New at this. Small pond with big winter coming.

[MNGuy]

Purchased home which had been vacant for two years. Has small pond with waterfall. Over all size 11ft. x 6ft., 10 inches deep. Got the pond cleaned up and put in a new pump. Started with 4 fish. Not Koi but a cheaper variety. Sorry but can't remember the variety.
Now up to 9 fish. Had planned on removing them for winter as the pond is so shallow. But now with the cooler temps they've all hidden in the nooks and crannies. Can't find them?
Appreciate any advice you experts may have. If I put a heater in and an air pump could I possibly save them? I read somewhere else that the fish go into somewhat of a dormant stage during the winter and can last months without being fed. I sincerely appreciate any advice received. Thanks in advance!

 

[koiguy1969]

if it were me i would bring the fish in for the winter!!!!...i understand Minnesota winters are like ours,.10" deep i wouldnt trust. while they are out remove all the rock. dig it deeper and put a new liner in! your fish are probably of the goldfish variety....common...comet..shubunkin...or sarassa
nice to have you with us!!

 

[rdk]

How cold does it get over there? I live in zone 6 in CT and my shallow part is 12 inches deep. My fish liked to stay in this shallow end as long as it had ice overhead. That means I must have had 6 or 7 inches of solid ice. Keep an air pump and a deicer at one end. Make sure the pond never fully ices up or you will have dead fish. RDK

 

[addy1]

Welcome! that is a little shallow, your fish may have been eaten, hope not. Do you have herons in your area?

 

[shakaho]

Your 10 inch deep pond will freeze solid and your fish won't survive. Go get a 50-100 gallon (plastic) stock tank at a farm store for an indoor pond. Use your pump to get almost all of the water out of your pond. You will find your fish in the process and can transfer them to the tank.

 

[koiguy1969]

RDK...a 10" deep pond and a pond thats 3" deep with a 12" deep shallow area are 2 different stories.

 

[rdk]

That is true. My pond is 2 feet deep with a 12 inch shelf. RDK

 

[oldmarine]

Your pond is to shallow for the area you live in. Chances are they would be frozen solid in ice in a shallow pond. Either move them to an indoor (garage) pond of some sort or bring them into the house until spring. Carp in general are quite adaptable and will usually weather a hard freeze if the water is deep enough. Three feet deep or more would at least give them a fighting chance.

I live here in the Northwest (Tacoma, WA), and one winter I had cheap gold fish almost completely frozen in the center of a frozen cinder block pond that was above ground. They were suspended inside the the ice in a pocket of water in the middle. Because they were motionless, I assumed they were dead so I just left them alone. In the spring they turned out to be just fine. It showed me that most varieties of carp are hardier than we think.