With winter in full flow and flurries of snow already happening, you’ll need to start thinking about freezing weather and how to prevent your pond freezing over.

If your pond freezes over in winter it will create a cap sealing in all the gases under the ice. This prevents water and air combining to release at the surface, which in normal conditions allows an essential exchange of harmful toxic gasses and clear, healthy oxygen. This naturally occurring process is referred to as a gas exchange. If this healthy gas exchange is prevented by a fully iced over pond it can lead to stress and even death for fish.

Most of us will find that stopping our pond from fully freezing over will not be too much of an issue. If you leave your Filtration or Air Pumps running all winter, the moving water can create an area that isn’t frozen. Another option is to add a Waterfall or Water Feature. These are a great item to keep running for ice prevention purposes - they can stop your pond from freezing over and will also add extra oxygen.

If creating moving water via means of a waterfall or air pump is not an option then your best solution would be to install a Pond Heater or Ice Preventer. Another reason this is an excellent solution is that pond heaters and ice preventers are often much cheaper to buy and to run than a waterfall or other water feature.

On a note of caution there is one thing you should never do! Never smash the ice with a hammer or other heavy object. Doing this will send shock waves through your pond water and will result in stress or even death for pond fish!

Whichever you decide is the best solution for your pond you can find the perfect pond heater, water feature or air pump for your pond at Bradshaws - to keep you fish safe and happy through even the coldest of winter freezes.