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Dog at pond

How To Know If The Fish Are Spawning?

Fish typically spawn when the water temperatures are between 65° and 70°. In Colorado, this usually occurs in late May or June. 

How Can Your Backyard Pond Support Spawning Behavior?

Female koi don’t start reproducing until they are about 3 years old. At that point, take the following steps to support spawning.

  1. The pond should be free of chemicals! Remember that beneficial bacteria occur naturally and we do not consider them a chemical. 
  2. Fish need plants because they have suitable material to lay eggs on. Plants, like floating hyacinths, provide excellent spawning ground with their many roots hanging down, offering the perfect spot to put eggs. Other plants like bulrush, common rush, corkscrew rush, and iris are just right as well!
  3. Algae will not stop the fish from spawning and are actually part of a healthy pond. Even green cloudy water will not hurt them. 
  4. The fish need sun and shade. Lilies are perfect for this!
Koi swim in a backyard pond

You may notice some fish looking fat. These are likely female fish that are getting ready to release eggs. Male fish have a more slender shape. The females tend to be wider just above the tail. Look at the white fish in the photo above: that one is female, so is the large yellow one and the dark orange one to the left of the white one.

Pregnant fish and foam in a backyard pond
Here we see foam in the pond. It may collect in the skimmer as well.

Signs The Fish Are Spawning:

  • The fish seem like they are fighting (but they’re not really!). The male bumps the female with his head urging her to spawn. They might seem to be chasing each other. 
  • Some fish are jumping clear out of the water. 

*This can also be a sign of other issues. So, if they are doing this, pay attention to their behavior.

  • After they have spawned, the water will seem like it has a slick surface and there will be a white foaminess at the edges of the pond. There will probably be foam in the skimmer, too. Potentially LOTS of foam. (Don’t worry it will go away!)
  • The pond will smell…It will really smell and be FISHY! Don’t worry, the smell will pass!
  • You may see eggs, but they are not always easy to see. They will look like little clear balls the size of a pinhead. They are often found on the tips of pond plants. Koi don’t put all the eggs in one basket—they’ll spread them all over the pond!
Koi and goldfish swim in backyard pond

When Will They Hatch? Will I Have Thousands Of Fish??

The eggs that aren’t eaten as a tasty snack will hatch in about a week. They will be super tiny, no longer than the tip of your finger. They will hide really well, so you likely won’t see them. When they get a bit bigger you will see tiny fish darting around trying not to be eaten. These fish babies are called “fry.”

After fry hatch, they attach themselves to plants like reeds and even to the side of the pond. They consume suspended particle food or liquid food. The pond will naturally provide this for them through nutrients in the water. 

Are you worried you might end up with too many fish? Don’t. The koi consider the eggs a nice snack and even making it past hatching is difficult, you will be lucky to get five new fish out of the deal. Having fish that were born in our own backyard pond is something that we love!

Beautiful backyard pond with Boulder, CO flatirons in distance

How Else Can Colorado Pond Pros Help?

Have more questions about your backyard pond, goldfish, or koi? We’d love to help! Contact us, your pond experts, for questions about your fish or if you’re interested in pond installation or landscaping. Additionally, our blog has great tips and advice on everything from protecting your fish from ducks to getting your fish and pond ready for fall. 

Backyard Pond Installation Service Landscaping Picture

Spring Pond Concerns: Feeding the Fish

With the spring comes new life and new considerations for your backyard pond! Can you start feeding the fish again? Are the spring chinooks causing water loss? Let’s talk about what you can do if you find yourself in these typical Colorado spring situations!

When To Feed The Fish

The Colorado spring has the fish thinking it’s time to eat! Feeding the fish in the spring when pond temperatures are fluctuating 10 degrees or more from daytime to nighttime can be a little tricky. 

Things to consider:

  • Is your pond primarily very sunny?
  • Are the fish very active?
  • Do you have low protein or winter-type food available?

If you answered yes to these questions you can feed them winter food very sparingly.

Feeding Temps for Backyard Gold Fish Pond

We highly recommend keeping an eye on the weather. When there is warm weather for more than a few days in a row and you are feeding them, remain aware of cold weather coming in. Don’t feed them for a couple of days before the cold weather to make sure they have processed all the food out of their systems. 

We also recommend that if you feed them when temperatures are low, you use cold water bacteria. As the temperatures rise the fish waste will provide nutrients that algae may take advantage of. 

