When should I turn off my pond equipment for the winter | UK

Hi guys this is Mark from anypond.com your trusted resource in the UK for ponds and water features...and today’s question is “when should I turn off my pond equipment for the winter?”
Well, it depends on what equipment you have, whether you should turn it on and off in the winter. What we’ve got here is we’ve got two little waterfalls. The problem in the winter is they might damper up and then what happens is it causes an ice damp and then what can happen is the water can overflow the edges. But apart from that there’s not really much that can go wrong with the waterfall. But certainly it depends on what equipment you have whether you should turn your equipment off.
Let’s say you had a canister filter or a pressurised filter on the side of the pond, it is not buried in the ground...that’s not protective...and what can happen is in the deep freeze the equipment could actually freeze parts and crack it off and then when the thaw comes what happens is that crack will cause a leak. I’ve actually seen a lot of ponds in the winter time when the pond has thawed out,
it has actually drained right down within a matter of hours, I’ll get a panic phone call in the morning, “Mark, my pond is empty, what do I do? All my fishes are just flapping around in the bottom”.
Well, that’s when you should turn your filter systems off. So if they’re not protected...or if it’s a case of you’re gonna have a real cold spell, then I would switch the filters off.
The manufacturers recommend that you switch them off to better long the life of their equipment...and if you don’t then obviously that’s neglecting, wouldn’t be covered under any warranties or anything of that.
So it depends on the system...it depends on what equipment you have whether you need to switch it off in the winter.
I actually prefer to leave things running because the biggest fish kill, believe it or not, in the winter is actually oxygen. If you don’t have a hole in the ice and that’s falling water stop in the ice forming over the top of the pond...you can have gases and stuff produced and it’s trapped under the ice.
So you need gas exchange...you need that oxygen going in to the pond to carry on, letting the bugs and stuff break down the waste because the fish is the first to suffer from lack of oxygen.
So the biggest fish killer in the winter is actually lack of oxygen. When these decomposing leaves, a lot of the beneficial bacteria and stuff can live with a lot less oxygen than the fish. So the fish is always the first to go and it’s always the big fish that goes first.
So there’s a few tips- whether you should turn your filter system on or off through the winter system. Hope you’ve learnt something...and hopefully you won’t have any problems in the winter.
My name is Mark from anypond.com your trusted resource in the UK and I’ll see you in the next video.
Mark is The Pond Adviser he has been a garden pond specialist in the UK for over 30 years. He runs a multi award winning landscaping firm. We can enhance any pond and water feature. Do you need some help with pond construction, pond maintenance or even some pond repair services. If so you are in the right place contact he here goo.gl/dvFE5i.
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[@theSKOL1]

Good video ! i was wondering when or if to take my pump out of the pond and put it in storage ? Also was worried about the piping off it into the box filter would it freeze and would i have to strip down the box filter ? This will be my first winter with my new bigger pond !

[@ThePondAdvisor]

JOE KNOCKER if you do take your pump out keep it in water. As rubber seals will dry out and crack

[@ThePondAdvisor]

JOE KNOCKER you can leave your pump in the pond no problem, if you worried about your filter system freezing up then drain it, but leaving it running will stop thin ice. I leave most of my clients ponds running

[@theSKOL1]

Thanks for the reply and the advice on the pump is quality as i wouldnt have known and just put it away i the garage till early next year !

[@ThePondAdvisor]

JOE KNOCKER no problem fella

[@dorianzulic9369]

Hi, Mark! Great video, as always. I have a homamade settlement filter filled with bags of lava rock. I'm planning to turn the equipment off and put my filter media bags in pond for winter time... I also have an aerator to keep a hole in the ice and also to provide oxygen for my goldfish.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Put the aerator under the media bag!

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Or leave the media bag in the settlement chamber (if it’s gravity feed), again with an air stone more water around the media.

[@dorianzulic9369]

Thank you!

[@chestermungins7200]

Great vid again mate cheers . Exactly what I needed to know. 👍 as many winter tips as possible would be much appreciated.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Chester Mungins got a few more coming out, keep them questions coming!

[@truthfilter]

my filter box is above ground so last winter i just wrapped the box with loads of bubble wrap the piled layers of polythene on top of that it worked perfectly

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Great tip

[@gideon6331]

I covered my pond and filter system the first week of November this year 2019/2020 and have kept a close watch on temperature daily, the temperature has not dropped below 46c the highest temperature was ,50c the fish seem to be OK swimming about at all levels I wondered if I should have fed my koi or am I correct not feeding ?

