This is the companion piece: making sure it’s safely and properly shut down before the cold weather arrives.

FALL PREPARATION

Even though you may want to keep your pond running into autumn, it’s a good time to clean it out before the temperatures drop to 10˚C (50˚F) because:

• Any fish in your pond are still active enough to be strong swimmers. The chances of them getting injured as you clean around them are low.

• It’s a lot easier to clean pond water when it isn’t partially frozen and/or full of heavy seasonal debris (like fallen leaves or stray mulch).

Start by cleaning the water’s surface by scooping up leaves with a net (make sure to avoid picking up any fish).

Pump out a little bit of water

Once you’ve cleaned the surface water, remove a little bit of water from your pond.

This will make it easier to hand scoop any topsoil or other gunk that’s stuck to the wall lining of your pond (including any edges, shelves or irregularly-shaped areas).

Any debris you can’t reach with your hands, blast off using a hose.

It’ll end up back on the water’s surface (which you can scoop away again with your net).

At the same time, you’ll also replenish the water you just pumped out.

Plant care

Pond plants are nice to look at and are beneficial to your fish.

They’re also a significant source of fall debris.

As your plants begin to die off:

• Prune away dead stems to prevent water decay
• Take non-hardy plants (like tropical lilies or water hyacinths) indoors for the winter
• Hardy plants (like water lilies) can be moved to the deep end of your pond
• Any bog plants you have can be covered with straw or other insulating aggregates

Cover your pond

Once the pond is clean, install a pond net to rest above it; like a hammock tied between two trees.

A pond net will catch any leaves, branches or other debris and keep it from falling into your pond.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you secure your pond net:

• Suspend it at least 18” from the water surface of your pond
• Tie the edges of the net tight to make sure debris doesn’t slip through them

Lastly, be certain to check your net regularly to ensure it doesn’t sag into the water.

If it does, it can be dangerous to your fish and provide a spot for leaves and junk to collect and get caught in.

CLOSING FOR WINTER

Shutting down your pond for the winter is all about:

• The pump
• The filter
• The UV clarifier

If you recall, winter 2015 started out very mild. In fact, the first real significant snowfall didn’t even occur until the end of January 2016.

There’s no guarantee that won’t happen again.

Turning off the pump

Some people, even in the middle of winter, like to keep their pump running because it creates warm water at the bottom of the pond.

That’s where your fish will hang out in the winter. So it’s a perfect environment for them to be comfortable.

Of course, you can also turn off the pumps and filter for the winter.

If you do, it won’t harm the fish because:

• Cold water has more oxygen than warm water
• Fish tend to breathe slower in winter (they use less oxygen)
• Bacteria won’t grow in winter (so you don’t need the filter to clean it away)

Drain everything

Should you decide to turn off the filter for winter, make sure to completely drain all your pond pump accessories:

• Plumbing pipes
• External pumps
• UV supplies

If you’re storing your supplies in an unheated area (like a garage or shed), double check that every last drop of water has been drained out.

Otherwise, water drops can freeze into ice drops.

As a result, your piping items can crack and break over the season.

Your best bet is to store any equipment you have indoors in a warm and dry location.

Winter fish care

It may sound cruel, but leaving fish (especially koi) in your pond during the winter is actually

good for them if:

• Your pond is at least 18” deep
• It has little to no water circulation

Delicate fish like goldfish, bubble-eyed fish or lionheads should come inside for winter, though.

Remember, warm water tends to sink to the bottom of your pond. In winter, that’s where your fish will be anyway.

They won’t hang out by the surface, so there’s little chance of them becoming frozen or too cold.

One last thing: once the temperature gets below 4˚C (39˚F), you can actually stop feeding your koi fish.

Don’t worry: they won’t starve. They have enough stored energy to sustain them during the winter.

Come to us for all your needs

Whatever you need to close your pond for fall and winter, we’ve got the experience and products to make sure it’s done safely.

Contact us with your questions or ask for a FREE quote on any of our products.

The post The Right Way to Close Your Backyard Pond for Fall & Winter appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.

Make your yard the one everyone else talks about—something you can be proud of.  But first let’s take a minute to go over some quick decisions that need to be made before you start your journey into becoming a pond owner:

Site selection

Choosing the location to construct your pond is key to an attractive, healthy, low maintenance piece of beautiful landscape.  Since we tend to spend more time indoors than out, it would make sense to put your pond where it can be enjoyed through your windows as well.

Your pond should be built on level ground in an area that receives a fair amount of sun.  Having it where you have easy access to water and electricity can be quite helpful as well.  Putting your pond under trees where it will catch leaves or pine needles throughout the year will call for the endless chore of cleaning out the pond.  Also, do not construct your pond in low spots within your yard.  This can cause potential flooding during heavy rain.

Once you’ve picked your location, Grand River Natural Stone offers a wide variety of stones you can use to border, build or enhance the look of your pond:

• Flagstone
• Armour stone
• Retaining walls

Fish or no fish

Some people like to enhance their pond experience with different types of goldfish and Koi.  The maintenance of your pond will, of course, be a bit more with the caring of your fish, by keeping the water relatively balanced as well as different diets for the fish; however, the anesthetic may be worth it. Before purchasing fish for your pond contemplate on whether or not you are willing to take the extra time to add this lively feature.

Sizing a liner

There are three types of liners to choose from when building your pond

• Pre-formed
• Concrete
• Flexible

Normally concrete stone is not used due to it not being as economically feasible, as well as issues with eventual cracking.  Pre-formed ponds are generally for ponds sized 50 to 200 gallons.  They are easy to drop in, but ensuring that the pond is stable and balanced takes a bit more time than a flexible liner.

Also, you are limited in shapes and cannot customize your pond to your liking.  Flexible liners offer the most options in terms of the size and shape of your pond.  They are very durable, easy to install and conform to any shape hole.

You can DIY and we can help

Regardless of the location, size, or liner you choose to use, Grand River Natural Stone carries ideal landscaping enhancements to make your yard that paradise on earth you’ve always wanted.

Contact us and let’s get you started on your dream yard today.

The post DIY Pond Construction appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.