Keep in mind, if you feed your fish just below or at 50 degrees you are doing this at your own risk!

Refer to the helpful chart above.

Backyard Gold Fish Pond

 

How else can Colorado Pond Pros help you?

We love our jobs and are excited to help you with your backyard pond installation, pond service, and repair! And as the pond experts, we have plenty of advice and info on landscaping as well. Contact us today for help tending to your pond or installing a new one!

Whether we’re talking about outdoor gold fish ponds, pondless waterfalls, cleanouts, renovations, leaks, or aquatic plants, we’ve got oodles of experience and enthusiasm to share! Just take a look at our blogs Topping Off the Pond: What to Keep In Mind, How Does Colorado Pond Pros Handle Bottom Drains? and High Winds and Your Backyard Water Feature.

How does Colorado Pond Pros handle bottom drains?

We don’t! When we build a backyard water feature we work with Mother Nature. We mimic her as best we can by providing the 5 basic elements of a healthy ecosystem.

A healthy ecosystem pond has:

Filtration

We do this through the use of a skimmer to skim off leaves and debris before it sinks to the bottom.

Rocks and gravel 

Not pea gravel, and not just cobble, but 3/4″ gravel. This provides the perfect nooks and crannies for beneficial bacteria to colonize and that bacteria consume debris and waste. 

Recirculation

This is where the pump comes in. The pump should circulate the total gallons in the pond once an hour. As water comes down the waterfall and stream, oxygen is naturally mixed in. 

Fish

Yes! Fish are a part of the ecosystem. They provide nutrients into the water to fertilize the plants as well as consume some of the algae. 

Plants

Don’t overlook the best and most magnificent filtration system ever made! Look to nature if you question this. Aquatic plants clean out your water feature by absorbing the nutrients that would otherwise be feeding algae. We know plants help clean the air, they clean water, too—better than any man-made filter.

Pro Tips:

Find a way to add more plants. 

When you add plants, take them out of the pot (alright sometimes it’s better to keep a plant potted, like if you want to keep lilies from growing like crazy!) and plant them in crevices or make a shallow area using other rocks and 3/4″ gravel. 

If you have a bottom drain pond, keep using it as long as you can keep the pond looking great. When you are ready, let us put in an ecosystem backyard pond for you!

How else can Colorado Pond Pros help you?

If you’d like to learn more about caring for your pond, check out our blogs Biofall—What is it? Does your pond have one? and Microbial Algae—What to know. And if you need help with pond landscaping, maintenance, or installation, the pond experts, Colorado Pond Pros, are only a call away!

Ash in the pond?

When there is a nearby fire, ash may end up in your pond. There is a difference between forest fire ash and ash from destroyed homes, garages, and businesses. The ash from a forest or grass is natural and will contain high amounts of potassium, but the ash from non-organic material will contain plastics and all sorts of harmful chemicals. 

Ash affects ponds in these ways:

  • It raises the pH of the water
  • It may create foam
  • Toxic chemicals in the ash could be detrimental to living creatures in the pond 
  • Debris in the pond (ash or otherwise) can clog equipment 
  • Even if the equipment is not clogged, filter pads can be completely gunked up (Yes, that’s a technical term) 

What about the equipment? 

It would take A LOT of ash to actually gunk up the pond equipment, but that is certainly possible. If your system has taken on a lot of ash, make sure to pay attention to your equipment. Loud noises, indicating the equipment is struggling, mean that the pond may need to be cleaned out right away. 

How does the ash affect water quality? 

If there is visible ash settling in the yard, that same amount is ending up in the backyard pond. If the pond water looks sort of like coffee, there is too much ash in that water!

Ash from natural materials, like a forest fire, has a high potassium content. This potassium is a nutrient. If the nutrient load in the water is more than the plants can consume (and it likely would be in the case of a large amount of ash suddenly in the pond), algae will be right there to pick up the slack. I recommend adding extra cold water bacteria to help the situation. Remember that the bacteria is not working at full capacity when water temperatures are below 50 degrees. However, bacteria alone will not fix an ash problem. 

If there are no fish in the pond, plan a full cleanout for the pond in the spring, and don’t be surprised if the string algae go nuts between now and then. 

Koi and goldfish can be fairly hardy, but adding something unknown to the water that changes water chemistry could be detrimental to the fish. If the ash contaminates the water in the winter you may not see the effects on the fish right away as their metabolisms are much slower in the winter. Remember that it is not just the higher potassium that we need to worry about here. There can be toxic chemicals in the ash as well. 

