Can pond water be TOO hot?

[PinKoiPam]

I'm in North Carolina, and we've had several extremely hot days in a row. Can the pond water ever be too hot for the koi/goldfish? And if so, what do I do too cool it?

 

[bettasngoldfish]

When temperatures are high it is best to make sure you have extra aeration ( something as simple as an air pump with air stones will work) and if possible shade your pond. I happen to be lucky and have a tree near by that does it for me but others use shade sails during the heat of the summer.

Do you have any idea what the temperature of your pond water is?

 

[Mmathis]

Ditto what @bettasngoldfish said.

Yes, the water can be too hot, but there are varying opinions as to what is considered too hot. A pond thermometer will give you a general idea of what the water temp is. Mainly, keep an eye on your fish, and look for any signs of distress. Last summer my water temp was getting into the 90's, but my GF didn't seem bothered. I did add a couple of shade sails, which at least made ME feel better!

 

[Hooded Ram]

Alternatively you could move to the Isle of Man and then your only worry in the summer is whether or not your pond will overflow in this torrential rain

 

[Tula]

I read something the other day, that I'd not previously heard. That we should not feed our fish, when the water is 90 or above, or at least feed very lightly.

I think it's important to know your fish and gage how they're behaving too. We put up shade sails this year, as we lost two big trees this Spring I'd rather have trees, but the shade sails are doing the trick!

We've planted 4 trees since Mother's Day...not sure we'll live long enough to see them mature, but I feel good about replanting We planted one North Red Oak, a Red Pointe Maple and two Regal Prince Oaks.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

The lethal water temperature for both Koi and Goldfish has been described in scientific literature as being between 100F and 104F.

 

[Mmathis]

The lethal water temperature for both Koi and Goldfish has been described in scientific literature as being between 100F and 104F.

YIKES! Well, last summer my water was in the 90's prior to the shade sails [GF]. But I always thought that koi were more sensitive to and GF more tolerant of higher temps and that anything persistently above 90 would kill koi. Not something I want to personally test, however! Thanks for the info.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

The water depth that the temperature reading is taken is important. Temperatures closer to the surface of the water will always be higher. Best to assess the temperature both at mid-level and the bottom of the pond.

 

[Mmathis]

The water depth that the temperature reading is taken is important. Temperatures closer to the surface of the water will always be higher. Best to assess the temperature both at mid-level and the bottom of the pond.

True, and a shallow pond is more likely to overheat.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Definitely. Ponds deeper than 18 inches do have an advantage.

 

[addy1]

Mine is sitting at 83, lots of surface area and three waterfalls help. We have been in the high 90's for the past week or so.

 

[Lisak1]

We've got the advantage of an underground rainwater storage that our pond flows into before it gets pumped back up through the bog. We didn't really plan it that way for the purpose of cooling the water, but it definitely does keep the pond cooler in summer. I don't know for sure, but I would assume the converse is true in the winter as well.

 

[shellena]

The water depth that the temperature reading is taken is important. Temperatures closer to the surface of the water will always be higher. Best to assess the temperature both at mid-level and the bottom of the pond.

Can and or should I add frozen water bottles to a shallow pond ? I have aerator stones in there . I have a clam bed and some minnows with a few trapdoor snails. What would be an un comfortable water temp for them?

 

[MitchM]

What is your current water temperature, shellena?

 

[MitchM]

One of the most effective methods to cool down a body of water is to increase it's evaporation rate.
Placing a fan that blows across the water surface will help, depending on what the ambient air humidity level is.