Fish
In cold climates, autumn begins the slowdown of fish and plant activity. When the water temperature drops below 60 F, switch to spring/fall high-carbohydrate fish food and reduce feedings to about every third day. Gradually stop feeding fish until spring.
Plants
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When floating pond plants become unsightly due to frost, remove them.
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Tropical day blooming water lilies and tropical night blooming water lilies can be saved in a greenhouse pool or in a sunroom pool.
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Move tropical shallow water/bog pond plants indoors and enjoy them as houseplants over winter.
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Remove the foliage of hardy water lilies and hardy shallow water/bog pond plants as they display frost damage. Cut upright plant stalks 1-2 inches above the water surface (wait until spring to cut cattails and grasses as they will provide some winter interest). Cut submerged/oxygenating pond plants to about 6 inches. The greater the bio-load (the more fish you have) the greater the importance is on removing decaying foliage. As organic matter decomposes in water it consumes oxygen and released sulfur dioxide.
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Don’t let your hardy water lilies freeze! Transfer them to deeper water or remove foliage, wrap plants in moist newspaper, wrap loosely in plastic bags, and store in a cool, dark area, such as a cellar or old, working refrigerator.
Pond
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Install pond leaf netting over the pond before leaves begin to fall. This will prevent them from landing in your pond. Support the netting with wood, PVC or beach balls to prevent a pileup of leaves in the center of the pond on top of the net. Another option is purchase a tent like netting structure that causes fallen leaves to slide down to the pond edges.
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If you don’t install netting, use a hand skimmer daily to remove leaves. Use a vacuum or leaf sweeper to remove leaves from the bottom of the pond. If your sweeper is powered by a garden hose, add Dechlorinator to the water before sweeping. If an inch or more of sediment has accumulated on the bottom, clean the pond before the weather makes it too cold to do the job.
Equipment
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If your water flow is less than 2000 GPH, turn off water supply until spring
and drain pipes to prevent freezing and cracking.
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If your water flow is more than 2000 GPH, you may decide to run your waterfall
year round. If you choose this option, be sure to watch for ice damns
that may form and shut off any bottom drains. Also ensure that your have
a low-water shutoff on your pump.
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When water temperature drops into the 40’s F, remove, clean and store external
bio filter and pump as well as mechanical filter and pump.
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Install a thermostatically controlled floating pond heater in the final
compartment of in-ground bio or mechanical filter and switch water source from
bottom drain to skimmer if necessary. Alternatively you can set a pump up with
a bubbler head on it to keep a hole in ice that will form on the surface. This
is needed to allow the exchange of gases that takes place at the surface.