I have a small pond with goldfish and koi they are only little 2-3 inches, When should I stop feeding ?

Question

How can I improve thier chances of surviving the winter ? This is my first winter with a pond. Merry Christmas

Answer 1

You should stop feeding normal food when the temperature drops below 10 C. You can feed wheatgerm food for a while after that, but they will survive for 3 or 4 months without you feeding them.
If the pond is over 2 ft deep it won't freeze enough to kill them. Float a small ball in the pond to stop it freezing right over. Keep the pump and filter running, but turn of fountains and waterfalls if you can as these will cool the pond further.
If you get ice on top, don't break it. The shock through the water will kill your fish almost instantly. Rest a warm pan on top of the ice until you have created a whole. You need to keep a small part ice free to allow any gas to escape and oxygen to enter the water.

Answer 2

As your fish are small you can put them in an aquarium inside but you need to be careful not to put them in water that is warmer than the pond. Let the water temp. come up to room temp. with the fish in the tank. You should check with a place that supplies you with pond supplies. You can also check with the library for books on ponds and pond fish. If you do move your fish inside for the winter feed them once every three days and only enough food that they can eat in 45 seconds. They will survive the winter in the pond if you have a 4+ foot deep spot in the pond where the fish can get away from the freezing ground. You can feed them as long as the surface water isn't frozen. Keeping a fountain or running water will keep the pond from freezing. Don't break through the ice as the pressure from you breaking through will kill the fish. I think you should check out your local pond supplier or the library for more information. You can also get a pond heater if you wish to leave the fish in the pond for the winter that will help. You shouldn't have to feed them in the pond once they go to the bottom...Good Luck...Have a Merry Christmas too...

Answer 3

At this time of year, and certainly as the weather has just got a lot colder, do not feed them. Until the last couple of really cold days I would have advised a small amount of a good quality wheatgerm based Autumn/Winter food which is gentle on the stomach and suited to lower temperature feeding.
Now though, leave well alone. Fish go into a torpa like state of semi hibernation at the bottom of the pond in order to survive the colder weather. It is wrong to say that if they come up to feed then they should be fed. On a cold day that they shouldnt be fed on, but not REALLY cold, they could still be tempted to the top by a morsel of food (or maybe even a shadow that COULD be a morsel of food!) when they shouldnt be eating. The result of this will be that they will eat food their body is unable to digest, it will sit in their stomach going rancid and, come the Spring, when their metabolism speeds back up thery will absorb the rancid food in their gut and die! One major reason why fish mortality is so high in the Spring is feeding too late into the latter end of the previous year. Under feeding at all times of year will keep them at their healthiest (and by that I dont mean starve them in the Spring and Summer-just dont go mad). Finally, if you have a pump and/or waterfall switch it off. The slightly warmer water at the bottom of the pond should be left where it is, not circulated around dropping the temperature. You may consider leaving the pump on but raising it from the bottom of the pond to nearer the surface so that it does not draw the warmer water up and away and, by doing this, it will keep surface agitation, massively reducing the chance of the surface freezing over. Most people 'close' it all down now though, allow the fish to over Winter as nature intended, giving them the chance to remove, clean and maintain the pump and filter box. Interesting point to note: Fish metabolism is governed by water temperature, humans have an inner regulatory furnace that endeavours to keep us warm/at an even temperature at all times-fish dont have that luxury. Hence the slow down of metabolic rate and therefore lesser requirement for food.

Answer 4

Generally when the water temperature drops below 10 C you stop feeding. If the deepest part of the pond is a minimum of 18 inches you have a good chance they survive. Depends a lot on weather conditions and if the fish are healthy. Best of luck.

Answer 5

You can not even have 1 goldfish of any type in a 10 gallon for very long. One adult goldfish of the fancy variet needs 20 gallons (much larger for Comets and Commons) and add 10 gallons for every additional goldfish. So, since you have to think about a fish's adult size, you will need a 40 gallon tank with 80 gallon filtration for 3 adult goldfish. Also, Goldfish and Plecostomus shouldn't be housed together because they require different water temperatures. Goldfish are coldwater and prefer a temperature between 65F and 72F and Plecostomus prefer anything between 75F and 82F. And yes, it is possible that a pleco will latch on to the goldfish and cause suction wounds. Please reconsider your stocking ideas and get a fish that will live happily in a 10 gallon through out it's life.

Answer 6

We have a pond in our garden and it is my husbands pride and
joy, he feeds the fish all year round, only when the fish stop taking
floating food off the top does he cut back. Fish feed all the time
wether it is food put in by yourself or natural food found in the water. You say that your pond is small, if you are able to enlarge your pond, your fish will grow larger. Merry Christmas.

Answer 7

Not until they've got a real good eco - system going on,then i'd still feed them alittle for a short while and watch carefully, do you have a marine water heater in there ?? you don't want "pond-pop-sickles".Sorry , alittle "goldfish" humor!!The fish are still young and need care.If you don't use a heater, it's best to have a small log (5 to 6 inches round) sticking up out of the water so the water doesn't totally freeze and the log will provide a source of food that algae can cling to.

Answer 8

It depends on how deep your pond is, If it isn't deep enough, all the water will freeze, along with your fish. If the pond isn't very deep, I'd suggestion getting a large tank or tub to put in your basement or someplace warm for the winter. My dad has to bring his into a huge 100 gallon tub during the winter so they don't freeze.

Answer 9

Don't feed them during the winter, start feeding again in Spring. Put a tennis ball in the pond to preven ice covering it, this will stop them from dying from oxygen starvation.

Answer 10

You need to change to Wheatgerm food at 10c and at 4c & below stop feeding them. They are hardier than you think but if the pond freezes make sure you put a hole in it for the air. You can if you are really worried get heaters from your pet superstore.