Looking for advice on over wintering

[Little Fish]

Hi Hall , I live in Lou.Ky and my pond is 125 gal preformed. I am wondering if anyone can tell me if I use a pond dricer and keep an air pump going is it likely my koi can over winter in 18 inch deep water?

 

[MitchM]

How cold do your winters get?

 

[Little Fish]

The last few years have been pretty snowy. Winter temp averages about 23 deg.

 

[MitchM]

You have a very small pond to keep koi in, so filtration is essential.
Depending on how deep your frost line is, I would keep your complete pond running, including the filter.
The warmth from the ground will probably be sufficient to prevent any ice from forming.
No deicer.

 

[Lisak1]

I wish these small ponds would come with warning labels - "not suitable for koi". I know that wasn't your question @Little Fish , but water quality is part of the equation. Your fish (how many do you have?) are no doubt small now, but as they grow they will produce increasing amounts of waste which will be increasingly hard for your small pond to handle. Their health will suffer and when winter hits - or any stresser- they will most likely not survive. Ponders then say "but they've been fine until now!" without realizing their fish were on a slow decline that was hastened by the harsher weather.

So yes, 18 inches may be deep enough in your zone for fish to survive. Many ponds here in Chicago are only two feet deep and fish survive in our extereme weather. But consider your water volume as well.

 

[sissy]

yeh good for temporary homes like i use one for but good for long .Average temp . really means nothing do you ever get close to zero or below .I know here our average temp for winter is 55 degrees and we can get down to 10 degrees and even made it to 4 degrees in 2010

 

[Little Fish]

Thanks you all for your responses . I realized earlier this summer that I had made a big mistake. I put the pond in the spring and one of my fish had doubled in size by august! I have been playing catch up since then. Poor water quality so I ditched my little filter and made a bigger one out of a 20 gal Rubbermaid trash can. It is working great and from what I have learned so far all my water tests are spot on but now I am concerned about winter. I have become attached to my fish and hooked on the challenge . I do plan to go bigger in the spring but until then I really want to keep these guys alive and well! If I leave the pump and filter running won't I be running a risk of the water fall freezing up or the filter freezing? The filter sits outside the pond. Any advice is appreciated .

 

[sissy]

you are better off using a heavy duty tote and of putting a tote inside a tote this way it is even sturdier .You do have to cut the handles off one of them so the one fits tight inside the other one

 

[Lisak1]

I do think anything that sits outside of the pond runs the risk of freezing. Your waterfall really depends on the volume of water that flows through it. Our waterfall flows all winter, but we pump 10,000 gallons per hour over a three foot waterfall on a 4000 gallon system. The waterfall completely ices over but the water never stops flowing underneath.

But every set up is so different it's hard to say. I think every ponder stresses over their first few winters. You have very little water volume to work with so like you, i would be very concerned about your fish. If you have a way to move the fish indoors - even a basement or garage - and do a temporary indoor set up, I think you could better guarantee their survival over the winter. You could maybe even use your same filter set up and some air stones in a stock tank and they'd have a much better chance at making it to spring... and your new pond! Haha! We LOVE encouraging bigger ponds!

 

[Little Fish]

I do have a 150 gal stock tank and a detached garage. I hesitate putting them in the basement because It floods almost every spring and has gotten over 2 feet in past. If I put them in the unheated garage when,and do I feed them or treat it as if they are outside?

 

[sissy]

that all depends on the temperature of the water .i bought a swimming pool thermometer at lowes it is easier to read than the pond ones

 

[Tula]

We got hit with an early cold snap one year, and my above ground pressurized filter, froze and cracked I think it's great you can move them inside your garage. Don't feed them at all, if the water temp is below 55 and even then feed lightly. It won't hurt them to not eat...better to under feed than over feed.

 

[Little Fish]

Sorry I misspoke it is 100 gal.stock tank.