Aquascape MicroPond & MicroPondless Kits (99763, 99764, 99765 & 99769) - Manual (Page 18)

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Fig. 51 Store the pump in a frost-free location,
ideally submerged in a bucket of water.
back most of the dead plant ma-
terial and remove the tropicals.
Cut back your cattails above the
water level, or better yet, leave
them up to see how magnificent
they look in the winter. (See
fig. 49)
• If you’re fortunate enough to
be where it stays warm all year
round, you’re set for the winter.
• If you live up north, you’ll begin
to see ice forming. Some areas
may still have plants growing,
and frisky fish, but the majority
of us look at our ponds from the
inside for the rest of the year. If
that sounds familiar, you have a
choice. You can either keep your
pond running, or shut it down.
• To shut your pond down, first
unplug your pump and pull it out
of the water. Store the pump in a
frost-free location, ideally sub-
merged in a bucket of water. (See
fig. 50) If you have a MicroPond ®
and have fish, an AquaForce ™
pump bubbling the water surface
will oxygenate the water. (See
fig. 51) In all but extremely low
temperatures, the bubbling of
the pump will also keep a hole
open in the ice to allow for a gas
exchange, keeping your fish alive.
it is not necessary to keep a hole
open in the ice if you don’t
have fish.
• If your area experiences long peri-
ods of sub-zero weather, you may
consider adding a floating de-icer.
Controlled by a thermostat, the
unit only runs when the water
temperature is at or below freez-
ing, heats the water to just above
that, and then shuts off again.
See your Aquascape supplier for
products to help your pond during
the winter.
• If you use a floating de-icer, place
it away from the bubbling water,
as the water movement can cause
the heated water to move away
from the de-icer, making it run
more than necessary.
• The other option is to keep your
stream and waterfall running.
This will require some baby-
sitting to make sure an ice dam
does not form, causing water to
run out of the MicroPondless ® /
MicroPond ® basin. Also, be sure
to keep your water feature topped
off so your pump continues to
function properly. You may have
to bring buckets of water from
your house, or run a hose into the
pond about once a week to keep
everything running smoothly. If
you make the extra effort to keep
your falls running throughout the
winter, you’ll see beautiful ice
formations and patterns around
the falls and streambeds.
The most important thing is to have
fun with your water feature all year
long. Keep some of these key main-
tenance issues in mind, and it will
be smooth sailing. In the meantime,
stay warm!
Fig. 50 An AquaForce ™ pump will
oxygenate the water in your pond.
Fall & Winter Maintenance cont...
Fig. 49 Cut back dead plant material.
Now your basin is ready for winter!