Discuss – These are not typically the most attractive lawn features you can come up with because of the lack of plant life in or around the pond and it is not a good idea to have a Koi pond in an environment that has violent extremes in weather such as a severe winter. These fish are highly susceptible to weather based conditions and simply can’t survive a long winter.

Just like caring for your fall flowers it is just as important to beware of what the needs are of your garden pond. Most garden ponds are built to give additional beauty to the area. Yes, these are becoming more common.

Some of these have fish which adds another dimension They are relatively easy to care for. In the colder climates there are some important tips I have for you. If you are susceptible to the water freezing you need to read on.

The debris that collects in the garden ponds can give off toxic waste including gases. Like fall flowers these toxic chemicals need a place to go. This is into the atmosphere.

If they can’t escape they become trapped under the ice and can raise havoc with more bacteria being formed. If you have fish in your garden pond their internal systems will begin to suffer and could fail.

Part of fishes protection against disease is a slime protection over the fish including the gills. Toxins and bacteria break this down. You will notice the brilliant colors become dulled.
Protecting Your Garden Pond.

Discuss – Including an assortment of plants inside the fish pond, and planting it around the edges will help manage and absorb the nutrients in the fish pond. Some water plants will also help to control the presence of algae.

In the late fall you should partially remove debris that collects in the bottom of your pond. Removing this will diminish any toxins that will be given off. And the pond will do better over the winter and any fish will survive it.

Does this remind you of what you need to due with your fall flowers?

Do You Have Fish?

You should consider doing several things. First fish will do well if the pond freezes over providing there is a depth of 1 1/2 to 2 feet deep section. They will survive very well.

It will even be better if there is about 2 foot area that doesn’t freeze over. You could use an aquarium oxygenator to help with this. If you have a pump that creates a small fountain it will keep a space ice free.

Don’t over-feed your fish. They don’t need as much food during the winter and the end of fall. Even early spring there no need to feed as much as during the summer months.

Some Experts Say…

Discuss – There are also bubbling devices that can be placed in koi ponds to provide aeration if installing a waterfall is not practical. Especially in the bottom of the pool, koi pond aeration is a necessity, since this area is farthest from the surface.

…using some natural salt, that is, salt obtained by drying ocean water is good for your garden pond. It seems to help with the slime coating and also get rid of some of the bacteria and fungus that begin in garden ponds. Check with your garden expert to see about the dose of natural salt.
This may be a bit controversial but I would err on the side of doing it.

Although the onset of fall flowers should remind you about also taking care of your garden pond. This doesn’t mean there is a great deal of work.

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Discuss – These are not typically the most attractive lawn features you can come up with because of the lack of plant life in or around the pond and it is not a good idea to have a Koi pond in an environment that has violent extremes in weather such as a severe winter. These fish are highly susceptible to weather based conditions and simply can’t survive a long winter.

Much of the following advice will pertain to *all* ponds, but is based on my experience with the natural ecosystem of our water garden.

The annual cleanout is the only “major” pond maintenance chore required by our natural water garden environment. Considering the many hours of enjoyment our pond and waterfall provide throughout the year, these four or five hours of easy paced work are well worth my time and effort.

The cleanout should be performed before the water temperature gets above 55 deg. F – the temperature at which the beneficial bacteria begin to colonize. You don’t want to disrupt the natural balance.

Using a sump pump or the pond pump surrounded by protective screen (to restrict the fish), pump out much of the water -use as long a pipe as possible and direct the water to lawns, shrubs or other areas that would benefit from a nutrient-rich bath.

Before the pond level has lowered to six inches or so, fill two or three “holding tanks” (I used dish washing tubs) with the existing pond water and carefully net your fish into them. The fish are weak after a long winter, so the less stress they endure, the better – they *may* try to jump out of the holding tanks, so cover with a piece of plywood or other object. Limit the time in the holding tank to just a few hours.

Discuss – Another consideration is that fact that you will really want to keep your Koi pond close to your home in order to protect it from predatory animals and children that may inadvertently bring harm to your pond, equipment, or fish. This is after all a rather sizeable investment you will want to protect it.

