Natural Water Gardens
Are your fish ready for the winter?

The fish become dormant and will feed off the algae at the bottom of the pond all winter.  You will want to feed them Low-Temp fish food once the water temperature reaches below 55°. Be sure to look your fish over and check for any signs of parasites. Treating your fish before the winter months will give them time to recuperate. Salt is a safe and inexpensive way to treat many ailments that occur with fish.  It destroys the external parasites that may be attacking them and it restores the slime coat.  The slime coat is a protective outer layer the wards off infection. It acts as a liquid band-aid.

At Natural Water Gardens (Northern Illinois) we recommend that a recirculating pipe is attached to your pump in the skimmer. This allows the water to recirculate back into the pond. The pipe should be discharging the water at the surface edge of the pond. With the recirculating pipe we recommend adding an areator sutable for exterior use and of sufficient size to maintain an opening in the ice as it stratifies the pond.  The airstone should only be located 1/2 to 2/3rds of the depth of the water in the pond.  (NOT STRATIFING all of the water from the bottom in the winter)

This allows harmful gasses to escape that is caused by decaying debris. It also helps create much needed oxygen for your fish. A pond heater can be installed in your pond. This WILL NOT heat your entire pond but will keep a hole, just surrounding the heater, warm enough to allow the gases to escape. We also recommend  using a heater and areator so you have created a back up system incase one stops working.