On
the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a beautifully built,
ecological pond.
On
the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two painted turtles
and a beautifully built, ecological pond.
On
the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three shiny windmills,
two painted turtles and a beautifully built, ecological pond.
On
the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four king fishers,
three shiny windmills, two painted turtles and a beautifully built, ecological
pond.
On
the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five de-icing rings,
four king fishers, three shiny windmills, two painted turtles and a beautifully
built, ecological pond.
On
the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six geese a laying,
five de-icing rings, four king fishers, three shiny windmills, two painted turtles
and a beautifully built, ecological pond.
On
the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans a swimming,
six geese a laying, five de-icing rings, four king fishers, three shiny windmills,
two painted turtles and a beautifully built, ecological pond.
On
the eigth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight lounging leeches,
seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five de-icing rings, four king fishers,
three shiny windmills, two painted turtles and a beautifully built, ecological
pond.
On
the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine damselflies
dancing, eight lounging leeches, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying,
five de-icing rings, four king fishers, three shiny windmills, two painted turtles
and a beautifully built, ecological pond.
On
the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten frogs a leaping,
nine damselflies dancing, eight lounging leeches, seven swans a swimming, six
geese a laying, five de-icing rings, four king fishers, three shiny windmills,
two painted turtles and a beautifully built, ecological pond.
On
the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven peepers
peeping, ten frogs a leaping, nine damselflies dancing, eight lounging leeches,
seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five de-icing rings, four king fishers,
three shiny windmills, two painted turtles and a beautifully built, ecological
pond.
On
the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve swimmers
diving, eleven peepers peeping, ten frogs a leaping, nine damselflies dancing,
eight lounging leeches, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five de-icing
rings, four king fishers, three shiny windmills, two painted turtles and a beautifully
built, ecological pond.
Pond
version written by Christina Ishoj
Aquatic
Life in Winter
An
abundance of activity under the ice
What
a differnece a few months can make in Northern regions. It seems the transition
from brilliant colored trees in autumn to crisp white blankets of snow happens
overnight! We know it's coming yet still it seems to happen so quickly. One moment
we are watching the dragonflies hover over the pond chasing mosquitos and the
next we are thinking about getting the shovels out to clear a skating rink on
the pond.
One
thing to remember is that even though the winter snow and cold can sometimes make
the landscape seem completely barren and hostile there is an abundance of life
that is still active in your pond, albeit life at a much slower pace. Millions
of bacteria are busy at the bottom of the pond consuming leaves and decaying organic
material that has fallen into the pond during the year. Leaves will build up and
decompose and over time will turn into thick black much which can lead to an overload
of organics in the pond which can lead to algae problem in the following year.
If
you have had your aerator running over the summer and fall your pond is rich in
oxygen which helps nourish the bacteria which will feed on the leaves in the pond.
Also, by adding beneficial bacteria (see our beneficial
bacteria products page) during the warmer months you will be giving your pond
a better chance at eliminating troublesome materials from the pond. So you see,
even when it appears that the entire countryside is hibernating there are teeming
populations of happy bacteria at the bottom of your pond munching on leaves and
helping keep your pond clean.
One
reason why you may want to consider aerating your pond in winter is that not only
do these beneficial bacteria require oxygen for survival they also consume large
amounts of oxygen as they feed. As they consume materials in the pond, if the
supply of oxygen is inadequate, the levels of certain noxious gases will build
up and this accumulation will degrade the water quality. It is actually during
this winter period, when things appear so still, that the balance of the pond
is at the most critical especially for fish.
The
air around us contains around 21% oxygen and when there is no ice covering your
pond (during the warm months) the water has direct contact with the air allowing
oxgen to transfer at the surface. Fish are surrounded by an oxygen rich environment
and are happy, hungry and healthy. When the ice forms, and especially if there
is no aeration, the ice forms a barrier which prevents a huge percentage of gas
trasnfer, both the positive incoming oxygen from the air and the negative outgoing
gases from the decomposing materials in the pond. The lack of sunlight during
this cold and dark season also greatly reduces the photosynthesis of the plants
in the pond.
So you see that by aerating during the winter as well as the
warm months you will keep the pond water from becoming inhospitable to fish. This
will reduce and often eliminate loss of fish (fish kills) due to lack of oxygen.
Aerating your pond over winter does not need to be a complicated affair, a single
windmill can add effective aeration in any sized pond. There are also small electric
systems that can do a wonderful job at preventing loss of fish. Even small koi
ponds can benefit from an aeration system and your fish will thrive all year round.
See our aerators for lakes, ponds
and water gardens.
One
of the first things to remember at this time of year is not to venture out onto
the ice before it is thick enough. Waiting for at least 6 inches is probably a
good idea. Winter activities can be enjoyable but always consider safety to be
a priority. If you aerator is functioning during winter a hole in the ice will
be formed and thin ice should be expected near the hole. PLAY SAFE!!
If
you are running your aerator all winter long remember that even if ice has fully
covered the pond the circulation of the aerator can make the ice dangerously thin.
If you are going to run your aerator all winter long be extra cautious when venturing
onto the ice.
Canadian Pond Newsletter
December 2005