Looking after ponds in cold weather
|11:40 UK time, Monday, 29 November 2010
During the Big Freeze of January this year, a lot of people asked us what to do if their ponds froze over. Well, the Big Freeze is back with a vengeance now and looks set to stay so I thought I'd republish the advice we gave then.
Unless your pond is very shallow it's not likely to freeze solid so the water in a healthy ecosystem will usually retain sufficient oxygen to keep pond life such as frogs, newts and insects alive. Goldfish, koi and amphibians are actually pretty resistant to low oxygen levels. Creating a hole in the ice actually doesn't seem to make any difference to oxygen levels.
It is the plants in your pond that produce oxygen by photosynthesis. Photosynthesis needs light so if your pond collects snow, be sure to brush it off (but be careful not to step on the ice in case you break through). If your pond isn't carefully maintained and you keep too many fish in it, the oxygen levels can get depleted.
This is because sediment and leaves that collect in the pond will encourage decomposers, and these, as well as your fish, use up oxygen during respiration. To get more oxygen into the pond you need to stir the water up so that deoxygenated water comes into contact with the air - this will need a pump or a fountain.
Read more about pond care on the Pond Conservation website. Or for daily updates you can also look at pond expert Jeremy Biggs' blog.
Comment number 1.
At 13:27 29th Nov 2010, Gordon Hunter wrote:Hi team, I have tried for some time now to contact you. I am a lover of the garden birds we have in this country, and make Tit boxes, bird tables & the like for my family & friends. The breading boxes I make are usualy successful. I would like to share my knowledge of this subject with others and have put together a leaflet consisting of 2 x A4 sheets
that could easily be sent via email.
The leaflet is easy to follow, it comprises of a cutting list and order of assembly all shown pictorially with hole sizes required etc., also the ideal possitioning in the garden.
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Comment number 2.
At 23:50 1st Dec 2010, Robec wrote:To add to Jeremy's pond advice, I would like to add my earlier (slightly modified) post from the "old" site..........
Now that winter is upon us, pond keepers should think about how to keep their fish and other pond life forms in a healthy environment. Previous comments show varying ideas that don't seem to work!
When a hole is kept in the frozen pond surface IT IS TO LET OUT POISON GASSES, NOT LET OXYGEN IN! Plants, dead creatures, rotting vegetation and fish and frog excretions, all produce methane or other gasses that must be let out to atmosphere. So it is essential that at least one "breather" is open during freezing weather, also for our little amphibians to breathe from and exit the pond if desired.
The best way to do this is to keep your pump and filter running all through the winter, as I know some pond keepers like to shut theirs down. Apart from saving money, I can't see the point in this, as the flow of water from a small waterfall or just a return pipe from a pump will keep a large area of vented pond surface.
You don't have to have the filter units in use, but then, why not??
If you have ultra-violet units "on line", you could leave these off, as algae growth has mostly stopped. If you don't have a pump, perhaps you could get a small LOW VOLTAGE pump to give you enough movement of water to keep a small area free of ice. CONSULT A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN IF YOU ARE INSTALLING ELECTRICS, ESPECIALLY IN THE GARDEN!
I have kept around fifteen 7 to 10inch goldfish and four very large carp for 12 years without a winter loss, and have always left at least a pump running.
REMEMBER THIS........VENTILATED ICE ON A POND IS YOUR FRIEND. IT PROTECTS FROM WORSE SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES.
IT ALSO PROTECTS FROM HUNGRY FOXES AND HERONS!
ALSO, DONT TRY TO "FATTEN-UP" YOUR FISH BEFORE WINTER, AND NEVER FEED THEM WHEN THE WATER TEMPERATURE IS 10 (TEN) DEGREES CENTIGRADE OR BELOW. THIS HAS KILLED MORE POND FISH THAN ANYTING ELSE. THE FISH CAN'T DIGEST THE FOOD,SO IT ROTS IN THEIR GUTS AND POISONS THEM.
READ GOOD QUALITY BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT....... FREE AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
Happy winter ponding folks!.............Bob.M
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Comment number 3.
At 10:55 8th Dec 2010, bluebell wrote:Last year I know a couple of people whi didn't melt holes in their pond and lost their fish so my advice would be:
If it is a wild (clay lined pond) you don't need to do do anything except melt some ice at the edge for birds.
NEVER break the ice physically as the shock waves will damage eardrums etc.
If you have a lined or garden pond, please DO melt a hole each day to allow waste gases to escape.
Do NOT run your pump UNLESS the pump unit is well above (at least a foot) the bottom of the pond. The reason is that it will circulate cold water, and kill any frogs or fish that are overwintering at the bottom of the pond. he bottom layer needs to stay undisturbed all winter. If the pump is not on, the water and mud at the bottom shouldn't go below 4*C.
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Comment number 4.
At 17:04 11th Feb 2011, Peterponder wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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