wintering koi indoors, massachusetts

[pj]

Greetings. I am new to keeping koi and have no experience with
chat rooms either, so please bear with me.
My questions are likely simple to the experienced, but I just don't want to
 have to learn by failure!
My pond is only 1 foot deep for reasons not relevant now. I have to bring
the koi inside. My only question right now is if it is really critical when I
bring them inside? The cellar is well lit and 55 degrees. If I bring them in
as late as Nov when the pond temp is likely 40 degrees or less, are special
measures required above and beyond "floating" them for a few hours to adjust
to the higher temp.? Or should I just head them in now? Thanks in advance.

[Jerry]

Welcome to AP  You will get plenty of responses!  I promise.
No one is born knowing it all.  There are no dumb questions.  As one member says. "it's only dumb if you don't ask!"

[Esther]

How big are they? What are you going to put them in?

I bought a 55 gallon aquarium and put it in my sewing room. I then filled it part way with pond water and started up the pump/filter to let the water reach room temp. We floated the fishies for a while in zip loc bags and then released them. I would guess our Koi were under 8" then. we brought them in for two winters until they became too large for the aquarium and then we dug a new much bigger pond. I did water changes maybe once a month with a garden hose and syphoned the water through the hose out the front door and down the steps.

My fish did fine and the only problems were one got dropsy and I euthanized it. One had Ich I think so I took it out and put salt in the water until it was gone and I but it back in the big tank. Otherwise they seemed to do OK with the changes.

[pj]

Esther,
Thanks. You're set up/plan pretty much mirrors mine.
Under 8 inches- 2 koi, but 6 equal sized goldfish.
Tank is 50. Cramped compared to pond of course.
Pond water is circulating/filtering in cellar now.
Just hate to bring them in before I absolutely have to.
Was hoping to leave them out til the real cold hits towards
Thanksgiving, but guessing this is too late...

[tranquility]

I would probably try to go a bit larger but with plenty of filtration and water changes to keep the water good thru the winter...that is going to be the most important thing after they are moved.....I really like the idea of putting 1/2 pond water in the tank too---less of a stress and it will be the same temp...Esther has a great idea with that......also make sure the tank is covered (koi are jumpers and worse when ever they are being confined to a smaller area than they are used to)....that small you can use either pond netting or bird netting...
Lawanna
 

[pj]

Thanks for the netting tip. Hate to find that after work!

[marla]

I'm with Lawana...it is hard to keep the water quality good for that amount of fish for so long, and believe me constant water changes are no fun either.   half pond water  to start good thing, and the net or cover a must.  See if you can't find a preform plastic pond at a garden center or someplace like Home Depot cheap right now....will give you much more room.  I have one in my basement to winter tropical plants, but also keep a few small babies in it...and have used it a number of times as a QT or hospital tank.  If it has different levels, place some buckets/ pots  under those areas.  Even a large plastic/rubbermaid stock tank works well.

[Ky Kim]

Maybe a 300 gallon stock tank. Not sure how much room you have in the cellar, but that would be a decent size to over winter some fish.  PUt net on, filter, filter, filter, partial, partial and partial that water and before you know, spring will have sprung.