Reasons to Keep Your Filter & Pump Running in the Winter Months

There is a common misconception that pond pumps and pond filters should be run throughout the summer and turned off for the colder months when fish and pond life is far less active.

In fact, the opposite is true - and keeping your pond pump and filter running year-round can make much lighter work of pond cleaning, as well as helping fish stay healthy, retaining the beneficial bacteria that are such a vital part of a strong pond ecosystem!

What are the Benefits of Running Pond Pumps in Winter?

Keeping your pond with pump filters active has multiple benefits - for you and your fins:

• Ensuring at least one area of the pond remains ice-free, keeping a good steady oxygen supply available.
• Continues filtering out waste materials and debris to avoid the pond becoming clogged and saturated with toxic matter.
• Keeps healthy bacteria alive, ready to get back to work in the spring when the thaw starts to lift.
• Prevents thick ice from forming, trapping lethal gases underneath, which can be deadly for your fish.

The trick is to ensure the pond pump is raised a little closer to the water's surface when the temperature drops.

This tactic means that the colder water at the bottom of the pond doesn't mix too quickly with warmer surface water and cause problems for your fish.

It's also vital to remember that icy ponds can be a considerable health hazard!

Ponds that become covered in ice can kill pond fish and any hibernating creatures. Unfortunately, that means bringing your pond back into action in spring also means repopulating your fish.

For any advice about running your pond filters and pumps in the colder weather, get in touch with the AllPondSolutions team for advice from the aquatic experts!