Our fall pond checklist includes some helpful tips to get your pond and Koi ready for cooler weather.
- Switch from a high protein food to a lower protein food & feed less often.
- Add additional submerged plants to give the fish a place to graze naturally. Add some cool weather plants to replace the more cold sensitive plants.
- Keep your lilies & aquatic plants well pruned. They will start to produce fewer & smaller leaves. In the south it’s not unusual to see blooms & leaves all year.
- Stop fertilizing your lilies in October. Don’t fertilize them again until spring. Drop the lilies to a deeper part of the pond where the water will be warmer. Transplant your lilies in the spring giving them fresh soil & new fertilizer.
- Continue to add beneficial bacteria. This will help keep the biological filter seeded & will help to reduce the build up of muck. Bacteria will help break down heavy build up of muck caused by decaying leaves.
- Remove fallen leaves from the pond as soon as possible. If you have a large tree over your pond, covering the pond with a leaf net for a few weeks is helpful.
- Check your pump for maintenance. If you have a mag-drive pump it is best to open the pump & clear any leaves or other matter that may jam the pump. Check the impeller to make sure it is working properly.
- Continue to clean your filters or back flush your systems as usual. You may not have to do this as often. Check your skimmer leaf net more frequently.
- If you have rock in the bottom of your pond, stream or bog it’s a good idea to “stir it up” to remove the muck & waste so that it can be filtered from the pond.
- Test your pond as usual keeping an eye on the pH. The pH can drop with out notice especially in colder weather.
- When doing a water change or adding water to pond make sure to add dechlorinat0r.
- Add lights to your pond so you can enjoy your pond in the evening.
- Get out your fire pit, light a fire, sit back & enjoy your pond in the cooler weather.
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