Preparing Your Pond Fish for Autum

As summer fades, your pond fish need a change of diet to see them safely into winter. Here is how to adjust feeding through autumn, and why water temperature matters more than the date on the calendar.

Why autumn feeding matters

Fish are cold blooded, so their metabolism follows the water temperature rather than the season. As the water cools through autumn, digestion slows, and the high protein foods that suited summer become harder for fish to process. Getting the transition right helps your fish build reserves for winter without leaving undigested food in the gut or fouling the water.

What to feed in autumn

As temperatures drop into the low teens, move away from high protein summer pellets and towards a wheatgerm based food. Wheatgerm is gentler on the digestive system in cooler water and helps fish lay down the reserves they need for the months ahead. Feed once a day, offer only what the fish will clear in a few minutes, and net off anything left uneaten so it does not rot in the pond.

Autumn pond housekeeping

• Net the pond or clear fallen leaves regularly. Rotting leaves foul the water and rob it of oxygen.
• Cut back dying foliage from marginal and oxygenating plants before it collapses into the water.
• Keep part of the surface clear so gases can escape as the weather turns colder.
• Check your pump and filter over before winter, and clean them if needed.

Get ahead of winter

A well fed, healthy fish going into autumn is far better placed to cope with a cold winter than one that has been overfed on the wrong food too late in the year. A few small adjustments now will pay off when the frosts arrive.