Ash and Fish Health

If there are large amounts of ash, you will need to take action. What is a large amount of ash? Good question. When you see ash in the yard around the koi or gold fish pond and you feel like it is a lot, we consider that a large amount of ash. 

Here are some guidelines and to-dos:

  • The very first thing we do if our pond is inundated with ash is make sure there is plenty of oxygen for the fish! We already have aerators in the pond, but if we didn’t we would add them immediately. If the fish were stressed as the chemical balance of the pond changed, the best thing to do is make sure they have plenty of oxygen. 
  • In the spring or summer, when water temperatures are above 50 degrees, a full cleanout is a good idea.
  • In the winter (which it is right now!), a complete cleanout is risky for the fish, but so is leaving the ash in there with them! We recommend starting with a partial water change of 20% of the volume unless the ash is so bad that the pond looks like a giant mess. Remember to use a dechlorinator and treat the water with cold water bacteria. 
  • If a cleanout needs to be done, keep in mind that it cannot be done if the temperatures are below roughly 45 degrees. It could kill the fish. While fish MAY get through it just fine, winter stress is difficult for them as they are coldblooded and their immune systems are not really online during the winter. If the pond has to be cleaned out, then it has to, we want you to understand the risks. If you decide the cleanout is the way to go, contact us about our pond cleaning services!
  • After a water change, test the pH of the water. Healthy pH levels in ponds with fish should be between 6.5 and 8.5. A pH of 9 is too high. Keep in mind that city water from the hose may have a high pH. Testing the hose water for pH lets us know what we are starting with even if we have no control over it. 
  • Keep an eye on fish behavior. When the water temperatures are below 45 degrees they should be at the bottom of the pond not moving very much. If they are gasping at the top of the pond for air, getting sucked into the skimmer, or exhibiting other weird behavior, another water change might have to be done. 

We have many clients whose homes are in or near the Marshall fire area. Our hearts go out to anyone who has suffered loss due to this horrible fire! 

If you’re ready for a new backyard pond, need a renovation of your pond landscaping or some pond maintenance, give your Colorado Pond Pros a call! And to learn more about ponds, read our blogs This Wacky Weather and How It May Affect Your Fish and Should You Run Your Pond Over the Winter? And for some fun videos and before & afters, subscribe to our YouTube channel!

koi pond backyard water feature

Winter is Finally HERE!

What are Winters Like for Ponds in Colorado?

Winters can be very mild in Colorado when you are on the plains. We are in gardening Zone 5 which means although it gets cold, it doesn’t stay for long. Colorado has over 300 days of sunshine a year and far less snow than most out-of-staters imagine. Though the mountains certainly get more snow than we do on the plains. 

That being said, if a pond is 36 inches deep, fish will overwinter in the pond just fine! 

Preparation- The Benefits

This winter has produced many challenges thus far, but Colorado Pond Pros has been prepared for each twist and turn! The preparedness within our company proved to be of great benefit. Preparedness in your backyard pond will do the same thing. It ensures that the pond will continue to run and keep the koi and gold fish healthy over the winter. Regular pond maintenance is important for winter pond health. Ignoring the pond completely could lead to issues later in the spring or even in the middle of the winter. 

When you know a snow storm is on the way take these basic steps before it hits:

  • Clean out the skimmer basket—no one wants this getting clogged right in the middle of a storm!
  • If the fall net is still up, take it down. The heavy snow will cause it to sag right into the pond. 
  • If the Autodose and Iongen are still in, remove them.
  • If there is beneficial bacteria stored outside, bring it in. Store it somewhere it won’t freeze. If bacteria freezes it dies, rendering it useless!
  • Take a look at the BioFalls® to make sure it isn’t too full of filter pads, lava rocks, or bio balls. Ice can divert water out so we want to make sure the water level isn’t overly high, causing water to escape over the side. This doesn’t usually happen, but it’s just something to keep an eye on.

Freezing Pipes? 

As long as the water is flowing in the waterfall/stream, leave the pump on! Moving water doesn’t freeze—so keep the pipes from freezing. Remember, even if the waterfall is frozen on the top, it is likely running underneath the ice.

Pro Tips:

Evaporation happens in the winter; however, you should not be adding as much water to the system as you were in the summer. 

