Help! This is my first winter with a pond. The Koi and gold fish I bought last spring have grown a lot, in fact they're HUGE. I'm in North Carolina, where it got down to 10 degrees 2 nights ago. The following day all my fish were on their sides at the bottom. I knew they'd go to the bottom and do nothing but I was shocked to see them on their sides. Is this normal? The pond is 1,000 gallons and about 3 1/2 feet deep at most. I'm seriously thinking of putting a heater ... not de-icer in it simply because I cannot take watching them like that. Oh, I guess I should mention all but 1 are upright again and seem fine. The last one is much better than he/she was but still not normal.
Help! Koi on their sides!
- Thread starter WaterZoo
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Do you have air going into you pond? Did the water have a sudden temp. drop? What are you water readings. Being on there side is not normal so something is amiss.
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tilted can be ok but if there really on there side they are dieing. are you sure you mean on there side or are they just tilted a bit?
on the couldest days i have seen my fish tilt alittle bit so i am sure your ok. on there side side is no good.
test your water but never worry about the temp it can't get to cold for your koi unless the water freezes solid to the bottum. if there is a problem it is your water quality because it's not flowing and the gasses can't escape from the surfase ice. kept a hole in the ice will an airstone and air pump. works better than a deicer and you can use it in the summer to.
heater would be great for raiseing big koi but at 1000gl i wouldn't recommend this. you have no need for a heater so relaxe. tests and air is alot cheaper.
on the couldest days i have seen my fish tilt alittle bit so i am sure your ok. on there side side is no good.
test your water but never worry about the temp it can't get to cold for your koi unless the water freezes solid to the bottum. if there is a problem it is your water quality because it's not flowing and the gasses can't escape from the surfase ice. kept a hole in the ice will an airstone and air pump. works better than a deicer and you can use it in the summer to.
heater would be great for raiseing big koi but at 1000gl i wouldn't recommend this. you have no need for a heater so relaxe. tests and air is alot cheaper.
Some folks use a soccar ball or something similar to help keep the pond from freezing over. If your pond has a lot of dead leaves and other organic matter decomposing on the bottom, this will rob the oxygen from the water. The air will help, but it will also stir things up.
I would clean the bottom if this condition exists.
I would clean the bottom if this condition exists.