Too small for fish?

[TracyRee]

Just moved into a house with a small garden pond. I estimate it to be about 400 gallons, but it’s not very deep, about 18” at most. It’s about 10 feet across and 4 feet front to back at it’s widest point. It has a pump and waterfall. Too small for fish to overwinter? Sure like Shubunkins, but wont add if it’s not a good habitat. We are in Middle Tennessee

Picture is BEFORE having it cleaned. It looks much better now

 

[Tula]

Very pretty pond I think a few shubunkins would be fine, just remember they multiply....maybe start with just a couple.

 

[WaterGardener]

That's a lovely little pond. You can always cover it in winter with a home made hoop house to make sure the water doesn't freeze.

 

[TracyRee]

Thanks. Are pond heaters and option?

 

[addy1]

My hubby bought a foreclosure. While cleaning the front yard he moved a piece of plywood under the plywood was a small preform, like the 200 ish gallon size. In that pond totally ignored, winter had just ended, was a bunch of goldfish. They are tough. We are zone 6bish.

Your pond will do fine with some shubunkins. I have a shallow, supposed to be just plants, pond that fish eggs or small fry manage to get pumped into it. They have survived our winters with zero help from me. It is full of plants, maybe 18 inches of water on top of the kitty litter. 300 gallons

 

[WaterGardener]

A heater is always an option. But if the pond is covered, even with that piece of plywood, it will keep the wind off which will stop the evaporation and cooling that creates. You probably won't need a heater in that case.

 

[Stephen Noble]

That's a really nice pond. Absolutely, you can have fish. Just keep the number of fish low. I wouldn't have more than two Shubunkins. Get them small and they will grow to about 15 or so inches. Middle TN as in the Nashville area or 'higher up' in the hills? A pond heater will work great.

 

[poconojoe]

I'm in zone 6b, northeastern PA. Just to give you an idea, I have a couple of floating pond deicers made by K&H. One is 250 watts and the other is 1500 watts. I don't use the 1500 watt one because instead of just keeping a gas expelling hole in the ice, it keeps a large completely open water area.
Your pond is only 18" deep, but I think shubunkins will be OK. If you want to stay on the safe side and make sure your fish have plenty of room, you can always get a pond deicer.

 

[Faebinder]

Just moved into a house with a small garden pond. I estimate it to be about 400 gallons, but it’s not very deep, about 18” at most. It’s about 10 feet across and 4 feet front to back at it’s widest point. It has a pump and waterfall. Too small for fish to overwinter? Sure like Shubunkins, but wont add if it’s not a good habitat. We are in Middle Tennessee

Picture is BEFORE having it cleaned. It looks much better now

Not too small but needs a cheap trough heater if in zones 7 or less for fancy goldfish. For shubunkins… you just need to keep a hole in the water surface

 

[j.w]

Put the trough heater in the pond before it freezes and whenever it does then turn the thing on.

 

[Nevermore44]

I’m up in 6b and have a secondary small 300 gallon ish sized pond in my front yard. In the winter it will only freeze up about an inch or two... and the fish do fine. I’ve used a heater only once during the polar vortex a handful of years back but haven’t since.

I did learn and have been doing the trick to drill hole through the ice and then pump out some of the water... So that there’s an air gap between the ice and water. The ice stays frozen with the open hole and the water below doesn’t freeze up any more. It’s easier then trying to keep a constant open hole in the ice when there is not air gap and the water stays a more constant temp

 

[addy1]

Neat idea

 

[Faebinder]

I’m up in 6b and have a secondary small 300 gallon ish sized pond in my front yard. In the winter it will only freeze up about an inch or two... and the fish do fine. I’ve used a heater only once during the polar vortex a handful of years back but haven’t since.

I did learn and have been doing the trick to drill hole through the ice and then pump out some of the water... So that there’s an air gap between the ice and water. The ice stays frozen with the open hole and the water below doesn’t freeze up any more. It’s easier then trying to keep a constant open hole in the ice when there is not air gap and the water stays a more constant temp

Sounds like a lot of work... heh. I am not going out there when it snows. Good luck fish... here is my trough heater.

 

[Nevermore44]

Since the pond is so small it takes all of a couple minutes to drill the hole.. and then use my drill powered pump to lower the water. No that the water heaters use a ton of electricity... but this method is free.!