Aerating your Pond in Autumn and Winter

Preparation is key; especially with ponds in Spring. “We are in Autumn” you might think; but getting your pond back up and running can be hard work if you have not prepared throughout Autumn and Winter. This preparation is key if you are to avoid any Springtime fish deaths or unhealthy pond water.

While our Pond Care blogs go into greater detail on the maintenance you should be running on your pond, an easy way to improve the quality of the water and prevent a whole host of problems is to aerate your water in Autumn and Winter.

Aerating your pond helps to stabilise the temperature of the pond and provide a huge increase in aeration; both are good for both your fish and pond health. The aeration increases the bacteria in the pond and this bacteria helps to break down any organic material that is decaying; keeping your pond clear and clean. However, you should always put a cover net on your pond in winter, to prevent the debris from getting into the pond in the first place.

Having an air pump also prevents your water from freezing over, which is an important part of your pond maintenance in the colder weather. Essentially, the air being pushed into the pond displaces the water, causing the water to move and breaks up the formation of ice in a small area on the surface. This allows gasses to exchange on the surface of the pond instead of building up underneath, which can kill your fish when the levels of Ammonia and Nitrites get too high.

If you are putting an air pump into your pond over winter, there are several steps you will need to keep the pump and pond safe. First, try to find a small, ventilated box for the air pump to sit in. This will prevent condensation from forming and freezing in the airline, which can damage your air pump. Secondly, avoid putting the air stones at the bottom of the pond; it is best to try to put them on a shelf in the middle of the pond.

Apart from the above, you will need to check on the aerator regularly to check for blockages or faults, as you would normally do at any point in the year. Also, try to clear any snow or frost off the unit, as this can block the air vents on the pump and prevent it operating as normal. But if you put this unit into a small, ventilated box then this should help to prevent snow surrounding it.

What size Air Pump should you use?

We have provided a guide below on the size of the air pump you should use. The size of the air pump depends on what kind of fish you have and the size of the pond. Please treat this as advice only, every pond is different.

If you need any advice or guidance on this, please email us on info@pondkeeper.co.uk.