[@joyceeyukcg]

great informative video! thank you.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Mr J thank you

[@davidfarquhar3917]

Can I put the pond pump on to a timer over winter to perhaps turn off 2 hours out of every 4? I've just worked out how much electricity my Aquamax 5500 uses running continuously. My pond has a few koi and goldfish, and an external filter sitting on the ground next to the pond

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Great question, this all depends on the pond design and the filtration system used.

[@bobfal]

Love a flat cap!

[@ThePondAdvisor]

thank you

[@robertmccracken3955]

Hi my pond is lighty different in that it is located inside a large polytunnel and is a raised railway sleeper pond. Its around 2m x 1m x0.8m and I have a pressured filter system. Should I leave this running ? Also is there any benefits of a small pond heater. The pond has only 7 goldfish in it. Ta

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Yes I would leave it working, heaters will stop holes in ice. I wouldn’t heat the water to keep the growth rates up as if you have a power cut the crash is very bad.

[@trevbeats77]

Hi Mark. Your videos are great thank you. I have a pressurized filter system which is above the ground. I don't really want to turn it off due to oxygen levels decreasing. So can I wrap an insulator around the tank to stop it from icing up? And just one other thing, I have stopped feeding my Kio due to cold waters now. But I just see my fish seating very still at the bottom of the pond thinking they must be so bored. Will they be ok? Thanks again. TreV UK Kent.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

trevbeats77 the fish are fine, it’s cold and they are down the bottom as it will be warmer and they don’t want to use up the energy swimming around. Yes you can rap the filter and pipework to help with freezing.

[@trevbeats77]

Great thank you for the help. Just one other thing mate/ I am feeding my fish on small wheat pellets when its above 6/10. Is this ok as they do come to the top looking for a small nibble to munch on.I was advised from my local pond shop it's ok to do this. Would like your feedback, please bear in mind my pond does not have any plants or even blanket weed. Cheers TreV

[@ThePondAdvisor]

trevbeats77 were about’s do you live?

[@ThePondAdvisor]

It’s the night time temperature you need to follow as this is more likely the water temperature, I do not feed my fish on warmer days as I let a little bit or algae grow. With the quality of Pond food these days the fish get everything they need during the summer and autumn months

[@trevbeats77]

The Pond Advisor I live in Kent Mark. Thing is my pond water is very good quality and very clear however no plant life in the pond. That make me think what do the fish feed on if pond water is so good.

[@perpsbajginca2787]

Hey Mark recently created my pond the temperature is sitting at about 6 degrees celcius. My fish come to feed when i throw pelets but go straight down and cuddle together and don't really move. Is it better to keep fish inside for winter and if between what months? Also my pond doesn't have any direct sunlight it's always shaded. Hope you can help.

[@juanitaoosthuizen7509]

Can I switch my pump/filter off during winter nights and only have the air pump running, I have a 10 000L pond with an air pump connected with 3 air stones

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Yes bring the air stones up close to the surface (on a shelf or off a floating device)

[@JustBaileey]

Hey Mark, as it’s nearing winter in the U.K. I was contemplating reducing the feed for my fish around mid October and turning the filter off and just using a pond oxygenator only by Blagdon. Should I leave my Lilly and oxygenator plants in, or take them out?

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Yes leave them in,

[@ThePondAdvisor]

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[@paulwright7964]

Hey pal do you think i should turn my pump and filter off now is a pontec multiclear oase ots the box filter so its on the side of my pond flowing in im not sure what ro do

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Paul Wright leave it flowing, unless we have very cold spell (deep freeze), or sink it into the ground.

[@vilmaclarodaels8395]

Hi Mark, do I need to cover my gold fish pond with plastic cover? And what can I cover my pump with? The pump is not buried. Thank you

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Are you in the UK 🇬🇧

[@Davehiphop]

Hi, my neighbor has some Giant Salvinia is this good for fishponds, I have never seen it before. Thought you may know! Thanks

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Yes it’s a good floating plant, no hardy here in the UK 🇬🇧

[@Davehiphop]

@@ThePondAdvisor Cheers Geezer...

[@ThePondAdvisor]

No problem

[@Joe-Mitchell-Koi]

Hi Mate, love your video's and tried to recreate your waterfall video. I have installed one of the waterfall filter buckets and was wondering if i need to have it running 24hr's a day or just run it 9am-9pm? its just due to being in a residential area and its not the quietest thing, I currently have 2 little Butterfly Koi in there Thanks, Joe

[@ThePondAdvisor]

yes 24/7, you can turn it down with a blow off valve, or have a smaller pump running it 24/7 you want to keep the bacteria alive, then a second party pump for the day (your current one)

[@Zeamus634]

Fit a heater to prevent freezing.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Good idea to keep a hole in the ice. There are number of ways to do that in the UK. Heaters are not the cheapest way however.

