Winterizing questions

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Hi everyone...

I've had my goldfish/koi pond up and running for 9 months or so. This is my first winter season. I wanted to check a few of my assumptions to make sure I'm doing everything correctly.

We've had an early cold spell so ice has come a little quicker than I expected.

I shut down my filter and water fall before the start of ice. I'm assuming it will remain off until the water warms in the spring. (correct)??

I have a small pond heater running to keep a spot open in the ice. It froze over solid last week and I had to create an opening and get the heater installed. All appears to be fine...

I quit feeding my fish when the water temp dropped below 50F and now especially as I have ice. This is correct. .. right? I've noticed that they are more active than I thought they would be (under the ice). I expected them to be pretty still or just barely moving by now. How much activity is normal?

is there anything else I should do to help my fish/pond make it through the winter?

thanks again..
Scott
 

morewater

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Correct, you shut down your filter and waterfall. Don't forget to empty your waterfall reservoir (if you have one) of water so as to prevent expansion cracking of the housing(s). Once you've shut them down, again correct, leave them off until the Spring.

As far as fish activity, whatever they're doing down there is beyond your control, just as it was in the warmer months. I don't bother feeding the fish once the pond skims over.

If you're going to run a heater, I would suggest at least putting an aerator in there as well.
 

addy1

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Some people run theirs all winter. I shut everything down, with my bog it super chills the water, also I have an external pump. Sure don't want a power outage to freeze up the pump.
I watch my fish under the ice via our camera system, they do swim a lot, snack on the plants, or just hang out.

This winter I am using pond breathers, I have never used a heater. I used aerators before, but after someone lost all their fish using an aerator in Maryland last winter, I decided to swap out to the pond breather.
 
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May I ask how you opened the hole for the heater , never break the ice as this causes the shock waves which would give the fish shock, which is something that we dont want.
So if you did that remember if you have to open a hole always use a kettle of hot water to open up a hole .

Dave
 
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May I ask how you opened the hole for the heater , never break the ice as this causes the shock waves which would give the fish shock, which is something that we dont want.
So if you did that remember if you have to open a hole always use a kettle of hot water to open up a hole .

Dave

There were a few gaps around the ice on the sides. I gently lifted it out (in pieces) and laid it on the water fall to thaw. That opened enough for the heater.
 

morewater

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Any aerator will do, as long as it's protected from the elements. I ran an AquaScape for a while, it croaked, then I grabbed a cheapie from the local pet shop.

This is the first year that I'll be using an API Pond Breather. MitchM talked me into it, and if it doesn't work he's going to send me a moose.
 
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As long as the air stone is off the bottom by 8" or so and its turned down you should be fine .

Dave
 

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I bought a laguna aerator this past spring and love it 123 dollars on ebay
 

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morewater

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I think that it's an import thing, Addy.

Homeland Security would be checking it for illegal immigrants.

Remember the cow birthin' gloves?
 
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I think that it's an import thing, Addy.

Homeland Security would be checking it for illegal immigrants.

Remember the cow birthin' gloves?
You may laugh about those gloves but in our first aid kit along with purpose built elbow length pond gloves we have some shoulder length Nuclear industry gloves , a gift from Max Grundy a koi keeping friend who runs the UK's only Goldfish and Koi pond rescue service soon we hope to achieve charitable status, I've had an unofficial roll as a PR man even maaging to get Tetra UK to sponsor her with supplies as well as Kusuri . :cool:
They are that much thicker than cow birthing gloves (well they need to be dont they) otherwise my friend would glow in the dark :LOL:
If you read what we can catch zoonosis wise i;e a species crossing viruses or infection's then believe me when I say this, you would wear gloves on a permanent basis whilst working on your pond there are if I recall correctly about eight in total which can afflict us and quite frighteningly two of those are killers of us humans.
Which when you think of it is quite frightening really dont you think ?



Dave
 
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