up in the spring. Even if the temperature does warm for a few days, let your fish eat algae from the pond sides rather than start to feed them.

    • 7

      Consider installing a floating de-icer to keep your pond surface clear of ice, in order to allow gas exchange during the winter.