A garden pond is indeed a gorgeous ornament for your backyard and exterior. But, in order to maintain its health and beauty, you have to know about the proper care in different season. Mostly, garden pond faces very hard time during winter. Therefore, giving the best care and its inhabitants properly during winter months will help you to maintain the lasting beauty of your pond.

The change of the temperature influences a lot of things in the way you take care of your pond. The most influenced thing is in the way you feed your fish. In lower temperature, fish are facing difficulty to digest the food properly. Therefore, when the temperature of the water reaches 55 Fahrenheit degrees, it is better to stop giving their usual food. Instead, you can give low protein or vegetable based food supply. Furthermore, when the temperature of the weather reaches 45 Fahrenheit degrees, you should completely stop feeding your fish because they cannot digest their food in this certain temperature.

Besides, the change of the temperature also brings fantastic effect to the immune systems of your fish and they have higher risk to catch disease. You can lower down the organisms or disease-causing bacteria by taking broad based chemical treatment. You can start to do the treatment about four to six weeks from when the temperature drops.

The next thing in your pond to be taken care during winter is the filter. Around 50 Fahrenheit degrees of temperature, the biological activity in a pond filter is reduced. Therefore, you do not really need your pond filter to work during winter. You can disconnect your pond filtration system until the temperature rises gradually in early spring.

Of course, maintaining the cleanliness of your pond will be also very useful care for winter. Make sure that you clean all the leaves fallen in your pond before they are decayed in your pond. The decaying process produces some harmful substance or poison for fish and the inhabitant of the pond.

By giving proper care during winter, maintaining the beauty and the health of your pond is not something impossible to do.

Maintenance:

If you have an external biological filter on your pond, let it continue to run until there is the chance that the outlet water flow might freeze. If you shut the filter down, let the water drain from it either via siphon effect or from the drain plug. Do not clean it other than to remove any dead plant life, leaves etc. An in-pond filter should be removed for winter. You can leave your pump (if non-oil filled) in the pond so long as it is well under the point to where the ice will form. Remove as much debris as you can from the pond. Net out dead plant material, leaves, waste, sludge etc., but a deep cleaning is not necessary. Try not to stir up the water too much. You can do a partial water change if you want, but no more than a quarter inch, and never after the fish have begun their hibernation. During the winter check on your pond often to make sure all is going well. If the pond has completely frozen over NEVER break through by pounding on it, as this may aggitate the fish, and may harm your pond liner. Do not panic, remember if an Aerator/Circulator Decontaminator unit is being used, it’s still working bringing in oxygen and absorbing toxicants. Now would be the time to plug in the deicer, but just until the ice opens. Another quick trick you can do, is too pour some hot water until the hole opens again.

Fish:

You can help your pond fish survive winter by doing the following: Add vitamins and mineral supplements to their diet to help them build up their immune systems and add the needed stored stout to get through the hibernation cycle. Once the water temperature drops to 55 degrees or so, only feed them when they are actively up and roaming around. If they are hanging around at the bottom of the pond, do not feed. Only feed them what they will eat in a few minutes (5 minutes or less) and remove as much of the uneaten food as possible. When the water temperature is below 45 degrees, do not feed at all. Even on warm days where the nighttime water temperature will return to 45 degrees, refrain from feeding.

