Nothing is more eye-catching than the beautiful colors of fall. When the leaves begin to change we need to be more attentive to our ponds before winter sets in. Our pets need us to make sure their water is healthy and their ponds are protected.
The first thing I do is test my pond water before the leaves begin so I can make sure my PH and KH are in a good range. I like my PH from 7.0 to 7.5 if possible and my KH between 6-9 drops with the test I use.
The next thing on my list is to make sure I have a plan of attack concerning the leaves before they even fall. I put a burlap fence around my pond because I am near a major street and get a lot of leaves that blow into my pond. I have no trees to speak of but I do net my pond so blowing leaves can’t muck up their water.
Make sure when you buy your netting, that you allow a little extra to reach past the rocks around your pond. If the netting drapes into the pond you will still get tannins and decaying leaves. You can also take PVC and make a frame so it is easier to take the netting off when you need to remove the leaves that have landed on the net.
Why do I care about the leaves? I care because if to many leaves fall into the pond they discolor the water, create sludge, and can make my pond acidic. None of those things is healthy for the fish and can actually make my fish sick and die over the winter.
I also use a fall bacteria to make sure my little pets have a good amount of healthy bacteria to combat any leaves that get thru my netting. This healthy bacteria also helps combat string algae that never seem to mind what the weather is like. I always follow the directions on the package and start my cold weather bacteria about 4-6 weeks before I plan to shut my pond down for the winter.
Check back for more pond winterizing tips before the snow flies.