Aquapet Blog

British autumn presents various challenges for pond owners, ranging from plant decay, leaves decaying, and filters and skimmers becoming blocked. Our autumn pond care guide will help you get through this challenging season.

Cleaning and Preventing Debris

The most obvious autumnal problem for pond owners is the falling of leaves, which when decaying, can upset the delicate ecological balance of the water if they reach the pond floor. Therefore regular pH testing of your water is advised.

Ideally, you want to stop leaves reaching the pond floor altogether, and many pond owners tend to use pond nets to clear debris. However this can be tedious and frustrating particularly if the British weather is unforgiving!
We stock Laguna Pond Nets as they are high-quality and have extendable shafts, allowing for precise maintenance and debris removal. All the nets feature a slip-resistant handle and the net frame itself has a plastic guard which protects the net from tearing due to friction.

Alternatively, a pond skimmer can be used to collect leaves and debris before they sink to the bottom of your pond.
We recommend Oase's SwimSkim 25 Pond Skimmer, as it provides powerful suction of pond surfaces up to 50m² and has an integrated aerator function for oxygen supply. The SwimSkim provides improved water quality and viewing depth through removal of pollutants on the surface. Cleaning is easy too thanks to the simple basket removal, and the skimmer automatically adapts to any water level (from 40cm depth). The maximum pump capacity is 2500L per hour.

Preventing Freezing

As temperatures start to drop, you should think about preventing your pond freezing. If the complete surface of your pond freezes over, it will prevent oxygen from entering your pond through a process called diffusion and prevents toxic gases from escaping.

However you should consider that Ice Preventers are far more energy efficient in comparison with pond heaters.

This Halloween Cauldron with light-up mistmaker creates a stunning display - perfect for Halloween! Impress your guests or trick-or-treaters with this safe, vivid witch's cauldron.

We are delighted to have in stock these high quality front-opening terrariums. Available in two popular sizes (Mini Tall Terrarium, Nano Terrarium), these terrariums are ideal for reptile and amphibian owners alike and allow easy access inside the terrarium.

Add an exotic, Hawaiian touch to your terrarium with Exo-Terra's new Tiki range of dishes, hides, waterfalls and ornaments! Combine the range to perfect that Polynesian, tropical island look.

Catit has released a range of new and improved Cat products for your feline friend to enjoy. The range extends from grooming to toys to fountains, meaning there is something for every cat owner!

Plants and vines are essential for any vivarium set-up, whether they are artificial or live. Plants and vines create hiding places for your reptile and live food, and are easy to maintain and clean. Here are our plants and vines options...

Natural sunlight is the best source of UV light, although in the United Kingdom sunlight can be hit or miss and certainly can't be relied on. Therefore reptile owners turn to bulbs to provide UVA and UVB light. Picking the right bulb can be a difficult and time consuming process as all reptiles have different needs and requirements, but it's essential you get it right to keep your reptile healthy.

Three starter kits from Exo-Terra make it easy for beginners and hobbyists alike to look after amphibians, snakes or bearded dragons! They provide great value for money, too.

biOrb Life Aquariums are available in 2 sizes (15L or 30L) and are the complete all-in-one package that features everything you require to get set up quickly and easily. Life aquariums are designed to be a beautifully simplistic aquarium that features a unique curved design - it is a perfect choice of fish tank for any fish enthusiast.

TAP have gone from strength to strength, now becoming one of the most trusted companies for aquatics products. Their first product - the anti algae pad is probably one of their most prestigious and well known, along with their medi pad pond treatment. Their most recent product, No More Blanketweed, has had record breaking sales too! You can buy with confidence that TAP products will get the job done. In this post, we feature their Anti Algae Pad and Medi Pad pond treatments.