Ammonia is the number one fish killer. During the winter months, your fish will not die from the cold, but could really succumb to suffocation do to the water becoming too toxic. Ammonia builds up at the bottom of the pond, which is the very place your fish want to spend their winter, while carbon dioxide builds up near the surface under the ice. A pond deicer (heater) may helps some with the carbon dioxide problem, but does nothing to prevent ammonia build up. Ammonia forms because of several main reasons. Ammonia is part of the natural biological process, and occurs when organic matter, like dead plant life, fish waste and excess food starts to decay. The bodily functions of the fish will greatly contribute to ammonia in the pond. Visible fish waste is only part of the problem. Much of the waste will come from the fishes gill function. As the fish breathe they give off ammonia and carbon dioxide. During the winter hibernation, most of the fishes systems slow down, but they still breathe and produce waste matter. It is very vital to allow dissolved oxygen into the pond and do something to prevent the ammonia and carbon dioxide build up. A deicer (heater) can be marginally effective, but some thought should be given to an Aerator/Circulator Decontaminator Unit. Using one of these units and a deicer as a back up is the best solution. An Aerator/Circulator Decontaminator can be used year round in your pond, as it greatly enhances the overall biological process helping to prevent algae and such. But these units prove to be extremely effective in the winter season, and should be added to the pond in early Fall to provide a clean, clear and healthy environment for your fish. The explosion of the multitute of bubbles will constantly add dissolved oxygen to the depths of the pond, while helping to keep a hole open in the ice. Even if your pond froze completely over the unit would continue to work bringing a fresh supply of oxygen, while absorbing toxicants. Again a deicer (heater) will supplement this attempt to rid your pond of ammonia.

Plants:

Tropical plants generally will not make it through the winter if left in your pond. They should be removed as soon as the water temperature drops below 60 degrees or so. Depending on the variety you have, some may be used as house plants. Water hyacinth and lettuce take a lot of effort and money to keep alive all winter, so it is best to consider them annuals and just replace each spring. Your hardy plants need to be cut down to about an inch above the root stem and sink them to the lowest part of your pond. But, keep your fish in mind, as they need a place to hibernate. Give your fish top priority, as far as room at the bottom of the pond is concerned. Best time to cut the hardy plants back is long before there is a chance of frost. While removing the hardy plants to cut them back, take the time to remove any debris and string algae from the pots and stems.

You will get garden solar stakes powered fountains in the market today. This allows you to beautify your garden and introduce new feature to it without using electricity from traditional source. You can leave the solar powered garden fountains switched on constantly, without worrying about how much electricity they are using.

Garden solar stakes fountains use solar cells to provide the energy or power to the fountain. It works on the same principle as the solar cell collecting energy. It will help to power the water pump. It is a portable fountain and it is simple to use and you can place it indoors when not in use. It is a renewable source of energy and won’t have any carbon emissions.

As you all are aware that regular water fountain pumps can use considerable amounts of power the electricity lines and if used for long periods can consume a lot of electricity. A garden solar stakes garden fountain is a excellent replacement of a mains powered solar fountain for your garden. Solar fountains can be used all year round, as long as the temperature in your garden does not drop below freezing. It is advisable to power your solar fountain off and place it indoors during the winter months, just as a precaution. The many uses of solar power generation have made it possible to have many appliances at a considerably cheaper rate than used by normal electricity. The solar powered appliances are proving to be a major source of renewable source of energy; slowly they will replace the traditional appliances for a cleaner and greener world. Learn more from the website energy 4 energy.

You may question ‘what are water garden kits?’ Let’s just say that this is like Batman’s utility belt for every gardener who has a water pond. With water garden kit, the water gardener has everything he needs.

So the next question is ‘what’s inside a water garden kit?’ Read on so you could take a peek at the water gardener’s utility belt.

To enhance the attractiveness and beauty of their water garden, the kit is necessary for every gardener. Not only will human beings appreciate the view, even wildlife such as birds will come flocking your garden.

1. Some kits contain a one fountain pump that comes with a safety cord. This is for water gardeners who prefer to install their own fountains by themselves.

2. They also contain a 4-pack bird bath cleaner that thoroughly flushes out the organic residue and mineral deposits that build up in bird baths. Made from beneficial enzymes and bacteria, the water gardener’s bird bath will be healthier than ever. These handy dispensers float in the bowl and continuously threat the water for 30 days. Do not worry, these dispenser will not prevent the birds from drinking and bathing on the bath. In getting this, you even provided your flying pets with clean water.

