I do not think my pond is deep enough!

[Craig58]

Just noticed this posting. For the OP, I'm pretty much in the same area you are.

2'9" is not much off of 3'. I wouldn't be too worried. But it sounds like you are already moving them in.

We have an 3'11" pond. We use a bubbler that is about 6" below the surface and we place a 1500W stock heater over it but we don't plug it in. We only plug it in if it gets so cold that the bubbler fails to keep a hole in the ice. Once the stock heater is frozen in the ice for more than 2-3 days we plug it in and let it do it's thing than we unplug it. Usually by then the cold snap is over and the bubbler is sufficent again. If not, we plug it back in again 2-3 days after the next freeze over.

8-10" would be about the thickest ice to ever expect in this area. And that would be extremely unusual. At least 4" is required to ice skate on ponds and most local townships that allwo public skating in government owned parks require 6".

Here's Minnesota recommended guidelines for ice activities: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html

It's been a rare instance in the past 20 years when we could ice skate on local ponds in the Philly region.

Of course the depth of the water freezing is also influenced by the pond design.

But I think you are generally safe at 2' 9". AS an experiment you might want to get a wireliess thermometer and put the probe in the bottom of the pond for the winter and see exactly how cold it does get during the winter.

Craig

 

[callingcolleen1]

The only thing I worry about is the power going out, for a long time, in the dead of winter. Then I have a generator just in case just for that. 1500 watt cattle trough heater works great, (25 dollars at Peavy Mart) been using one for 20 years, never any problem, I keep the heater where the water flows well, that way it evenly heats the whole pond.

If you take your pond apart each year and winter the fish inside, these are some problems that you will most likely see....

1. Area you created indoors too small for all the fish and their babies, overcrowding can be a big issue,
2. When you bring fish in from outside, you will mostly bring in things like fish lice too, among other things, and these critters can spread rapidly indoors, in the unnatural, overcrowded, warmer environment.
3. Your pond perennial plants will suffer more when you move them and store them in an unnatural environment, and take longer to come back in the spring.
4. Taking your pond apart each year means that you will have to start all over in the spring, trying to balance everything, you will most likely suffer pea green water and the natural aquatic pond life (snails, dragonfiles, etc) will die off when you rip out everything out.
5. Moving and catching fish is stress full enough, never mind catching the big guys, that's really hard on the poor fish, scales can be knocked off and they will remember you as the big bad person with the horrid net who ripped them a way from such a peace full quiet lovely pond filled with all kinds of yummy natural greens to eat all winter long, and will remember you that way in the spring, when you come with the net again! Hand feeding will take forever, they don't forget that fast, and they will run and hide when they see you coming, instead of greeting you warmly each spring and letting you pet them and hand feed them.

Most people think it is cruel and unusual punishment to keep the goldfish and koi outside all year. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you can simulate a natural winter setting, the fish will live longer, be healthier, and remember you as the nice person who feeds them and swim into your hand, instead of running and hiding!

Last but not least, Goldfish and koi are cold water fish, not tropical! If you winter them properly in a natural cold winter envirorment, they are fresher and healthier, like trout, the colder the water the better they taste, not that I would ever eat my fish, but as an example, if you catch Whitefish here in the creek in the summer, they taste like slew water, yuk, (and can be full of worms too), but if you catch them from under the ice in the middle of the winter, YUM! Just like trout!!

Take it from me, I've had gold fish since I was very young, 5 or 6, I'm now almost 47 years old, this will be the 22nd year of wintering my goldfish UNDER the ice, in the coldest weather on planet Earth....

 

[rebelangel_3733]

I know my fish are going to probably hate me...but I have to bring them inside I feel since my pond is only 18" deep and 5 x 8. I wish I would have done what I wanted to in the first place...but the other half was like just get a preformed pond...he has no idea of the work that is needed since I do it all. I only have two of my original fish (last summer and this past one something got most of them) and the guys/gals are bigger that I replaced my others with (someone wanted to get rid of theirs so I got them) so I bought a 75 gallon and 20 gallon tank to winter them inside of my back porch. Although the other half thinks we should put the bigger tank inside the house...(I dont want to and think the fish would rather be on the porch where it is cooler). What do you all think?

 

[callingcolleen1]

Well bigger is always better, and cooler is better too. If the porch does not freeze then the glass tank should be fine. If you only have two fish there is not much sense in running a big 1500 watt heater in the pond then. If they are small fish they are easy to move, and you won't have to worry about overcrowding either.

 

[rebelangel_3733]

Thats the problem...I have 10 fish ranging in size from 6" to almost 10" and two babies (that I've seen) about an inch in size.

 

[Dave 54]

It is easy to bring your koi in doors all you need is a large vat and a filtration unit , we have a friend in Canada who weve helped set up an indoor pond for the winter period.
Planing is all important you have to think about everything i;e feeding your fish waterchanges a mature filter etc .
Have you heard of Microbe-lift PL Filter Pad innoculant Gel, it is an instant filter starter its that good ( no need to cycle the pond prior to them coming indoors
It works a treat she has lost no fish since -24c c with a windchill of -54c tended to fry the koi's gills leaving them with just enough gill surface to survive the winter and spring sadly as summer arrived they all died, she is so happy now her koi are indoors doors for the winter in her husbands shop living at a positively heady 11c lol
Best of luck with this .

Dave

 

[Craig58]

It kind of depends on how cool your cooler porch is! I'd go with the cooler porch. It would slow down the fish and carp are designed to hibernate. If inside I think I'd shoot for around 50F. The cooler you can keep them the less fish waste to worry about.

