Winter has set in and your fish are resting patiently under the snow and ice waiting for spring to come. Be sure to give your fish the best chances of making it through until that time comes.
You prepared your pond for winter by trimming the plants back and removing the bulk of the organic matter (leaves, sticks, etc.). You installed a small bubbling pump too agitate/recirculate the shallow water to promote gas exchange. You also installed a de-icer to keep a small opening in the ice. What else can do? Keep the snow from covering the openings created by the bubbler and de-icer. As the snow builds up in depth and drifts creep across the ice, the openings created by the bubbler and de-icer can easily get covered and rendered useless.
Snow is a great insulator and can prevent the much needed gas exchange from occurring. So go out and look over your pond. If the snow has covered up the openings in the ice, carefully clear the snow away. Your fish will be happy you did.
