Have you topped off the pond this winter?
While we don’t think about adding water to the pond as often when it’s cold, it turns out that though water evaporates at a faster rate in high temperatures, it also evaporates in the winter! So don’t neglect to pay attention to the water level in your backyard pond just because it’s cold outside.
Things to remember when adding water to the pond in winter:
- The pump always needs plenty of water in order to work properly! If it begins to whine or make strange noises, it may be low on water. Going on too long this way can cause it to burn out.
- Water movement over a stream and waterfall oxygenates the water. Dissolved oxygen not only keeps our fish healthy, but it keeps our ecosystem healthy, too. This is true even when there are no fish present.
- When a fair amount of water becomes frozen, there is less water left to circulate, therefore the pond may require more.
- If there is an adjustable skimmer window on the skimmer, lower it to the lowest setting for the winter. Why? Because when some of the water is frozen into ice, the overall pond level goes down. Lowering the skimmer window opening ensures that you are making the most of the water available to the pump.
- Alright, I know most of you know this, but you never know who just moved here from Florida—If you hook up the hose to the house to add water to the pond, make sure to take it off when you are done. Here in Colorado, the spigot can freeze overnight in the winter. When it thaws you may have a broken pipe and flooding in your house!
- Do not put the hose on and walk away, potentially forgetting it. If you overfill the pond it can cause several issues—one of them being it could kill all your fish because of the influx of chlorine. Set a timer to go off every 15 minutes to make sure you check the water level.
- Do not overfill your pond! The ice will melt, causing the water level to rise when it does.
- Not sure what the “full level” is in your pond? A good rule of thumb is to fill it 2 finger-widths BELOW the top of the window opening on the skimmer.
Pro Tips:
How else can Colorado Pond Pros help you?
We are always thinking of new ways to help our clients and other backyard water feature aficionados! Whether you’re looking for pond maintenance, pond landscaping, pond cleaning services, or just some friendly advice from your local pond experts, we’re always here for you. Contact us today!
And while you’re here, take a look at our blogs This Wacky Weather and How It May Affect Your Fish and Winter is FINALLY Here!.