Pond Maintenance – Winter Ready Checklist

Remove leaves, debris and other organic material from the pond.
At 60 degrees Fahrenheit water temperature, switch to a low temperature fish food.
At 55 degrees Fahrenheit water temperature, stop feeding altogether.
Cut back hardy plants, but leave some grasses for winter appeal.
Remove tropical plants from the pond. Treat as annuals and discard, or move indoors and treat as houseplants.
Decide if you’re going to run the waterfall throughout the winter or shut down the pond. A winter waterfall can provide some beautiful ice sculptures, but you must be on the lookout for ice dams that can cause your pond to lose water.
Remove the pump and store it in a bucket of water in a frost-free location.
Remove the skimmer mats and brushes, clean, and store in a dry location.
Drain the BIOFALLS filter by opening the check valve.
Remove the BIOFALLS filter mats and biomedia, clean, and store in a dry location.
Add an air pump, bubbler, or de-icer to keep a hole in the ice for gas exchange and to add oxygen to the water.
Enjoy your winter pond and wait for spring.