Water changes in the winter

[Faebinder]

The only time you should do water changes on ponds is if there are too many fish in the pond and your filtration/bog is not good enough. In the winter, you should do even less water changes cause the fish metabolism is lower and the ammonia given off is less in general and less dangerous as well since more can be converted to ammonia to give off compared to ammonium ion.

Just how big is this pond gallon wise and how many fish do you have in it? Does it have a bog?

 

[Bossman]

I want to thank all that have responded and I have read every response. My pond is 800 gallon above ground pond. I have had aquariums most of my life, and I am 75, and my experience tells me to do small water changes in the winter. I do not think it will hurt but an 800 gallon above ground pond is like an 800 gallon aquarium. I am new to koi keeping and turn to this forum for help often or just to see what others are doing.

 

[Mmathis]

I am in zone 8 A/B (right on the line). I didn’t do anything with my pond during the winter as far as water changes.

 

[Lisak1]

If there were no need for these things, there would be no market for koi clay

Well, that's not exactly the argument I would make. There are LOTS of products on the market that I personally believe serve no purpose, and yet they exist. The fact that someone is making a buck selling them is not proof that they are necessary. And that's true in the pond industry as well as just about any other area of life. I'm not discounting the value of koi clay - I use it myself - but it's not proof that water changes are important. Assuming that the water you're adding to the pond contains necessary minerals that your fish need is making a big leap in my opinion unless you've actually had your water analyzed.

I think that water changes, like other aspects of pond keeping, depend on a variety of factors that differ significantly from one pond to the next. The size of the pond is definitely a consideration, as is the fish load and type of filtration. Because there are so many variables in each one of those, it's next to impossible to determine from a distance whether the benefits of a water change would outweigh the risks. But I do think there's value in breaking the aquarium to pond comparisons that have led to ideas like frequent water changes being accepted as fact. Many folks who have previously kept aquariums come into pond keeping with the idea that water changes are important. I see my pond and watch the water level rise and fall as water evaporates (or splashes out or the plants uptake water or my dogs drink it, etc) and nature (or me, in the case of a dry spell) adds more to make up for the loss. That doesn't happen in an aquarium.

 

[Stephen Noble]

I think that water changes are important. They can replenish minerals that are used up by the fish. Those things won't show up on your test kits.

I do water changes year round and my filters run all the time. I've had no problems with doing regular water changes all year.

Is this the first year you have had this pond? If not, do you normally need to add water to the pond during the winter to replace evaporation or does it rain enough? Does your yard sprinkler send water into the pond?

 

[WaterGardener]

No, it's not a new pond and there is no sprinkler system adding water. I doubt that would be an issue in winter anyway, at least not where I live.

The pond is in a greenhouse for winter so there is no rain either. There is some evaporation, but what there is condences inside the plastic and probably a good bit falls back into the pond.

Since the filtration system runs all year and the fish are fed year round, the filter needs backwashing regularly.

That process takes water from the pond and it has to be replaced. So water changes are actually not an option for me. I have to replace the water that is taken out when the filter is cleaned, usually weekly.

 

[Stephen Noble]

No, it's not a new pond and there is no sprinkler system adding water. I doubt that would be an issue in winter anyway, at least not where I live.

The pond is in a greenhouse for winter so there is no rain either. There is some evaporation, but what there is condences inside the plastic and probably a good bit falls back into the pond.

Since the filtration system runs all year and the fish are fed year round, the filter needs backwashing regularly.

That process takes water from the pond and it has to be replaced. So water changes are actually not an option for me. I have to replace the water that is taken out when the filter is cleaned, usually weekly.

Okay, basically it is an indoor pond which I also keep. Yes, partial water exchanges will help and I recommend them given your situation.

 

[Mmathis]

Forgot to add that even though I don’t do water changes during “winter,” I do an end of season clean-up and water change.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Forgot to add that even though I don’t do water changes during “winter,” I do an end of season clean-up and water change.

Same here, I was able to finally get mine done this past Sunday.

 

[Faebinder]

800 gallons + 1 koi + bog = no water change needed. Anything less will require an occasional small water change. More Koi means future deaths.

 

[sissy]

I rely on koi clay and I have koi that I got back in 2005 and they are over 2 feet long and found koi love extra oxygen .I started at a pond around a thousand gallons and now have a pond over 5 thousand gallons .I would never have gotten koi if I knew they got that big .live and learn ,a hard lesson for me though