After removing almost all of the water, spray down the rocks with a garden hose and spray nozzle – it’s not necessary, nor advisable, to remove *all* the algae – leaving some will be beneficial to the ecosystem. Start washing from the top down, and run the pump to remove the dirty water. Washing the rock should take only a half hour or so.

Remove the filter media and lava rock from the skimmer and biofalls, and hose it thoroughly…again about a half hour’s work. Clean out the skimmer box and any remaining debris at the bottom of the pond.

Though much is made of the dreaded “pond scum”, with the natural ecosystem of our ponds, there is very little of this to deal with. I remove about a pint after the final rinsing.

Now hook up your pump, reinstall the filter media and start filling your pond. If you have city tap water, you will need to add dechlorinator according to directions…fish will not survive in chlorinated water.

Discuss – Including an assortment of plants inside the fish pond, and planting it around the edges will help manage and absorb the nutrients in the fish pond. Some water plants will also help to control the presence of algae.

Finally, float your holding tanks and fish in the new pond water for 30 minutes to acclimate them to the temperature change. Then free your fish into the pond.

That’s it – not a bad job at all. This is a very minor price to pay for what we consider to be the best improvement we’ve ever made to our outdoor environment.

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Discuss – When used as a general tonic for fish, and as a stress reducer, add 2 -1/2 cups full (728g) of Pond Salt for each 100 gallons (378 L) of pond water. Sprinkle salt evenly around the perimeter of the pond.

There are different kinds of Pond Liners available in the market, including rigid preformed and flexible liners. The cost of building a garden pond using these liners has decreased dramatically over the years. But you must be careful to maintain it well, so that expenses do not overwhelm you later on. Repairing is a challenging task for pond owners.

Concrete ponds are difficult to repair, especially in winter where the cold climate causes the ground to heave. Masonry-based repair materials dry rigidly and will break again during winter. Herco Fish Pond Coating material is a neoprene-based product for covering cement block, brick and cracked concrete ponds. This material becomes a heavy-duty neoprene membrane that gives a long-lasting repair.

Good Pond Liners have some things in common that prevent frequent damage. Flexible materials are popular. They are manufactured in sheet form with factory-welded seams, and U.V. stabilized to resist the effect of the sun. Mostly they are black in color for reflecting value, and are fish- or potable-grade. They will last longer if buried and away from sunlight (around 20-30 years more than rubber materials).

Yet one cannot escape from small repairs. For patching small holes and tears, a 6″ single-sided tape can be used. Thoroughly clean the liner area using Coleman fuel or naphtha, and an abrasive pad. Wipe clean with a paper towel .Remove the paper backing and apply the tape smoothly, rolling to apply pressure evenly. Apply lap sealant to the tape edges for the final touch, and allow to dry for several hours before touching with water.

Discuss – However, if you still do want to keep potted plants in your KOI pond, we recommend wrapping netting over the tops of the pots, to keep the fish from digging in the pots. Another thing you can do is to top the pots with 1′ of pea gravel, and then larger river stones or similar over that.

For joining two liners, thoroughly clean the liner splice areas with Coleman fuel or naphtha and an abrasive pad, and wipe clean with a paper towel. Apply the 3″ double-sided tape to the top edge of one liner, and lay the bottom edge of the second liner directly on top. Apply the tape over the exposed edge of the splice with three inches on each side. Apply lap sealant and allow drying.

For best results while applying patches to repair liners, in the case of Polythene liners, clean liner with clean water and let dry before applying patch. For EPDM, clean liner with a rubber pad and clean water and let dry before applying patch. The main point is to remember not to use solvent or gasoline to clean the liner.

Another instrument that can be used to maintain the garden pond is a pond skimmer. Pond skimmers are mechanical filters that remove leaves and other debris from the pond, and leave it clean and sparkling for the fish and plants. They can be either placed on the surface or underground.

Pond Liners provides detailed information about pond liners, garden pond liners, preformed pond liners, rubber pond liners and more. Pond Liners is the sister site of Natural Waterfalls.