When is it too late in the season to add new fish?

[anitapond]

Hi everyone! I have 3 new, beautiful shubunkins in quarantine, and I would love to add them to my pond before winter comes. I paid a lot of money for these fish, and I don't want to give them less of a chance of surviving our harsh winters. However, I really don't want to keep them in the quarantine tank for the next 8 months until spring arrives. I live in Northern Ohio, and we are officially into fall. My pond temp is currently 58* F. Day temps are low/mid 60s and night temps are low/mid 50s. Is it too late into fall; i.e. too cold, to add new fish now?

 

[bettasngoldfish]

How long have you had them?

We're they already living in a pond or did you buy them from a store?

Have they been in quarantine indoors or outside?

 

[anitapond]

They have been in quarantine inside for 3 weeks.

Bought them online, so I would assume they were inside prior to purchase.

 

[DrCase]

How are they looking ?

 

[CometKeith]

You should be able to put them in the pond with no problem if you gradually acclimate them to the water temp and ph. You could try slowly mixing in pond water to where they are now so they can adjust to the lower water temperature. A lot of people float their fish in a bag in the pond so their water temperature slowly gets close to the pond water temp so the fish don't go into shock. Goldfish are pretty hardy so it shouldn't be too big of a problem to introduce them into their new home. I usually have a small amount of water circulating in the winter over my waterfall and also have an air stone going which helps the fish over the winter.

 

[anitapond]

They are looking great! No signs of disease or parasites.

 

[Nepen]

I would do it now before the temp drop some more. I added a fish in April once, from my tank to the pond when the water just turned 48 F. (or 50 I'm not sure). It took me 2 days to try to gradually reduce the temperature from 75 F to 50 F for her. She lives.... not recommend though

 

[Tula]

If it were my fish, I'd try to get the water temps / conditions, compatible, and add them sooner rather than later.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Can you move the quarantine tank to an unheated area like the garage and let the entire tank acclimate to the lower temps before transferring the fish?

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I like meyers idea about moving the entire quarantine tank to an unheated area before moving to the pond. That way they can adjust slowly.

And if that isn't possible I would tend to lean toward keeping them indoors (if you have an appropriate set up) until the later spring when temperatures get warmer and stay more stable.

 

[anitapond]

I guess it's better to be safe than sorry, so I will keep them indoors for the winter. I can't move the quarantine tank. I'm hoping they will be OK in a 40 US gallon indoor pond. 3 fish about 6" each. I gave up aquariums years ago because I felt they were too much work with the water changes. Here I go again! LOL

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Personally I would do the same rather than introduce them to the pond this late in the season.

I think they will be fine in a 40 gallon just be prepared to start doing water changes

Would love to see photos of them

 

[MitchM]

I would rather add fish during the spring, that would give them a chance to properly fatten up for what could be a long period of time under the ice.

 

[CometKeith]

okay. I'm going to be going against the grain here but I actually think it is safer to introduce them into the pond now. In the spring there are a number of things that work against the health of your fish like an abundance of bad bacteria that gets built up and a lack of beneficial bacteria that can break down ammonia and nitrates. I have never lost a fish in the fall but have lost many over the years in the spring unfortunately.

 

[rodsboys]

I would rather add fish during the spring, that would give them a chance to properly fatten up for what could be a long period of time under the ice.

I completely agree with this. Getting new fish use to the temp is not the major issue you are facing this late in the season. It is the process of preparing them to fast for a prolonged period. If it were me I would not add them until spring.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

"It is the process of preparing them to fast for a prolonged period."--rodsboys

Are we talking about feeding?
Somewhere in ancient history, someone arrived at the conclusion that fish stopped eating when the water temperature fell below a arbitrary figure. Today that figure is usually 50F, although I have seen 55F mentioned.
Fish, in fact, will continue to eat, if able, as long as their metabolism is functioning. Conversely they will burn no more energy than is needed based on this metabolic rate. As long as there is level of nutrients available to match this metabolic demand, there is no demand on or need for stored energy (Fat).
If the fish are in a pond that is overstocked and/or has limited periphyton growth then, yes, there will be a need for stored energy. A fish cannot be 'prepared' for the low temps of Winter. This is already a naturally occurring process that is triggered by the falling temperatures and this force is immensely more powerful than any artificial change in diet. Nature takes care of its own...always has and always will. It is the external 'tinkering' that bypasses and/or alters these natural processes that trigger most of the issues faced concerning the health of a pond and its inhabitants.

 

[rodsboys]

Interesting. Never though of that. I assumed the mass amount of weight on my fish that seems to not be there in the spring meant that they simple lost the weight due to not taking in any food, but still burning (even at a significantly reduced rate) their energy/fat stores.
My fish are without food for 7 months.

 

[tbendl]

I think that's the "tinkering" part he was talking about.

 

[MitchM]

My thinking is that the water temperature may cause the fish to alter their own diet - higher temperatures they look for more vegetable matter, lower temperatures they look for more protein/fat.
Perhaps.
That's what I do, anyways...

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