July 19, 2018 Garden Paradise

Pond care tips throughout the seasons

If you’ve found this blog, you’re probably keen to keep your pond and fish happy and healthy. Well, you’ve definitely come to the right place. In our Pond Care Tips blog, our experts at Garden Paradise give you the best advice and tasks for every season...

Summer/Spring Pond Care Tips

• - Keep an eye on the water level! In warmer months, the sun or wind may evaporate water, meaning your water level drops. To refill your pond, we recommend using rain water from a water butt.

• - To maintain oxygen levels in your pond in high humidity, you should either regularly spray water on the surface of the pond or install a water feature.

• - Feeding your fish in the Summer is important - you should be feeding them a high protein food to help them build up a reserve of fat to get them through the winter.

• - Make sure you clean your filter regularly (but also don’t overclean!). We recommend doing it every 1-2 weeks.

• - Mid Spring is the best time to buy plants for your pond. At this time, the weather is warming up, allowing your plants to blossom in the Summer. Read our blog for the top 6 plants to buy for a small pond!

Winter/Autumn Pond Care Tips

• - Probably the most important tip for the Winter is keeping your pond free of decaying vegetation. Remember to remove any dead/dying foliage regularly and cut back any plants in your pond that are overgrowing.

• - You know as well as we do, the UK gets pretty nippy in the winter. If your pond freezes over (which it probably will at some point) you should never leave it like that for more than a day. If you do, toxic gases cannot escape, meaning you may be finding more than just foliage floating on the surface. You should never smash the ice. The shockwaves could really harm, or even kill, your fish. Pop a pan on the hob for a few minutes and place it on top of the ice until it starts to melt. Alternatively you could use a floating pond de-icer.

• - In the Autumn, you can start to reduce the amount of food you give your fish. When the temperature is between 5c-10c, feed them with a wheat germ based food. Anything below 5c, you can stop feeding them altogether.

• - In the Winter months, your fish are at their most vulnerable. Their metabolism is slower, so they’re more likely to be easy targets for predators such as seagulls and herons. Ensure your pond is well protected. having an electric fence or netting over the top. To be honest, it’s best keeping your pond protected all year round!

Would you like to upgrade your fish’s home? Why not take a look at our wooden ponds - they come in a range of shapes and sizes and can be placed on ANY surface! All of our wooden products are lovingly made on the South coast of England.