[@truebuldog]

You should change the title of the video to if you should turn off your filter and pump. Because you didn't tell us when? Meaning what outside temp or water temp. I'm still interested to find out 'When' . Thanks

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Ralph C it depends on the temperatures, it depends on the equipment, if you have the right equipment you don’t turn the equipment off, it’s mainly a case of turning off the equipment against damage not from aquatic life.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

When the pond totally freezes, or you only need to turn off your equipment if it’s going to cause damage to the equipment

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Hope that helps, it’s not a case of turn you equipment off on a date or at a temperature as it’s all different.

[@truebuldog]

@@ThePondAdvisorit's clear that all equipment is designed different. And you made it clear that it all can all be handled differently. But with the subject in mind of "when" to take down pumps and filters , (close pond)there still is no definitive answer made here. It's obvious that you don't want equipment that can be ruined (when frozen) in the water when it freezes . But you don't want to turn your pump and filter off to early either. Right? I was looking for a definitive answer that would balance both my pond equipment and my fish's well being in mind at the same time. A rule of thumb so to speak. It looks like I might not get that answer here. Thanks anyway.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Ralph C you will not get the answer anywhere, unless you give details of where you live and what equipment you have, plus what type of pond you have. You mentioned fish, what fish do you keep?

[@debzyoung3353]

This is my first autumn/ winter with a pond.. should i raise my pump higher please?? Its a mindfield of knowledge!!

[@ThePondAdvisor]

You can do, plus you can move the pump closer to the inlet.

[@harbinsleo]

how deep the pond should be for kois to be safe in the winter?

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Leo Sun depends on we’re you live, depends on the size of the fish, from 60cm deep preferably 90cm, it’s more about the size of the pond! 5m by 3m (16’ by 11’ by 3’).

[@harbinsleo]

@@ThePondAdvisor east of the UK thx

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Leo Sun perfect

[@staceyszoo2732]

Should I turn off my fountain for the winter?

[@ThePondAdvisor]

This really depend on where you are in the world, how bad does your snow and ice get. You could always just take the fountain head of and run the fountain pump on a shelf to keep a hole in the ice. The ring of moving water will keep the hole in the ice. Lots of people turn fountain off during the winter to protect them from damage as in the plastic heads and a like from cracking. Not store the pump out of the pump however if you do which it off, just turn the pump on its side. as these pond pumps do not want to dry out!

[@staceyszoo2732]

Yesterday night we got our first snowfall of the year, we ordered a deicer that is going to come tomorrow. We left the fountain on during the night and now there's no ice in the middle of the pond, if I hadn't convinced my dad to keep the fountain on, my pond would of froze. We are going to turn the fountain off when the deicer arrives, thank you.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Stacey's Zoo perfect, you can always have both working over a shelf, so your not mixing warm base water with the cold surface water. Moving water will also help the de-icer.

[@staceyszoo2732]

ok thanks.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

no problem, keep up the good work

[@thep0ndman]

Sorry that’s not great advice, Your filters/pipe will only freeze when you switch them off and there is still water in them. If you leave the power on the filter will be the same temp as the unfrozen water as the pump is pumping water water from the pond, so it’s impossible to freeze. If the pond froze solid then maybe but we don’t live in Siberia.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

It depends on which equipment you have, fish and aquatic ice from lack of oxygen! Switching off some forms of pond equipment is a must if we experience a deep freeze in the U.K. 🥶 not all ponds in the UK are created equal, exposed sites, cold wind, Our ecosystem ponds don’t need switching of as everything is protected under ground but like I say in the video it depends what system you have. The amount of calls each winter in the midlands we get from DIY pond owner with cheap plumbing is amazing even in zone 7 and 8 or fish dying as the change in temperature. Oxygen is the biggest killer no temperature

[@thep0ndman]

@@ThePondAdvisor Cold water holds more oxygen so you cant have a lack of oxygen in the water in winter is scientifically impossible. If fish have died it is probably from something else not a lack of oxygen. Equipment will not freeze if you are pumping water through it, filter boxes, uv, it doesn't matter how good the plumbing is, if the water pumped from the pond is warmer than outside temps it cant freeze.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

@@thep0ndman bacteria breaking down waste use’s up the available oxygen below safe levels for most pond fish!

[@ThePondAdvisor]

Please be open minded coming on here, puts all ponds and pools in a pigeon hole. I guess you have not experience any ice dams or cracked pipework from the cold, it’s must all be deep high flow systems, slow flow rates, not all ponds and pools are the same. Looks like you have the wrong energy or not open to collaboration (not disagreeing with you on most of what you are saying). Which is ok as we all can jump to the wrong end of the stick. I don’t like the tone are you trying to school us or prove a point.

[@ThePondAdvisor]

@@thep0ndman you need to check your scientific findings or the use of the word impossible