After a month of not adding water, the pond level could be down by as much as 6 inches. If water is needed, make sure to use Detox dechlorinator when you have fish and are adding more than 20% of the pond volume. 

Remember, in Colorado the hose must be disconnected from the faucet (spigot) when you are done using it. This is very important as pipes can freeze and rupture if left connected! 

It’s cold and windy outside – so STAY IN!

If you’re ready for a new backyard pond, need a renovation of your pond landscaping or some pond maintenance, give your Colorado Pond Pros a call! And for more tips on winter ponds, read our blogs What Exactly is “Winterization” And Does Your System Need It? and Preparing the Pond for Brutal Cold: Are You Ready? And for some fun videos and before & afters, subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Colorado Pond Cleaning Services

Fluctuating Weather and How it May Affect Your Fish

The weather here in Colorado can do some crazy things. It could be unseasonably warm well into what is normally winter or we could have a freak snow storm in early October. Let’s discuss how this will affect your koi or goldfish. 

Temperatures and Metabolism

Feeding fish is all about water temperatures. Fish are cold-blooded creatures and when the water is 50 degrees or above, their metabolisms are faster. They’ll be moving around more and will need calories. When the water is below 50 degrees, they get slower and need fewer calories. They will almost not move at all when the water is 40 degrees and below. They cannot digest food when water temperatures are this low. In fact, if you tried to feed them when the water is 40 degrees, they likely would not move to get the food at all. 

So, does that mean we should feed the fish when we have consistently warm weather in the winter? 

This is the question that has been on our minds. We wish the answer was black and white, yes or no, but it just isn’t. 

Here are the things to consider:

  1. Do you know what your pond temperatures have been and have they been 48 to 55 degrees (or warmer) for 5 days in a row?
  2. Have you checked the weather and do you know that it will remain the same for the next week? 
  3. What is the behavior of your fish? Do they swim up for food when you walk up versus sitting at the bottom, not moving? 
  4. Do you have winter fish food (low protein)?
  5. Is your pond completely without string or fuzzy algae? 
  6. Is your waterfall/biofall pump running? 

If you answered yes to all of these questions, let’s get a bit more in-depth. However, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by this, just skip it and don’t feed your fish!

  1. If temperatures have been 48 to 55+ degrees for 5 days in a row their metabolism is running and could process low amounts of low protein food. 
  2. If the weather looks like it will be holding for the next week their metabolism should continue running and could process low amounts of low protein food. 
  3. If the fish look active, this supports the idea that their metabolisms are up and running. 
  4. Potentially feeding the fish is only a possibility with winter fish food—low protein, not regular food! This is important! Also, feed them half of what you would normally feed them. 
  5. If your pond has string or fuzzy algae, they are grazing on that as nature dictates, so if there is plenty of algae there’s no need to feed them. 
  6. Whether your waterfall or biofall pump is running is important because we have to look at the ecosystem currently and how it is functioning. Remember, the plants are not doing their job right now. They’ve died back and are not really processing nutrients in the water. The beneficial bacteria is working but far less than in the summertime when the water temperatures were higher. Therefore, the stream, waterfall, and biofall, with the help of beneficial bacteria, are doing the work of processing nutrients. If these are not on right now, please do not feed your fish! There is nothing to help process the ammonia that feeding the fish would create. 

What did we do in this situation? 

We fed our fish every 3 days. We only fed half of what we normally feed them, and we used winter fish food. Our biofall was running and we monitored the temperature of the pond as well as upcoming weather. 

What are we recommending that you do? 

We are not recommending anything! We are simply laying out the facts for you to make your own decision. It is a risk to feed the fish this late in the season unless you have considered all these questions and are knowledgeable about your pond and system. 

Pro Tips:

If you think your system is having water loss, do a leak test while the weather is still warm. It is better to figure it out before the frigid winter hits. 

Evaporation happens in the winter and more so when there is warm weather. However, you should not be adding as much water to the system as you were in the summer. 

Remember, in Colorado the hose must be disconnected from the faucet (spigot) when you are done using it. This is very important as pipes can freeze and rupture if left connected!

If you are interested in installing a backyard pond or water feature, Colorado Pond Pros are the pros you should be talking to. Contact us today! We would love to set you up with a koi or goldfish pond, or any of our other pond services that suit your needs!

For more on koi and goldfish, check out our blogs Koi Food—What to Know, Feeding Pond Fish, or Can Koi and Goldfish Be Kept in the Same Pond.

