Ah, winter. That cozy season of hot cocoa, roaring fires, and fuzzy blankets—for us. But what about your pond? Your pond is out there, braving the chill, just trying to get through. Fish can’t put on scarves, and pond plants don’t do mittens, but they’re quietly counting on you to help them settle in for the season.

So, how can you prepare your pond for winter? Read on to learn how to winterize your pond and provide the best care for your fish, equipment, and plants.

Clean Out the Leaves

Leaves look gorgeous as they tumble down, but in your pond? Not so much. If left unchecked, leaves turn into mushy, decomposing layers at the bottom, releasing gases and mucking up the water quality. Scoop out leaves and debris from ponds and streams using a long-handled net or a pond skimmer.

Consider using pond netting to catch leaves as they fall—this helps keep the pond clean throughout the winter season. Use a pond vacuum to get rid of sludge and small debris that is hard to reach.

To get rid of any lingering debris, add cold water beneficial bacteria to your pond. These beneficial bacteria and enzymes break down and digest any remaining debris, residual sludge, and organic matter. Cold water beneficial bacteria will also sustain biological activity in the water through the winter, which helps maintain the water quality.

Assess the Water Levels and Temperature

Your pond is a little world that needs balance, especially in winter. First, check the water levels. Too high or too low and your pond could ice over in all the wrong places. Aim for a level that won’t freeze solid and trap your fish in an icy escape room.

Water quality is also key, and maintaining your pond’s water quality during winter is just as important as in summer. Regularly test your pond water using test kits for its pH, ammonia, and nitrite levels. Monitor these parameters and adjust as needed to maintain a balanced aquatic environment. While there might be reduced activity in the pond during winter, ammonia spikes can still occur due to decaying plant material or fish waste.

And don’t forget the temperature—water temperature is an important factor with outdoor ponds during winter. A pond thermometer helps monitor the water temperature, ensuring you’re ready to adapt when it drops. It will tell you when to stop feeding, and indicate when it’s too cold to move or add fish to the pond.

Clean Your Filter

Over time, your pond’s filter takes on a lot of sludge, which makes it the silent warrior in your pond ecosystem. Cleaning it now, before the frost sets in, means healthier, happier water through the cold months.

But don’t go all out—a gentle clean leaves a bit of beneficial bacteria that keeps things balanced while your pond’s in low-power mode. Think of it as setting up a tiny fortress of freshness, keeping the water flow just right for winter.

Get a Pond Heater

The pond heater isn’t just some luxury item; it’s practically a winter coat for your pond. It helps keep an opening in the ice, allowing harmful gases to escape rather than trapping your pond in an icy chokehold. No, it doesn’t turn your pond into a jacuzzi, but it does help keep water from fully freezing over.

Pond heaters consist of a heating element and thermostat, and they should be fitted inline in a dedicated pond filtration system.

Prepare Your Pond Plants

Your pond plants play a crucial role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem and will also fall into a dormant state as winter approaches. To winterize your aquatic plants, trim off dead or dying foliage.

Tropical plants, like hyacinths, are not frost-hardy and won’t survive in outdoor ponds over winter. Bring them indoors or to a greenhouse before temperatures dip too low.

Hardy submerged plants can usually stay in the pond throughout the winter. Move them to deeper water where temperatures are more stable to give them a better chance of survival.

Prepare Your Pond Fish

Fish are resilient, but they’re also creatures of habit. And in winter, they slow down. As temperatures drop, fish metabolism slows down and they require less food. Reduce feedings to three times per week when water temperatures fall below 50 °F (10 °C). Only feed your pond fish what they can eat in a five-minute period and stop feeding altogether once water temperatures drop below 40 °F.

Install an Aeration Kit & De-Icer

Pond aerators and de-icers are crucial in maintaining a hole in the ice during the winter months. This hole allows gas exchange and prevents ice formation. By allowing harmful gases to escape, and oxygen to get in, this hole helps keep oxygen levels saturated in the pond. Install an aeration kit in your pond’s shallow area if you don’t have an aeration system in place.

For added protection, install a small recirculating pump at the top of your pond. This pump helps oxygenate the water, which in turn assists in keeping the hole open in the ice when the surface of your pond starts freezing.

Get Your Pond Winter-Ready with Grange Co-op

Ready to turn your pond prep from a chilly task into a winter win? Grange Co-op stocks all the pond winter care essentials you might need for your pond. Explore our pond collection for high-quality equipment and start preparing your pond for the winter months today!