It can be quite a worrying sight seeing a thick layer of ice covering your beloved pond, but it's not as damaging to your fish as you may think. But it's important to know what to do to help your pond life.
Whether you've tried out a small pond idea or are a proud owner of an impressively large pool, seeing them freeze over when winter arrives can be pretty frightening. It's all too tempting to act quickly and break through the ice, but that would be a major winter gardening mistake.
Before you pick up your spade and start chopping, this gardening expert has some advice to ensure your fish stay happy and healthy all winter long.
What to do with a frozen pond this season
While ticking off your essential January gardening jobs, you may have noticed that your pond has fallen victim to the freezing temperatures. It might fill you with panic, but it's important you don't start hacking through the ice just yet.
"When you’re in the garden, and you see frozen water like this, it’s always tempting to really break through it, but don’t do it with your pond. Let me explain why," says garden design expert and influencer Ish on Instagram @Gardening.with.ish.
He explains that while you might think a frozen pond is a death sentence, it's actually not all that bad.
"If you’ve got a pond that’s frozen solid and you’ve got fish inside, you may think that they’re going to struggle or it’s going to restrict them, but actually the thermal layer of the ice is actually helping them more than you realise," adds Ish.
According to Ish, the fish will sit down at the bottom of the pond, and thanks to the layer of ice, they'll stay a little bit warmer. It's the same way our insulation keeps our homes warm for less.
"If you smack it with a hammer and try break a hole in it, you create this kind of pulse in the water which can stress them and sometimes hurt them, so try to avoid that," explains Ish.
If you want to help garden wildlife through autumn and winter, there is something you can do to ensure enough oxygen is getting into the pond for the fish and other critters.
"If you are worried that your fish aren’t getting enough oxygen cos it’s been frozen for too long, instead of getting a massive spade or a hammer or scraping in just ever so slightly, scrape the top of the ice and you’ll break a small hole there," says Ish.
"That small hole will let enough oxygen to keep them happy but also keep that thermal property, meaning they’ll stay nice and happy," he adds.
Now, the next time you're sorting out your garden during winter, you'll know that not only are your fish capable of surviving a frozen pond, but you also don't need to remove the whole layer to help them.
Shop winter pond essentials
This sturdy stainless steel tool is a great all-rounder for gardening tasks, and super easy to use and store thanks to the leather hanging strap.
These pretty gloves, with adjustable wrist straps and touch-screen-compatible fingertips, are ideal for protecting your hands even in freezing temperatures.
If you want to completely avoid cutting into your frozen pond and startling your fish, these electric heaters are a perfect solution. They're waterproof and built with overheating protection, including shutdown functions.
Although winter is not the best time to do it, it's essential to know how to clean your pond correctly throughout the year. This will not only keep them happy and healthy, but it will attract even more wildlife to your garden.
