Pump in winter

[wizzasmum]

I’ve always left my pump running in winter, but was recently told by a pond keeper to turn off the pump over winter. There are 2 koi, one about a foot long and one youngster plus around 10 goldfish. The pond is approx 3 ft deep and is around 7ft x 4 ft.

 

[Tula]

Where are you located? What are the average temps during the winter months?

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome @wizzasmum ! I wonder why, if you've been successful so far, that you'd be influenced by someone else's opinion? Do you have a reason to doubt what you've been doing thus far? What reasoning did this "pond keeper" give? (And hey, you're a pond keeper, too!)

At six hundred gallons your pond is a tad small for the number of fish that you have, especially since you have a couple of koi in the mix. I'd be concerned that turning off the pond for winter would have a deleterious effect on your water quality and your fish would suffer.

 

[j.w]

I Have kept mine on all winter long for 15 yrs or so and temps here usually in the 40's and 50f's. Can get days below freezing but not that many. Ice forms on ponds once in awhile but does not last long. I'm in zone 8a. Used to be in 7b but they changed it awhile back.

 

[Frankp]

I'm in eastern part of Missouri and our winters can get cold at times. I have a 1000 gallon pond with three koi that are now about 20 inches in length. Have had them going on 6 years now. I leave my pump, waterfall going all winter. When the temps start getting to the freezing point I use a heater in the pond that keeps it ice free.

 

[sissy]

I live in VA but understand your concerns but koi do like colder water because they are a catfish .But oxygen is your biggest enemy with koi ,they need lots of it ,so an aerator would really help a lot .I have 2 koi over 2 feet long and several babies

 

[Joejoe80]

I live in VA but understand your concerns but koi do like colder water because they are a catfish .But oxygen is your biggest enemy with koi ,they need lots of it ,so an aerator would really help a lot .I have 2 koi over 2 feet long and several babies

Umm not trying to be a jerk. But koi are not a type of catfish. However they do like oxygen.

 

[Joejoe80]

I’m in jersey first winter I’m gonna leave my pumps running and see what happens

 

[j.w]

I think @sissy might have meant carp

 

[Joejoe80]

I figured that

 

[Jhn]

As long as the water can’t be diverted out of the pond via ice damming, leave the pump running. It will only help the fish, keeping oxygen levels up as was mentioned. It can also help in keeping the water surface open.

 

[Mmathis]

Sorry, no advice here. I live in Louisiana and I have never needed to turn my pump off due to temperature issues. Even at the coldest we’ve gotten, the pond never freezes, except maybe a little crust around the edges, and that only lasts a day or 2.

 

[sissy]

yeh meant carp .I was talking on the phone as my friend called and told me he had just caught a huge catfish at Bedford lake and sent me a pic and boy was it huge .I lived in NJ all my life and remember some of the blizzards we had and the wind would make snow drifts almost up to the second story of my house in Edison .The worst is the cold with the wind combined

 

[Joejoe80]

I live in hackensack. Not to far from Edison

 

[sissy]

We worked for Ford plant in Edison and retired from it and moved to VA in 2004 .Could never have afforded to stay in NJ .We bought land here and taxes are a thousand dollars a year on just over 3 acres and had a modular home put on the land .I miss my friends in NJ but love the peace here .I was born in PA lived in NJ all my life and retired to VA . My oldest son still lives up there .He worked for Ford also and took the buy out .Sold my house on Old Post road and never looked back