"Should I leave my pump and filter running through the winter?"

A question we are often asked; the answer to which really depends on the size of your pond and the severity of the winter. As a general guideline we recommend you do keep your equipment running throughout the winter because whilst your fish are hibernating and are less active, they'll still be producing waste products, like Ammonia and Nitrites which can build up (imagine not cleaning your house for four months!).

As the temperature drops into single figures, we recommend raising the pond pump to the top third level of water and if you have one, adjust the time clock  settings (which dictates when the pump/filter works) to only a few hours of the day. This will enable your equipment to still clean the water and by raising the pump, leaves a warmer pool of undisturbed water at the bottom of the pond for the fish to rest in (see how they huddle together?)

If you have a fountain, reduce the flow rate to it (if possible) and remove the rose to enable the water to burble out of the pump, straight back into the water. This will reduce the amount of water spraying through cold air and thus returning this coldness to your pond.