Koi need a deicer in the winter

De-icer or heater in your backyard pond?

What is the difference between a pond heater and a de-icer?

Great question!

The “heaters” we talk about, and that are most often referred to when talking about pond winter care, are actually de-icers. They don’t heat up a pond like a hot tub, they just keep a small space from icing over. This is necessary when there are fish present. So though we may say “heater,” we are referring to a pond de-icer.

Note: If there are no fish in your pond, this isn’t something you need to worry about!

(Shown above is the Aquascape de-icer)

The 300-watt Aquascape de-icer has an internal thermostat and only comes on when the water temperature is near freezing. This means it uses less electricity.

One of our favorite features is the light. In the picture above, the red light is on. This indicates that the heating element is on. (From your kitchen window you can tell it’s working!) The blue light indicates the deicer is not currently heating. And if there is no light, then you know the de-icer doesn’t have electricity. (We do wonder why red wouldn’t indicate being off, rather than on, but no one consulted us before the decision was made.)

The heating element stops heating if it is removed from the pond or if there is suddenly no water in the pond (hopefully that never happens). This protects the de-icer and anything near it from damage.

Pool Heaters

There are those who would put a pool heater into a pond. This can be very expensive (imagine the bill for heating a pool all winter long!). The fish will overwinter without a pool-type heater just fine, as long as there is oxygen and the water is deep enough that it doesn’t freeze the fish. (36 inches deep for koi and 24 inches deep for goldfish is plenty)

A picture of one of our koi enjoying himself under the ice last winter…okay, it’s not real…but it’s what we imagine he was doing!

Kristi’s Pond Tips

  Plug the de-icer into a different outlet than the pump. That way, if one goes out, the other is still working, taking care of the fish until you can remedy the issue.

Don’t brush the snow off the top of the pond except to keep a hole open. The snow actually insulates the pond, keeping the temperatures warmer and more consistent.

  Keep a hose in the house where it is warm. It will make adding water to the system easier midwinter. (Have you ever had to search under the snow for the hose, just to find it won’t work because there is ice inside blocking it? Not fun!)

It is so important to take care of your backyard ponds during the cold, Colorado winter months. If you need any help with pond repair, installation, or cleaning services, give your pond experts a call. And Colorado Pond Pros is your solution to all questions about winterizing your koi pond!

Check out our related blogs: What exactly is “Winterization” and does your system need it?

Should you run the pond over the winter? and Protecting the pond from cold weather-9 things to know.

Premier Ponds wrote a nice article on this too:

De-Icers For Ponds And How They Can Save Your Fish

backyard water feature

What exactly is “Winterization” and does your system need it?

The word “Winterization” can be confusing. Each pond or water feature needs to be ready for the winter whether they are being shut down or just serviced so they are ready to run for the whole winter. I am going to break it down into “Winter Ready” meaning the feature will be running for the winter and “Winter Shut Down” meaning the feature will NOT be running all winter.

Do you usually run your pond through the winter (meaning you let the pump run)?

Yes? Then the pond needs a Winter Ready visit. What happens in a Winter Ready visit?

  • Remove the fall net if the leaves have been removed from the yard.
  • Clean out the skimmer box and filters.
  • Plants -Cut back brown plants up to 50% of the pond.
  • Remove UV light to be stored inside – note- MOST UV LIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY YEAR, even if it is stored, it may not work the next year. 
  • Remove, IonGen and Autodose, move to indoor location.
  • Turn pressure filter setting to winter. 
  • Add cold water bacteria.

Do you usually shut the pond down for the winter?

Then the pond needs a Winter Pond Shut Down.

  • Remove the pump to be stored where it won’t freeze.
  • Place aerators in the pond.
  • Remove the fall net if the leaves have been removed from the yard.
  • Clean out the skimmer box and filters.
  • Plants -Cut back brown plants up to 50% of the pond.
  • Remove UV light to be stored inside – note- MOST UV LIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY YEAR, even if it is stored, it may not work the next year. 
  • Remove, IonGen and Autodose, move to indoor location.
  • Turn pressure filter setting to winter. 
  • Add cold water bacteria.

All outdoor water features need care in the fall and throughout the winter. When care is taken in Autumn, ponds start off clean and ready to go in Spring. Homeowners can certainly do this themselves, but if you would like assistance just give us a call!

For more tips on pond cleaning and maintenance for the winter, check out these!

