Winter is a time when the whole world slows down. This is true for your pond life as well. Days are short and our life giving sun is farthest from us. In turn your pond temperature can drop significantly. If your pond water goes below 60 degrees there are a few tips that can help keep your fish and plants  more comfortable.

- Remove your tropical water plants and store in a greenhouse for a few months.

- More hardy water lilies can be transferred to deeper water to keep  frost away from its root. You may also store them wrapped in moist newspaper in plastic bags in a cool dark place like a cellar or closet.

- Cut upright plant stalks 1 - 2 inches above water surface.

- Remove all dead foliage and grasses.

- Koi food can be changed as well. In the warmer months Koi food should be high in protein. When the seasons change and the water cools Koi food should  be high in carbohydrates.

When San Diego Ponds is looking for inspiration we take a day trip to one of the many diverse gardens and water features open to the public. We recommend you do the same. You will be awe inspired. Take note on the elements of style that you enjoy. San Diego Ponds can work with you to design the perfect water feature to match your inspiration.

Self Realization Fellowship - Meditation Gardens - Encinitas, CA

Quail Botanical Gardens - Encinitas, CA

Gardens of Balboa Park - San Diego, CA

I can not emphasize enough the importance of properly aerating your pond water. Pond water must circulate to maintain healthy oxygen levels. If oxygen levels drop there will be unpleasant and possibly deadly consequences. Low levels in pond and lake water can cause a number of issues.

The two main problems that occur are algae blooms and  fish kills. Algae blooms are unsightly and once set in motion hard to stop. It is so much easier to prevent an algae bloom than to eradicate one. Algae blooms further strip essential oxygen from your pond and lake water making it uninhabitable therefore, if things get bad a fish kill will follow. Fish require certain levels of dissolved oxygen in the water to survive. Without healthy levels they will in fact die.

So, how can you properly aerate your pond or lake? The answer is simple. Creating a waterfall that empties into your lake or pond is both visually pleasing and gets the job done. Other popular and effective ways to aerate your pond or lake include; fountains, spitters, and both floating or subsurface aeration devices depending on the size of your body of water.

San Diego Ponds installs every type of aeration device from small container ponds to lakes. We will build it or fix it.