Question
Brigitte,
We recently moved to Atlanta and into a house with a small water pond. Is there anything we need to do to protect it for the winter? It has a fountain as well, in case that makes a difference. We currently don't have any fish, although we will next year so any advise on that too would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Karen


Answer
Hello Karin! Hope you had wonderful Holidays!
In your area you probably do not need to do much to winterize the water feature as long as no fish are present.
Once fish are present there are a few pre-cautions to take such as reduced feeding (or no feeding if the water temperature goes below 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and an adequate oxygen supply if the pond freezes over.
However, that should be a pretty rare event in Atlanta. Basically, the pond comes to a stand still in the winter if the water temperature drops below 50 degrees. The fish go dormant and the beneficial bacteria die. Everything comes back to life in the spring once the water warms up.
We have a free e-book available at www.pondmarket.com that does explain the winterization process for ponds with fish in detail and you are welcome to download it.
Hope that helps!
Best regards and Happy New Year!
Brigitte/www.pondmarket.com