Ponds and water features are beautiful all year long, with each season presenting environmental changes such as temperature fluctuations, debris load, precipitation, and more. Follow our helpful tips for keeping your water feature running optimally throughout the seasons, from netting your pond in the fall to getting your water feature started in the spring.
Give yourself peace of mind by monitoring pond temperature throughout the year with the Aquascape Smart Pond Thermometer. This specially designed pond thermometer is easy to connect to your smartphone or tablet, allowing you to easily check the temperature of your pond or water feature using the Aquascape Smart Control App. Use the immediate and accurate temperature data to adjust fish feeding schedules, change water treatments, and more.
To keep your pond looking its best all season long, you want to start it off right in the springtime. See our list of favorite must-have spring products.
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Water Temperature Above 40°F:
Ease your pond into the season by adding one dose of Pond Starter Bacteria.
Aquascape Pond Starter Bacteria helps to quickly establish the biological ecosystem for new ponds and spring start-ups, helping to support the nitrogen cycle and provide clean and healthy water conditions.
Water Temperature Below 50°F:
While water temperatures are below 50°F, you can start adding Aquascape Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria to your pond. This helps ease your system into the season, promoting optimal water quality.
Beneficial bacteria living in the biological filter and throughout the rocks and gravel in the pond are a key component to achieving crystal clear water and reducing pond maintenance. The bacteria, similar to aquatic plants, consume excess nutrients but are also capable of breaking down organic debris. It is important to the pond’s ecosystem for these maintenance microbes to become established as early in the spring as possible.
Water Temperature 50°F to 60°F:
Once your water reaches temperatures warmer than 50ºF, you can start feeding Aquascape Premium Cold Water Fish Food Pellets which is digestible in lower temperatures.
Aquascape Premium Cold Water Fish Food is scientifically formulated to provide quality nutrition to all pond fish, including goldfish and koi. The inclusion of spirulina and wheat germ helps make the food easier to digest in colder water temperatures.
Water Temperature Below 55°F:
Pond cleanouts are optional for pond owners, depending on many factors. Some pond owners choose to perform a pond cleanout in the beginning of the spring season by draining the feature, power washing, removing debris, cleaning filters and re-filling.
If you decide to go ahead with a spring clean-out, you can either hire a professional or do it yourself. Performing these steps helps maximize water conditions throughout the remaining seasons.
Depending on your location, hot summer days can increase the rate of evaporation of pond water. Eventually, you may need to top off the pond with fresh water. Pond Detoxifier removes and detoxifies chlorine, ammonia and heavy metals from the new water that can harm pond fish and aquatic plants.
In the warm summer months, decomposing debris can cause dangerously low oxygen levels in your pond. Adding an Aquascape Pond Aerator will help ensure your pond is oxygenated properly, creating a healthy and safe environment for your fish.
Water Temperature Below 50°F:
Once water temperatures drop below 50°F, you can start adding Aquascape Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria to your pond. This helps ease your system into the season, promoting optimal water quality.
Beneficial bacteria living in the biological filter and throughout the rocks and gravel in the pond are a key component to achieving crystal clear water and reducing pond maintenance. The bacteria, similar to aquatic plants, consume excess nutrients but are also capable of breaking down organic debris. It is important to the pond’s ecosystem for these maintenance microbes to become established as early in the spring as possible.
Water Temperature Below 60°F:
In the colder months of the year, when the water temperature is below 60°F, your fish’s metabolism slows down in preparation for hibernation. It is important during these times to either eliminate fish feeding from your daily regimen or switch to a food that is formulated for low water temperatures.
Aquascape Premium Cold Water Fish Food is scientifically formulated to provide quality nutrition to all pond fish, including goldfish and koi. The inclusion of spirulina and wheat germ helps make the food easier to digest in colder water temperatures.
Covering your pond with Aquascape’s pond netting until the bulk of the leaves have fallen will help keep it clean, clear, and healthy.
Later in the season, after you have removed the pond netting, use a pond skimmer net to remove any leaves or debris that may be left behind.
See how to prepare and maintain your pond during the cooler temperatures of the fall and winter season. You’ll learn everything you need to know to care for your fish and plants, ensuring a healthy springtime season when winter comes to a close.
The fall season is a wondrous time to enjoy your water garden, what with all the luscious fall colors, fewer bugs, and comfortable temperatures.
Read our e-book, “Easy Pond-Keeping During the Fall Season“, for more tips on keeping your pond looking its best during the autumn season.
If your climate is cold enough to cause your pond to freeze over in the winter and you have fish, you should take special precautions to maintain an opening in the ice all winter, allowing for proper gas exchange in your pond.
One way to do this is with the Aquascape Pond De-Icer in addition to an Aquascape Pond Aerator system.
Controlled by a thermostat, the de-icer heats only the water around it, maintaining an opening in the ice for harmful gases to escape.
Aeration used during cold winter months can keep a hole open in the ice, increasing oxygen levels to ensure healthy, happy fish all winter long.
Our AquaForce pond pump is a versatile pond pump designed to sit in the pond and pump water to external filters or waterfalls. It can also be used in winter as a bubbler. The flow from the pump will bubble at the surface of the pond and maintain an opening in the ice. By keeping a hole open in the ice, you keep the water oxygenated and allow the harmful gases to escape.
The Aquascape Pond Powerhead is an innovative, low-voltage pump designed to create water movement and eliminate stagnant areas in ponds and water gardens. This pump does not require any pipe or plumbing, simply set the powerhead directly in the pond or disguise it using rocks or other materials. The Pond Powerhead is great for winter aeration to break the surface of ice and keep water oxygenated.
As winter weather arrives, it is important to get your pond ready for the season. Take the following steps to keep your fish healthy, your water clean and clear, and your pond looking beautiful.
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Our VP of Construction, Brian Helfrich, shares really great tips for keeping your pond in tip-top shape during the winter months. Just don’t do what he did and try to walk across your frozen pond!
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