Basement Fish Pond

[NancyMc]

In winter here in Winterpeg, I have to bring my fish inside. Here is a photo of my setup in my basement with all of my goldfish swimming around. If I were to get rid of the goldfish would this pond work for 2 or more Koi for the winter?

 

[MoonShadows]

How many gallons is this basement pond? Looks to small for Koi.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

No apparent biofiltration.

 

[NancyMc]

No biofiltration, you are right. It is maybe 100 gallons

 

[sissy]

Do like colleen does in Canada .She keeps hers outside .As they get older and bigger it will get harder

 

[NancyMc]

Can't keep them outside - we get -40C

 

[MoonShadows]

100 gal is much too small for Koi. You probably have too many goldfish in it now.

 

[MitchM]

I would buy a 2x4 sheet of double walled plastic from Home Depot and place it over the top of your indoor pond.
That will help reduce evaporation and mould from developing inside your house over the winter.
If you're using an HRV, it will reduce the work the HRV has to do.

 

[Faebinder]

Yeah in Canada you are gonna have to green house or cover the pond.

 

[CometKeith]

I like your goldfish!

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Nice to have them indoors for the winter

One suggestion though, either cover the top of the tank or drop the water line. You don't want to lose any fish by jumping out of the tank.

 

[Gemma]

Nice to have them indoors for the winter

.

I thought of building a winter pond in my basement, and bring in all my fish, it would be so cool to be able to have them indoor, but then I worry that the in and out would be more stressful for them than the staying outdoor for the winter

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I did that the first few winters I had a small preform pond. I didn't want to leave them outdoors over the winter in only 18 inch deep water. When we dug a 3 foot deep pond I left them outdoors all year.

I don't feel the fish were stressed at all. I never lost one during this time and they received food and water changes during the time they were indoors.

Used a 150 gallon stock tank and mature filter I pulled from the outdoor pond. Fish were fine.

 

[Lisak1]

I don't feel the fish were stressed at all. I never lost one during this time and they received food and water changes during the time they were indoors.

I think the concern is that catching the fish will cause stress. I know my big koi get very freaked out as soon as they realize I am using the net to try to catch a fish vs skim leaves. I always worry that they will hurt themselves in the frenzy of trying to get away from the net. They do the know the difference - when I am skimming for leaves, they will swim right up to the net, no problem.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Funny how they know the difference, silly fish

I would guess some fish do experience some amount of stress being caught. But it depends on the fish and how your trying to catch them. Some of my fancy goldfish swim right to my hand and I pick them up and move them without a net (not much stress there) The commons are not always so easy to catch.

 

[Lisak1]

My goldfish are the same way - they will swim right INTO the net. They're not real bright. haha!

 

[NancyMc]

Thank you all for your input a year ago and I am more determined than ever to have koi in my pond outdoors which means overwintering them. So next spring I am going to put them in my outdoor pond and bring them in next winter. Because the pond is in the basement and we live in a very cold dry climate, house humidity is not a problem. I still think this pond will be large enough for 3 Koi over winter if I look after the water quality. I need to know the size and type of biofiltration and pump I will need.

 

[Jack B. Nimble]

In winter here in Winterpeg, I have to bring my fish inside. Here is a photo of my setup in my basement with all of my goldfish swimming around. If I were to get rid of the goldfish would this pond work for 2 or more Koi for the winter?

Hi Nancy I'm in Winterpeg too.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Thank you all for your input a year ago and I am more determined than ever to have koi in my pond outdoors which means overwintering them. So next spring I am going to put them in my outdoor pond and bring them in next winter. Because the pond is in the basement and we live in a very cold dry climate, house humidity is not a problem. I still think this pond will be large enough for 3 Koi over winter if I look after the water quality. I need to know the size and type of biofiltration and pump I will need.

Just curious, how deep & large is your outdoor pond?
You can do indoor housing for the winter in your basement pond but...
If you visit a pond store that boards fish you will often see them in 'close quarters.' But those facilities use gigantic mechanical, biological and chemical filtration and often have a staff member dedicated to care and quality of life of the boarded fish some of which are worth thousands of dollars. The picture of your pond shows what looks like a Pondmaster 190 filter which is a real solid performer but much too small for Koi. Another consideration is the size of the fish as they grow. For the first couple of years you might be fine but Koi get big. Anyway, just my two cents worth!
Stephen

 

[NancyMc]

The outdoor pond is 1000gal (which is what I measured it at but it sure looks bigger to me). It is about 2.5' deep at the deepest point. There are a pile of rocks in it so maybe that is why it measures so much less than I think it should? The outdoor filter is a Fish Mate 3000 P-UV which I was planning on setting up for the basement pond if I got Koi because the Pondmaster just doesn't keep the water quality where it should be. The goldfish survive but I know for sure that the Koi will need the big filter. As they get larger, your idea of "boarding" them over winter is a great idea. I don't know if anyone in the city do that but I will check with out local pet store.