Should you run the pond over winter?

Important reasons to add water to the winter pond

Getting your pond ready for winter

Should your pond equipment be out in the weather? No!

Preparing the pond for the brutal cold: Are you ready?

Colorado Pond Cleaning Services

Should you run the pond over the winter?

Answer these 5 questions to find out if your backyard pond be run over the winter!

  1. Are there fish, frogs, and other aquatic life in or at the pond?
  2. Is the system currently free from any water loss (besides evaporation)?
  3. Are you going to be home this winter (not gallevanting around the world)?
  4. Is it easy to add water to the pond with a hose in the winter time if it is needed?
  5. Do you love the look of flowing water surrounded by billowy snow?

If you answered YES to all these questions:

Running your feature is the way to go!

  • Once you decide to run the pump over the winter, make sure you run it continually all season long. Do not turn it off even if it gets really cold. Some people make the mistake of turning the pond pump off at night. This can be catastrophic during freezing temperatures. Moving water (i.e. the water in the pipes) won’t freeze as long as it keeps moving. If you have exposed pipes, the severe cold can cause freezing so covering or insulating them is a good idea.
  • Running the pumps over the winter helps keep the fish healthy by circulating the oxygenated water. Fish go into a dormant state called “torpor” during the winter. While they are in this state they don’t need to eat and will hardly move at all. They may stay at the very bottom of the pond or in a fish cave where you can’t see them—this is the warmest place in the pond.
  • Remember that if there is an air stone at the very deepest part of the pond it is bringing in the coldest air to the warmest place fish have. Place aerators on the higher shelves.

If you answered NO to any of these questions:

You may want to consider removing your pump for the winter.

  • This might be a good decision if it is difficult for you to top off the water when it is needed and if you travel often.
  • Also, if your system is losing water from the stream or waterfall and you are unable to remedy the issue, turning off the pump may help you get through the winter without worry over water loss.

What if I have fish?

  • If you have reasons to leave the pump off but there are fish, make sure that you have a floating de-icer to keep a hole open in the ice and aerators in the pond at an upper level. Although circulation is somewhat better, fish can overwinter without the pump running.
  • We do not recommend running an in-pond pump that merely moves the water without sending it over a stream or waterfall. This does not oxygenate the water and does little more than mix up the warmest and coldest water in the pond.

To put it simply:

Running the pump = Great! But the pond still needs aerators and a de-icer.

NOT running the pump = That’s fine, too! But the pond needs aerators and a de-icer.

Kristi’s Pond Tips

   Plug the de-icer (heater) and aerators into a plug separate from the one the pump is plugged into. That way, if the GFCI pops and the pump goes out, the fish still have aeration and an open hole for gas exchange. If the de-icer and the aerators lose electricity you will have a little more time to rectify the situation because the pump is running, providing oxygen and hopefully keeping an area of ice open near the bottom of the waterfalls.

  If the skimmer has an adjustable skimmer door, put it at its lowest point over the winter. When the pond ices over, the liquid water level may decrease, starving your pump of water. (This keeps you from having to go out into the cold to lower the skimmer door.)

   Keep a hose in the house (where it is warm) to use when you have to add water. This should not happen often, but when ice builds up water may need to be added. Remember: the hose must be detached from the spigot or it can freeze and cause a pipe break, potentially flooding your house!

 Switch to cold water bacteria as the pond temperatures reach 50 degrees.

   If winter pond care sounds like too much for you, call us! We offer winter pond care so you can keep cozy while the pond stays healthy.

If you’re looking to install an outdoor water feature, we can help! Contact Colorado Pond Pros for residential and commercial installation, renovation, cleanouts, and repairs.Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

10 Tasks to Get Your Pond Ready for Fall

Did you know that September 22nd was the first day of fall? It was! The temperatures have gotten colder at night, but it’s still nice and warm in the daytime. The leaves have begun to change and the morning dew has returned. The days have gotten shorter and the nights are darker. All the signs that fall is upon us are appearing! It’s the time of year to take care of your pond so it stays healthy for the winter and gets a leg up come springtime.

If you don’t properly prepare your pond now, organic material left in the pond over the cold season can cause winter algae blooms, which can throw the ecosystem off balance and negatively affect the fish. As the plants go dormant for the winter, they cease to process nutrients in the water. While the fish produce less ammonia, leaves and other debris slowly break down over the winter without the plants helping to break them down.

