My first winter with the pond questions

[Amy]

So this winter will be the first winter with the new pond. Since I have always had smaller ponds we always brought the fish in during the winter to be safe....not an option now that we have a few koi that have grown at alarming rates over the summer! Anyway since I am in Ohio (central) we must remove the pump so it does not freeze. My dumb question is how do they get oxygen from the water? Am I supposed to put in some kind of aeration? The pond is not that big about 1000 gal and a little over 2 ft on the deep end. Should my fish be ok all winter? Do you all have any suggestions for me to do? I just cringe to think about them in an ice covered pond with snow all around in freezing water!! I do know if it freezes you have to break a hole in the ice but thats about it!

[Kittyzee]

Amy, I don't have Koi so I think you need someone to weigh in that does.  But I unhook my pump from the bio filter and let it all drain out since I don't want the water freezing in it and cracking my tub.  Then we re-route the pump to just run some water into the pond.  This year though, I bought a bigger pump and don't want to turn over that much water causing it to cool that much--others say that it churns the water too much causing it to disturb the thermal laying in a pond.  I think I'll go to GreenVista water gardens in a couple of weeks and buy an airstone to keep the pond aerated.  Some have had good luck with those and then once it freezes over, I'll use my de-icer to keep a hole open. 

Hopefully others will give better advice and those with koi.   

[crazyfishlady]

I'm in zone 5 so a little colder than you are. I turn off my pumps around Thanksgiving and use a stock tank heater to keep a hole in the ice. I know lots of others use and airstone, but when I tried that that it froze.

The fish will be fine without extra oxygen as long as the ice doesn't cover the pond and it doesn't freeze solid. Never break a hole in the ice. I hear it will give the fish a concussion. Use boiling water to melt a hole.

Another precaution, the first year I lost a lot of fish to a predator (probably a mink). Since then I have a milk crate (now with bigger holes) covered with rocks away from the hole in the ice. The koi happily stack themselves in there all winter. My husband calls them fishsticks, because they line up very orderly. The lack of oxygen doesn't seem to be a problem because of their low body temp.

[Amy]

Thanks ladies! Now I know not the break the ice as I thought! I had never thought of a piece hitting a fish!

[vibraphonusrex]

I'm in zone 5 here in Wisconsin.  I took the pump out, bought a very good aerator, and used up to two 1500 watt red heaters that I found at Farm and Fleet.  I had fourteen fish, (7 Koi and 7 goldfish), that wintered in the pond, and all survived just fine.  There were also seven little babies that did fine as well!  Even at 20 below, only about 1/3 of the pond froze over with a depth of about 1/8 inch.  In cold water, the bacteria that compete with the algae for food goes pretty much dormant, so a thick carpet of algae formed; the fish use that as insulation, so I just left that alone and got it all with the spring clean-out.  I just completed a big expansion project, so this winter the fish will be able to go down almost five feet; the pond went from about 800 gallons to about 3200 gallons!  They're still trying to figure out what happened!

Bob Blomberg

[CT]

Bob,
  Chance of pictures of the pond expansion? I'm sure we would love to see..
Kay

[Esther]

Yup, good advice from all.

Bob, that is a huge expansion. LOL @ the fish trying to figure out what happened.

[KatFish]

I'm probably silly for doing it, but I don't bother to shut down my pumps.  I like to hear the falls in the winter, and I don't have a problem with ice dams - I am very careful about that.  The 'fishstick' phenomenon is funny.  I always thought of them as parallel parking    Very orderly.  I must admit, my first winter I was a wreck about my fish.  So far no losses from winter weather, but my pond is about 4 feet at the deepest.  I am worried this year since my fish have gotten so large.  I REALLY need to expand next season.  Good luck with your first winter, they'll be just fine, so try not to worry too much.  They know what to do. 

[vibraphonusrex]

Yes, I have pictures of the pond expansion ready to go.  They may come in at different times; I can't remember, but one of these forums only lets you put 5 attachments at a time online.  Anyway, the fish are lovin' their new home, but they're trying to figure out why they're not bumping into each other and the walls!  I'll try to put something up tonight; right now, it's off to orchestra rehearsal!

Bob Blomberg

[Kittyzee]

Amy I think what crazyfishlady meant by not breaking (by pounding) a hole in the ice was not so much hitting a fish with ice, but the banging sound would hurt the fish.  I think that's what she meant anyway, because I had heard that before too.  Not to mention what you are using could go through the ice too deep and cut your liner--especially if you ask your DH to do it and he gets out his heavy-duty sledge hammer or something....

[Amy]

thanks everyone keep any advise comming! So with no aeration will my koi and goldies be ok till spring though?

[PondmaninAL]

I know what y'all are thinking, here comes advice from someone who don't experience ice. Well, that's where y'all are wrong. I started the water gardening in Alabama before meeting my present wife and moving down here. I had water to freeze but not in the pond. I left my pump running to keep the surface moving. I did have Chromatellas to freeze in a barrel but didn't lose many of them. If you use hot or boiling water to melt the ice, don't pour it on the ice, just sit the pan on the ice and let the heat do the work. Just reheat it when it gets cold. See, I do know something about ice.

[emm]

Hello Amy,

I am in USDA Zone 4 so I think I may be a little colder than you.  I have goldfish, minnows and trapdoor snails that stay in the pond year round.  I do not have any koi.  I run the pump all winter, the only change is that I shut down the hoses going to the waterfall and the gravel filter.  The pump is not on the bottom of the deepest part of the pond, it sits in a small "sump" area within the pond that is only about 18" deep.  I keep the water bubbling gently just below the water surface.  This helps to keep a hole in the ice but when it starts to get very cold I also use a Thermopond de-icer to maintain a small opening.  From what I have learned it is important to keep a hole in the ice all winter to allow the gases created by fish waste and decomposing plant materials to escape, otherwise the fish may be poisoned and/or the water may not have enough oxygen to support the fish, especially if they are large.

emm

[miguynmkoi]

You wouldn't like what I have to say about not having to shut down the pumps in my ponds or the fact that I feed my feesh year-round (less protein when the water stays around 55* during the colder days).  So I won't. 

[Jonna]

Probably wouldn't like hearing about how I have to feed mine all year because the water never gets below 75°F either.       

[miguynmkoi]

Ohhh, to be in Jonna's predicament....

[Amy]

Jonna I feel SOOOOOO sorry for you and your 75 degree year round water!   

[Jonna]

Actually, the pond is 80° right now but I'm sure it will cool off a bit by January.             


The pool is 80° as well and my habit is to get up in the morning and dive in the pool.  When it dropped to 80° last week from 84° I started hesitating a lot at the edge, thinking about how cold the water was.    It's warming up a little again now, the cold front that went through is gone.  The water might even have been up to 82° this morning when I dove in, it didn't seem as cold.        It's a tough life but I'm up for it. 

[beautifulhome]

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