Preparing Your Pond and Fish for Winter
Release date: 11/02/2005
October 2005
With the nights drawing in and the temperature beginning to fall, winter feels like it is just around the corner. Here are six top tips for keeping your pond and fish healthy at this time of year.
• Use up any existing TetraPond food and then switch to TetraPond Wheatgerm Sticks. These are specially formulated for cold weather feeding.
• Observe your fish closely for any signs of ill-health, as they are more sensitive once the temperature starts fluctuating. If any look unwell, treat with TetraPond MediFin and talk to your local aquatics outlet about getting your water quality checked.
• Either place a net over the pond, or be prepared to use a hand net regularly to keep leaves out. These will rot down and pollute the water otherwise.
• Cut back your marginal plants once they begin to die back, leaving 2-5cm of foliage to protect them from frost. Sensitive floating plants can be kept over winter indoors in a bucket of water containing some TetraPond Aquatic Compost. Once it gets a little colder, bog garden plants can be divided and the soil turned over.
• Ensure your fish have a refuge from predators because fish slow down as it gets colder. Even a bucket turned on its side will do.
• Now is the best time of year for carrying out any major maintenance on the pond, and cleaning any equipment. Remember to wash the biological part of the filter using pond water, and don't leave the filter system off for more than a few hours. Silt can be removed manually by draining the pond down, or with an electric pond vacuum. The best method will depend on how dirty the pond is.
As the temperature of the water falls to below 10°C, it is beneficial to feed a special cold weather food to your pond fish. TetraPond Wheatgerm Sticks are specially formulated to be fed between 4°C and 10°C, and will maintain body condition and health through the winter months.
It is important to keep feeding fish during this time of the year, as otherwise they will deplete their energy reserves. This can leave them in a weakened condition for the spring, when disease problems are more common. Simply feed as much as they can consume within a few minutes, once or twice a day. Because they are less active, the amount of food they consume will be far less compared to the summer. If they are not active at all, do not feed.
TetraPond Wheatgerm Sticks contain high levels of wheatgerm, which is very well digested at low temperatures. It also contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, which keeps fish in good physiological condition.
For further information or advice contact the Tetra Helpline on 08700 55 40 30 or go to Tetra’s web-site www.tetra-fish.co.uk.
Ends
Notes to Editors
Tetra, a Spectrum Brands company, is the global leader in fish food, treatments and equipment, with offices around the world. As a market leader in the aquatic industry for over 50 years, Tetra is renowned for its leading edge technology, with the largest research and development centre of its kind.
For further information contact:
Mary Longhurst
Progression Communications
Tel: 0870 442 9476
Fax: 0870 442 9477
Email: mlonghurst@progressioncommunications.c
