Koi/ goldfish pond in winter questions?

Question

in southern new england, will 3 1/2 ft deep be enough to keep the fish from freezing?

wat steps must be taken in the fall/ winter to make sure fish are alive in the spring? (such as feeding, plants, etc.)

anything else i should know about a koi/ goldfish pond in the winter or even year round?

Answer 1

Once the water temperature drops into the lower 40's to upper 30's the fish will barely eat at all and you should stop feeding except a small amount about once a week. That would be step one in preparing your pond for winter. Before it starts freeze over, you should do a through cleaning of the pond. Remove all the dead and dying material you can and give the pond a good water change. Remove any plants that will die over the winter or for those that will put back out, trim all the material that will die back so that is will not die and pollute the pond over the winter.

3.5 feet should be adequate for you in your general area but be sure that deep spot is large enough to hold all your fish and allow them a bit of room to move about.


If the pond ices over for more than a day or two you will need to break the ice so that the water can get proper gas exchange.

One of the main things to watch for in the early spring is flipping. It's a long explanation, but this is a condition where the top of the pond has O2 and free floating algae while the bottom has low O2 and no algae. A quick cold front can cause the upper water to cool too quickly and sink to the bottom where the algae dies and uses up the O2 in that water. This leaves your pond with very little O2 and the fish can die. To prevent this be sure your filter or pump is drawing from the deepest areas of the pond during those months with warm days and cold nights or when the weather is prone to change temperature very rapidly.

Depending on the size and location of your pond it can be very helpful to include one native predator fish in the pond. Something like a bass or large bream. As spring arrives many unwanted species, such as frogs and small snakes can invade your pond adding lots of bio load and competing with the fish for needed resources. A native fish accustomed to feeding on local frogs, tadpoles, eggs and the like can go a long way in preventing an overpopulation of this type of invader.

MM

Answer 2

Yes, 3 1/2 feet of water will be great as long as you know that the water doesn't freeze solid all the way to the bottom. It isn't the temperature of the water that matters, it is the fact that they still need liquid water to swim around in. They also need a hole for oxygen at all times. If you don't have a pump/filter that circulates water all the time, then you need to break a hole in the top of the ice at least 12 inches across and keep an opening for air all the time. Stop feeding them once the water temperature reaches 50 degrees. They go into hibernation and don't eat and if you put food in the water, it will just rot and foul the water and make it toxic for the fish and kill them. Make sure all the dead leaves and junk on the bottom is removed before the top freezes over, again, so it doesn't rot and foul the water and kill the fish.

Answer 3

The fish will not freeze. When the cold starts they become more or less idle. I had a koi pond for a few years and they will survive even in the coldest conditions.

Answer 4

Maybe there is someway to heat the pond so your fish won't freeze??? Try asking a vet about what to do, I'm sure they can help. Good Luck!!!