Overwintering KOi ?

[rockinron]

I am considering running a fountain type sprinkler in my pond for the winter season.
Last year my Koi all went into an area (behind) the waterfall rocks and pond liner which I believe stays warmer since it backs up to the earth berm. Being new to ponding, I thought I NEEDED to run all the bio-filters, U.V. etc.
Looking back, I may not have needed to do that since the fish weren't coming out of their hide-a-way till Spring. My concern is that there will be no filtration of the water... just aeration.
Since the fish will be in a hibernation like state, will everything be o.k. ?
Do I even need to run the fountain? Or just run it a couple times a week?

 

[fishin4cars]

You want to run either a pump submerged bringing water to the surface or a good air flow through a air pump and air stone to keep an opening in the ice, The most important thing is allowing gases to exchange at the surface, any water such as a stream, fountain, waterfall, or spitter should be turned off if there is a chance the water will hard freeze. by the time water reaches freezing pretty much all bacteria have gone dormant as well. So the filters aren't really doing much good except supplying oxygen and water movement, both can be accomplished by doing the above and less chance of freezing and cracking more expensive equipment that will be much needed once the water starts to warm next spring.

 

[sissy]

I very rarely see my fish in January and that last until March .Since the temp has been staying nice here I may still see them in december,I may be going down to Raleigh to a dog rescue place they have a chihuahua named pinto and he is the same size and weight as my peewee . Peewee wants a brother to play with his size as king arthur is getting old and lazy( he is my pit bull ) .I have been looking at the chihuahua rescue sight for one for a couple of months now .

 

[ididntdoit99]

I very rarely see my fish in January and that last until March .Since the temp has been staying nice here I may still see them in december,I may be going down to Raleigh to a dog rescue place they have a chihuahua named pinto and he is the same size and weight as my peewee . Peewee wants a brother to play with his size as king arthur is getting old and lazy( he is my pit bull ) .I have been looking at the chihuahua rescue sight for one for a couple of months now .

Huh :question: I got lost in your post Sissy, What does the pup have to do with overwintering koi?

 

[sissy]

rockinron is in raleigh nc and have never been there and wondering what there is to see there

 

[addy1]

I just have goldfish, shubies, will just be running a good air pump once it starts to get colder and stay colder, most likely december.

 

[j.w]

I took all my filter media out and just have the falls and some fountain pumps and an air pump bubbling up for now. I plan on turning off the falls when it gets a bit colder. Works fine for me each year this way. My fountains don't have the fine spray attachment on them in the winter tho cuz I think just letting the water flow freely up the tube keeps a hole in the ice better. The spray might freeze as it's so fine. Don't know if it freezes where you are tho or how cold it gets there.

 

[taherrmann4]

Still going strong, haven't touched a thing yet. Need to get in there and vac out all the leaves, I pulled the remaining water lettuce, hyacinths out of the pond and creeks this past weekend and sent Likoi some elepant ears, reed grass and cattails.

 

[sissy]

Raleigh is only about an hour from me and want to see what is interesting to see there .So probably a little warmer I would guess .

 

[ididntdoit99]

rockinron is in raleigh nc and have never been there and wondering what there is to see there

OoO.. now I get it , sometimes it takes me a while to catch on.

 

[sissy]

Oh dear think you may be spending to much time by your pond ididntdoit99 .It is great to find someone on here if your going there way and they know the area they may be able to guide you at things that would be great to see or visit .This past summer with help from a person on here from Tennessee I got to visit places I would not have even known about and the same with Georgia and South Carolina .You never know what you might miss and if your taking the time to go there why not see stuff .Well and buy stuff too .

 

[rockinron]

Thank you everyone! You all offered information that I just didn't even consider. I believe J.W. is correct about the fine spray fountain wanting to freeze. NOT going that route! I like the air pump idea also... As for things to see in Raleigh... A college sports fan would love to see N.C. State, or Duke, or UNC at Chapel Hill which are all within 30 minutes of each other. Besides that, being the state capitol, we have all the usual museums, night life, state parks etc. nearby.
Being a typical male, I'm glued to the tube on Saturday afternoons watching sports... Sorry Sissy, I am not familiar with the dog rescue facility, or where in the city it is located.
I'm on my way outside to put up some leaf netting to keep the pond from getting inundated.

 

[digginponds]

I am considering running a fountain type sprinkler in my pond for the winter season.
Last year my Koi all went into an area (behind) the waterfall rocks and pond liner which I believe stays warmer since it backs up to the earth berm. Being new to ponding, I thought I NEEDED to run all the bio-filters, U.V. etc.
Looking back, I may not have needed to do that since the fish weren't coming out of their hide-a-way till Spring. My concern is that there will be no filtration of the water... just aeration.
Since the fish will be in a hibernation like state, will everything be o.k. ?
Do I even need to run the fountain? Or just run it a couple times a week?

Once water reaches temps below 40's filteration is shut off in my pond.
I use1fountain pump,centered in the middle of my pond,on the bottom,it ejects water horizontal and diagonal,w/ a donut heater to allow toxins to release.My experience in my pond is moving water will not freeze.Sure I have a n1ce 2/3 inch thick of ice on it,but that is no more than mother nature's free insulation,here @ my pond.
But good news my sister lives a stones throw from you,so you shouldn't have to go to extreme measures as I.
just keep the water moving.......................GO PACK!