hi!

my indoor goldfish were given a new home in the summer in an outdoor pond as they had grown to big to be indoors. I've not had pond fish before and I'm worried with all the snow and freezing temperatures, they'll be too cold!

anything i can do to keep the "warm"? am i being silly?

should i leave the filter / fountain on?
should i provide a little shelter from the snow with the patio brolley?
should i keep removing the snow / ice from the top of the pond?

Thanks so much for any advice / info / help!

amey

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Amey

mum to:

Bella - 5 yr old cat
Bongo - 5 yr old cat
Bertie - 1 yr terrier cross
Ralph - 2 yr whippet cross
Monty - 7 yr old lionhead bunny
Henry - 1 year guinea
Rupert - 2 year skinny pig
Zippy - 5 yr old Hermann tort
Fish (pond and indoor temperate)

all rescue animals!

Hi,
I did the same as you this summer. I was told it would give them longer to acclimatise. I have left the snow over the mesh as it will keep the temperature constant under it and the lady in the pet shop said they don't eat much as they sort of "hibernate".

I am sure someone with a lot more fish knowledge will be along soon to put us both out of our misery!

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Who needs walkies when you can drive!

Hi how big is your pond? deep?.

I keep my filter going all year round and as it has a large turn around of water the pond never freezes (apart from a shallow shelf at other end of the flow.

I have thick snow here but no chance of it laying on the pond.

What month did your fish go in?

xx

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The best time to introduce fish to an outdoor pond is during the warmer months, so they'll be absolutely fine outdoors over the winter. They'll retreat to the deeper areas of the pond where the water is warmer than it is as the surface.

I'd shut the fountain off for two reasons: the first being that it would most likely freeze and the second reason being that water disturbance should be minimal during cold conditions. If you have a filter, pump or any other water feature in the pond, the water outflow should be below the surface to minimize surface agitation.

Whether to heat the pond or not during the winter is entirely your choice. The only real advantage would be being able to feed the fish over the winter. Fish metabolism will slow to a snail's pace below 5°C. The only time you should ever feed the fish during the winter is if the water temperature manages to creep above 10°C, and even then you should only feed a low-protein wheatgerm food.

As for removing the ice, this can be done providing you don't use physical force to break it. Instead, fill a bucket with boiling water and place it on a certain part of the pond. The heat and weight of the water will cause the bucket to slowly melt through the ice, creating a hole through which gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide can be exchanged between the water and the surrounding atmosphere.

Is the pond very deep. I left my filter and pump running last year but mines probably best part of 4ft in places and they just stayed at the bottom. I know some people turn it off. If it does ice over dont smash up the ice the shock can kill them. I know someone whos son did that being helpful or so he thought and killed all the guys Koi.