Wintering Fancies

[Foxy93]

So have been looking into the idea of having some fancy goldfish of some sort for the pond in the summer and during winter bringing them indoors. I have no room for another tank in the house but have room under the house in the utility room ( not for a tank) wondered if there is any other methods of housing the fancies indoors during winter. (note: would only be probably two fancy goldfish)

TIA

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Under the house? As in basement?

 

[JamieB]

Can you take pictures of the area? I’d think the fish would be ok in the pond so long as it doesn’t freeze over completely, a bubbler and pond breather would help with that.

 

[Foxy93]

Under the house? As in basement?

The house is 3 stories you cant access underneath from the house but can access from the garden. Like a utility room of sorts i guess

 

[Foxy93]

Can you take pictures of the area? I’d think the fish would be ok in the pond so long as it doesn’t freeze over completely, a bubbler and pond breather would help with that.

Picture of which area? Yeah i thought they might be ok but was thinking of ideas if not suitable. The pond hasnt totally frozen since i have lived here so fingers crossed.

 

[j.w]

How big is the pond? You are in zone 9a and that is a higher temp zone than some of the people's ponds here that keep fancy goldfish outdoors. But if it's a really small pond I'm not sure how they would handle it. Pictures of the fish might help too as those fancy bubble faced type might not do well as I think some others might do. You might be able to add a heater to it if it gets some colder freezing days. Just turn it on for those days only.

 

[JamieB]

Pictures of the pond and of the area you’re thinking of over wintering them. An in ground pond at least 3 ft deep tends to work well, as the ground will help insulate. A small heater near the top for when things start to freeze over may help, but if it’s a shallow pond, you’d do better to get fish you can overwinter inside.

 

[Foxy93]

Pond is around 1000 litres so not too bad. No pictures of the fish as they are at my parents house but one is a red cap oranda i believe? pond is underground and sheltered on one side by trees.

 

[Faebinder]

I keep my fancies outside in zone 7a. The key is having a big pond (3' or deeper), turning off the bog (but keep the filter going) and adding a deicer or even a trough heater if your pond is smaller than a 1000 gallons.

If your fancies have floating issues and bladder problems then they shouldn't be outside no matter what you do.

 

[j.w]

So your pond is about 264 gals which is not very big. I would bring the fish indoors as I found this info on the net about them:

Oranda
The oranda offers outdoor pond enthusiasts the best of both worlds: Color variety and a visually appealing body style. His coloration is a plethora of color options from red, black, calico, chocolate, deep blue and a red/white combination on either metallic or matte scales. His body features a hood or fleshy growth at the top of his head. This growth is not fully developed until he reaches 2 years of age. But once matured, the hood is his defining feature. He does not tolerate cold or dirty water conditions, making him a more challenging keeper.

 

[Nanner]

I have an oranda and fancy goldfish...plus common and minnows and leave them out over winter in my 300 gallon pond. Central Indiana... its raised but insulated by dirt, rock and brick.. I do keep a breather in and an oxygenater pump raised off the bottom. Havent lost one in going on 3 years and the surface has froze ever year.

Photo for pond reference ..taken 2 days ago

 

[j.w]

I have an oranda and fancy goldfish...plus common and minnows and leave them out over winter in my 300 gallon pond. Central Indiana... its raised but insulated by dirt, rock and brick.. I do keep a breather in and an oxygenater pump raised off the bottom. Havent lost one in going on 3 years and the surface has froze ever year.

Photo for pond reference ..taken 2 days ago

Well there ya go then. It is possible and you are in a way colder zone then @Foxy93 .

 

[j.w]

@Nanner how deep down does your intake hose go in that bog pot? And is it attached to a pipe or is does it have screen on the end going down into the pot? I like it and would like to make one for my pond. Is that all gravel in the pot down to the bottom?

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I have several different types of fancy goldfish which are kept indoors. Been keeping them for many years (my favorite fish)

I tried keeping some outside in a small raised pond (225 gallons or so) I'm in Northeast Ohio and we get pretty cold winters here. I got mixed results with the fish I moved outdoors. I ended up bringing a big telescope back inside (she looked miserable and wasn't doing well at all) And lost 2 or 3 Oranda. Right now I still have 2 original Oranda and a baby Oranda who was born in the pond. They seem to handle the cold weather better than the others I lost.

 

[Sparky]

I have an oranda and fancy goldfish...plus common and minnows and leave them out over winter in my 300 gallon pond. Central Indiana... its raised but insulated by dirt, rock and brick.. I do keep a breather in and an oxygenater pump raised off the bottom. Havent lost one in going on 3 years and the surface has froze ever year.

Photo for pond reference ..taken 2 days ago

I love that pond!