3. No water gardener wants pesticides in his garden. Ruin those pesky mosquitoes even they are in their larvae states. Mosquitoes are so irritating, plus they can be harmful to human beings and animals. Mosquito bites transmit deadly viruses both to people and pets.

Garden kits contain solutions that you can throw into standing water. In only a matter of minutes, you can observe that it dissolves and releases granules that target mosquito larvae. These pests are ruined way before they buzz around.

4. A main concern for water gardeners is the water that seeps through the entire ecosystem. That is why they have a water garden filter system in the first place to do the job. But for maintenance, water garden kits also include pond water filters that instantly remove the chlorine and chloramines from hose water. Simply by attaching these to your hose, you can fill up your pond and not worry about chlorine getting into the marine ecosystem and making problems for your fish.

5. You want to feed your fish the best so we recommend that you buy a nutritionally balanced pellet that is also economically productive for everyday feeding of your goldfish. Make sure that it contains crude protein and can easily be digested by your pet fish living in water temperatures ranging from 50F to 65F.

There are some special pellets that combine the high quality required amino acids, digestive enzymes and vegetable proteins. Water gardeners and koi enthusiasts turn to these kinds of pellets for assurance that their pets will be healthy,

Usually, a water garden pond kit contains pond liner, the underlayment for the pond liner, a submersible pump, a filter, pond sterilizer, tubings, fittings and nozzle. Get the simple start pond kit to help you gear up for the water garden pond that you have always wanted.

The most well loved garden kits are those that have everything the water gardener needs to have an attractive water garden. From maintaining the ponds to feeding the fish, the items inside the garden kit must be of top quality.

If a pump is included in the water garden kit, make sure that it can suck the water from the pond even with the skimmer flap placed above it. The pump should also filter the water as it passes through skimmers and pushed out to the tubing.

In fact some pumps have steam effect that allows it to make greater water drops (that is if you have a fountain). The excellent thing about having a water garden kit is that there are accessories that can play up your creativity, especially if you have a water garden fountain in your pond.

Most of the time, water garden kits can be assembled in the sense that it is a complete package deal for those who have water garden ponds with fountains. Considering the fact that it contains most of the tools you need for your leisure activity.

There is a wide choice of filters available, catering for everyone, from the beginner with a small pond, to the specialist with a large pool full of valuable fish.

The main problem with smaller pump-fed filters is that they are not adequately equipped to deal with the solids loading – they fall down mechanically, requiring such frequent maintenance that pond-keeping ceases to be a pleasure. If you can afford it, and have room for it, opt for a filter that is larger than the minimum recommended for your size of pond. The larger the filter, the longer the intervals will be between cleanings.

A major drawback with the larger filters, but, is that they are usually highly visible. Downllow models have to be installed fully above the ground, and upflow versions can be only partially buried. If they are installed at the top of a waterfall it is quite simple to hide them, but then the greater ‘head’ (the distance between pond surface and filter outflow point) will reduce pumping capacity.

A pump-led, pressurized filter with integral UV clarifier is the answer. This can be sited anywhere around the pond – topping a cascade, buried in the adjoining ground to lid level or simply stood on a level base. Because water exits under pressure it can be piped up to a waterfall header pool, or simply returned via a hose to the pond.

Pressurized filters really force dirty water through the foam media rather than relying on
gravity, and so many more solids can be trapped before the foam needs a clean. Before this happens, signalled by a drop in exit flow rate, the foam will become a progressively more efficient mechanical filter. The UV lamp is contained within the pressurized canister and all water has to pass by it on its way back to the pond.

Filter pumps
The pump that drives a filter must be of the solids-handling type, quite different from the one used to power a fountain. Fountain pumps do incorporate a strainer, but this is partly so their impellers are not clogged and partly to prevent dirt particles travelling up to the fountain nozzle and blocking the jet.

Solids-handling pumps are designed to take all the debris out of the pond and into the filter. Their impellers, depending on the model, will handle solids from 8-10 mm in diameter, which means that the poor gardener is not constantly hauling up the pump to unblock it.