Care is dependent on the type of pond you have, i.e. Lily Pond, Goldfish Pond, or Koi Pond. Here is a generalized look at winter care for ponds. Please keep in mind your fish load and your climate.

Fish inside or out - Goldfish are your hardiest of fish so they can survive outside in ponds as shallow as 18" but we always recommend at least 3' to be on the safe side. In our area (Upstate NY), our freeze level is 2 1/2' to 3' deep. Fish will go dormant below freeze level.

Leaves - It is imperative to get leaves out if you are over-wintering fish so consider a net cover in early fall. Clean up marginal plants as soon as frost knocks them down. You do not want rotting leaves and fish waste to pollute the pond as the fish will NOT survive. We strongly recommend after physically removing the leaves and debris to add beneficial enzymes that will consume the inevitable sludge you miss as it gets colder. We use Microbelift for Autumn/Winter. Water quality in late fall should be great, your water should be crystal clear, if not do small water changes. (Make sure you don't change the temperature of the water more than 2 degrees, as this will cause fish stress). Many of our clients have been happy with over-wintering their fish and then loose them in April and May never thinking it was winter sludge, bad bacteria, and stress that killed them.

Hardy Plants - Hardy plants can be allowed to dieback on their own or cut back, except the ones in small tubs and container gardens. Drop hardy lilies down to the deepest part of the pond. Hardy Iris', Cattails, and many other hardy grasses can remain in your pond under the freeze level (2 1/2' - 3' deep in Upstate Ny area). Keep hardy oxygenator plants uncut in the bottom of your pond. Transplanting at this time of year is not a good idea because plants need warm water and sunlight to establish their root system. Save transplanting for the spring.

Tropical plants - Taro, Umbrella, and Papyrus should come inside when water temperature goes below 70. You can put these in an aluminum pie pan and 1" of water and place them in a sunny window and they will continue to florish. Tropical Lilies and Tropical Lotus' should come inside, wash their roots, place them in damp newspaper in a pot of peatmoss, and put in your basement. These are similar to Canna Lilies and Calla Lilies.

Critters - Remove all tadpoles, snails, and frogs. Some snails and tadpoles have a hard time overwintering, so bring them in. Release the frogs into your yard. Keep checking weekly for fogs because if they stay in the water they will die. Their corpses are toxic to fish and the smell in spring is something you don't need to experience.

Ice - With fish overwintering it is extremely important you leave some open water for gas exchange. Our first recommendation is to use aerator. We normally use a airstone that hangs about 2" below the surface. Nest is a pond deicer. These units will keep a hole in the ice and are normally controlled by a thermostat, thus helping keep the dreaded power bill down. Remember, if the pond freezes over, the freezing is not what is killing the fish, but trapped gases asphyxiate them.

Fall Fish Feeding - Feeding when water temperature is below 50 will kill your fish, they don't have stomachs and cannot digest food in cold water. Suggested feeding schedule:

Salt - if you remove your plants you should salt the pond. If you are unsure of your salt content, bring in a sample to be tested for free. Pond salt kills 7 of the 10 common parasites. Most people find bringing fish through the winter a easy task, but then they tell us they died in spring. two words: BACTERIAL INFECTION. The salt prevents a lot of this, plus it improves gill function and helps the fish create more of it's natural slime coat.

Moving Fish Inside - Gradually move fish inside. Make sure their winter home is large enough. If you can, bring plants inside and put in the tank with your fish. Be sure to cover with netting as fish are likely to jump during transfer. Constantly monitor the ph, nitrate, and ammonia levels. Make sure you are getting enough aeration inside. You can do this by bringing in your pump and filter or using an airstone. Feed very sparingly the first week to avoid a ammonia spike.