Here are 10 things you can do to get your pond ready for fall:

1. Trim the plants

  • Remove all floating plants
  • Clip plants down to 4 inches above the base of the plant
  • Make sure all water lily pots are at least 24 inches down. They can be moved to the lowest part of the pond for the winter, but make sure the fish are not being crowded out.
  • Cut back lilies once the leaves have turned brown.
  • Prune plants that may be growing outside of the pond but are hanging over it.

2. Net the pond!

There are a couple different ways to put up a net over the pond. Here are some things to know:

  • A small pond can be netted using a dome made of PVC. The PVC will hold up through the weather best if it is put onto rebar that is stuck in the ground just outside the liner. While sticking it between rocks works for a bit, if it snows the weight will easily pop it back out.
  • A larger pond can be netted using stakes and rope. Make sure to secure the sides with large rocks. Small ones will be pulled in by the weight of snow.
  • Make sure to net BEFORE the leaves start falling and don’t leave it on all winter.

3. Bring in equipment like the Autodose and IonGen

They don’t hold up well if left out all winter. See our blog on Should Your Pond Equipment Be Out In the Weather? No! for more info on how to protect your electrical equipment.

4. Make sure all electrical equipment is covered

Another reason to check out our blog on Should Your Pond Equipment Be Out In the Weather? No! is for the links to our friends at The Pond Guy and True Pump. They can help you find some artificial landscape rocks and stumps to cover and protect your electrical equipment.

5. Switch from regular to cold water bacteria

When the temperature drops below 50 degrees, you’re going to need to switch from regular to cold water bacteria. Try The Pond Guy or True Pump.

6. Bring liquid bacteria into the house or a garage where it won’t freeze

7. Remove debris from the pond

Try to net out any debris you can see. If leaves manage to get through the net, make sure to remove them.

8. Check your skimmer basket often!

The more trees you have nearby, the more likely it is that leaves will clog up the skimmer basket or net. Clean it out as often as you can. (And did we mention putting up that net?!)

9. Remember to slow down feeding the fish as we go into the fall

Starting now, give those fish a little bit less. Pay attention to how much they are eating and only give enough so they finish it within a few minutes. Switching to fall food helps, too. It has a lower protein content and is easier to digest. Once the water temperatures reach 50 degrees you need to stop feeding them for the winter.

10. Watch the water level

Remember that if you have an Autofill, it will no longer be filling up the pond when water gets low. Perhaps there has been water loss that has gone unnoticed. It will be noticed now. If the water level in the pond is going down more than two to three inches in one week, there could be a lower liner somewhere. Fix this before winter hits!

Pro Tips:

  • If there are smaller leaves that get through the net, double the net over to create smaller spaces for them to get through.
  • Keep an eye on the net. Sometimes small birds will get caught in them. Set them free!
  • Keep a hose somewhere in the house so that if the pond needs more water when it is really cold, you won’t have to deal with a frozen hose!
  • If you are putting in stakes for a net, never put them inside the liner!
  • Take care when trimming plants. Causing a leak by nicking the liner would be no fun!

Most importantly, if you have any questions about your backyard pond or water feature, contact us at Colorado Pond Pros today! Pond installation and pump repair are our business and we’d be happy to help!

And be sure to check out this helpful info on-

How to Clean Out Your Pond Pump

How to Do a Leak Test

10 Things You Need to Know if You Just Got a Pond

How to get your Fish to Come to You at Feeding Time

Want to get your fish to come at feeding time?  The first step is to spend a lot of time at your pond so that they get used to the sound of your footsteps and your voice. Entice them by offering a bit of food into the water.  But, remember not to add more than they will eat in a few minutes.  This may be a very small amount!  Fish left over contributes to algae.  As you bring them food, they will begin to know that you are the bearer of dinner!   You can also put your hand into the water (after washing it off really well) and just let it hang every day so that they can learn that your hand does not present a threat.  Keep doing this every day and pretty soon you may have more friendly fish! 

Use quality fish food with higher amounts of protein to enhance the color of the fish and to keep them at optimal health.

Getting fish to come at feeding time

It may take perseverance to get your fish to eat from your hand. Often it can take a full year.  They may not even eat in front of you for a while!   In time they will begin to relax but may not get too close.  Stick with it! Eventually they will eat closer to you and maybe in time, right from your hand!  Spending time near the pond will familiarize them with your sounds and habits.  This is the best way for them to get to know you.