The babies and two of the smaller fish in to the 20 gallon and the other 8 in the 75 gallon.

Craig

 

[callingcolleen1]

I never have any problem wintering fish, but I do leave the threes ponds running all year, with a heater when its colder than minus 10c, so the pond never freezes solid. The bottom pond can get quite a bit of ice, can walk over the ice in the winter, but under the ice the water still flows, from bottom pond to top pond.

Lots if people I know have killed their fish too over the winter for many reasons. If you plan to winter your fish, lots of things to watch for, like hoses freezing up, pumps quiting, heater dying, etc... I run several smaller pumps and filters, and not too small of pump or the water will freeze in the tube if it flows too slow! By running several smaller pumps, you won't be relying on only one pump, so if one pump fails its not the "end of the world"!

Then I have no faith in "bubblers" for very cold climates, like here, zone 2. I know several people who lost their fish relying on bubblers here all winter... was not a pretty sight come spring!

I live next to the creek here in Medicine Hat, and I hung out around the creek for years, and I thought the creek idea was a good way to have a pond winter, with water flowing from "pool to pool" with the ice over top and that is really how my three ponds work all winter. I place the heater in the middle pond, next to the stream from the top pond where the water circulates well, this ensures that the fish "don't hang out at the heater" and "heats" the pond evenly. The ponds can appear frozen solid from a quick glance, but on closer inspection you will see small air holes in the ice here and there, kind of like the creek or river naturally has, and hear the water still flowing and bubbling under the ice.

To be honest, I have not met many people who have lots success wintering their fish outside here, cause lots can go wrong during the minus 40's, you have to keep close watch, but I have been lucky and some of my fish are over 20 years old.

 

[callingcolleen1]

The little pond that I have in my front yard is too small to bother wintering, so I move the little baby fish to the main ponds in the back yard. Catching them all is lots of work, I had to take all the plants out and they were big plants, and then I constructed a mini tent to keep the leaf litter out so I can see into the water and get the remaining few fish out. I will look again tonight, when the underwater light shines you can see the fish better. Will drain this pond before winter.
The last picture is of the main ponds located in the backyard. You can see the leaves fell around, the net keeps most out, when everything dies back then you will be able to see all three connecting ponds.

 

[sissy]

Well everyone could move to a warmer state . :razz: not great idea but all I have .

 

[leet13]

I have been watching the temperature... waiting for a good time to bring everyone inside... lol My dad's aunt (you know, the kind of person that tells everyone how to do things HER way) was trying to really talk me out of moving the fish to the basement... Like it may kill them. I know its probably going to stress them out a bit but I doubt every fish is going to just DIE from being in. I dont know what she was rambling on about, i stopped listening. She has a pond that goes down 4 feet. Its all cement. Its got mud in the bottom. You never see the fish cause its so green and gross looking. It smells funky too!!! I guess she has koi in there i never seen them but she doesnt do anything apparently (i dont know what she feeds them or what kind of filtration- i saw a little waterfall, thats it). I guess they just eat plants, dirt and their own waste or something. I feel bad for her fish!!! I like to interact with my fish. I hand feed and touch them on occasion. I love seeing them swim around, it makes me happy... so damnit... they are coming in. Just keeping an eye on the weather for when the time is right.

I will try and get temps this winter down at the bottom of the pond as suggested... that would be interesting to know!

 

[callingcolleen1]

I talked to a guy in town (while shopping tonight at wallmart) that I have know for years, he HAD koi and goldfish, but he said most of them died over the last winter, like I said before, know lots of people that killed their fish wintering outside, now I know of yet another "winter kill", sad. I remember him saying a couple years ago that he had lots of koi too...
I check my pond constantly during the winter, like every day, just in case sometimes before I go to bed too, if I know it's going to be very cold, and top the water up in the bottom pond, cause lots can evaorate when the temperature between the water and air are so different, it's like water on a stove, and the stream just rises out of the open pockets of water.

Look at the weather tonight... SNOW!!!

 

[Craig58]

I have been watching the temperature... waiting for a good time to bring everyone inside... lol My dad's aunt (you know, the kind of person that tells everyone how to do things HER way) was trying to really talk me out of moving the fish to the basement... Like it may kill them. I know its probably going to stress them out a bit but I doubt every fish is going to just DIE from being in. I dont know what she was rambling on about, i stopped listening. She has a pond that goes down 4 feet. Its all cement. Its got mud in the bottom. You never see the fish cause its so green and gross looking. It smells funky too!!! I guess she has koi in there i never seen them but she doesnt do anything apparently (i dont know what she feeds them or what kind of filtration- i saw a little waterfall, thats it). I guess they just eat plants, dirt and their own waste or something. I feel bad for her fish!!! I like to interact with my fish. I hand feed and touch them on occasion. I love seeing them swim around, it makes me happy... so damnit... they are coming in. Just keeping an eye on the weather for when the time is right.

I will try and get temps this winter down at the bottom of the pond as suggested... that would be interesting to know!

Sounds like your Aunts pond will reach a "tipping point" at some point where the algae, waste, mud and debris, along with fish growth, gets to point where she will have problems. Sooner or later....

Craig

 

[callingcolleen1]

I was thinking the same thing too Craig, Auntie's pond must not be balanced right, maybe she does not even have any fish left to worry about!

 

[leet13]

I dont know whats going on. She has had it for years (like 20?) so something is right... or she has some mutant fish that can live in that mess. I still am not listening to her advice. My fishies are coming in soon though.