Hello from Nazareth, PA

[Rose110353]

My son came to live with me with four turtles. This pond started as a sanctuary for them. He moved and turtles moved too. Now I put three gold fish in and a heater to keep from freezing. They survived last winter but I'm wondering if I should also add an aerator?
Rose

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum Rose.

Looks like you are in Zone 7a. Can you tell us more about your pond regarding the size, depth of the water? Any other filtration?

 

[j.w]

@Rose110353

 

[permaculturebob]

If you're in 7a, aeration is good, it mostly will keep a hole in any ice that might form. For three small fish in any small pond if you have a couple feet of depth you probably don't need a heater, the fish go dormant so don't need a lot of care through the winter. ice forming over the top can block oxygen exchange and would be the only issue other than water levels. gold fish are pretty hardy, and odds are that you have a male and female, so get ready for lots more fish in the not too distant future.

It starts with a small garden pond and just a couple fish, and can easily grow to larger and larger ponds with fancy fish, waterfalls, plants, and your own personal paradise, have fun.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[paco]

Paul from Buffalo....

Our two ponds freeze over in the winter and we have found that the waste gases that get trapped under the ice, are more harmful to our fish than are the lower temps. Using a floating heater with aeration a foot ot so under it keep eveything alive till spring. You want to avoid placing the aeration at the very bottom of your pond because of winter's temperature inversion, that is where the warmer water is...and you want to keep it there.

Hope this helps...

 

[sissy]

Welcome I always count on a pond heater . When power goes out it can be even worse . but we always bounce back no matter what