wintering small goldfish

rdk

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I have 5 goldfish, one is 6", another is 5", three others 3" long. I live in CT. My pond is 5' by 7" 300 gals with a deep section 24" deep. Is it safe to winter all the fish or should I put the 3" ones inside for the winter. Can I just run the pump and filter all year long, just shutting down the waterfall, or do I need a heating unit. Thank you.
 

oldmarine

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Use 300 watt submersible aquarium heater in your pond over the winter months and leave the fish in the pond. They will do just fine.

Last winter I had temps down in the teens on a few ocasions, and my pond water stayed above freezing all winter.
 

rdk

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Thank you. Should I remove the pump and filter and just use the heating unit? Please let me know.
 

koiguy1969

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you can remove the pump and fiter but run an air pump and stone along with your heater. this will ensure a hole in the ice for proper gas exchange...in case of a ice over.
 

oldmarine

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Koiguy is right.

Last winter I left the pump, and filter system running with the addition of the heater.

The only thing I turned off is the three foot high water fall, which has it's own water pump.
 
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I was about to ask a few wintering questions when I came across this thread. What about plants like duckweed? I assume they don't survive the winter. I'm in SW Ontario- temps are usually no colder than 5 F. Can I leave the duckweed in all winter so my fish have some shelter or should I take it out after first frost? I've already had to remove my water lettuce and water hyacinth. I am going to keep my pump running which runs off a small water fall. I will shut off my little fountain. I'm going to move the pump closer to the edge of the pond in case I have to access it (too cold to climb in to retrieve it!) The local pond supplier has about 7 ponds on site- some above ground, some below. He states a heater isn't needed as long as the pump is working. I think I'll buy one and keep it handy just in case...

Todd
 

oldmarine

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The 150 watt submersible aquarium heater in my pond last winter kept the water temp from dropping below freezing on those nights where the temps dropped even as low as the mid-teens F.

Because I have since installed a above ground 27 gallon boi-filter, I will be adding a 300 watt submersible aquaruim heater inside the bio-filter. I will also insatll one inch foam insulation around the outside of the boi-filter container. Based on the way the 150 watt heater worked last winter, the additional heater should do the trick for my pond.
 

charrold

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My pond would freeze over 100% if I let it. I will not be running the filter though as it is above ground and will artificially cool the water and will likely freeze solid given the chance - I am a turn off and remove kind of guy - I can also make changes to the filter while it is shutdown and drained, 'cause I loves me some PVC plumbing projects!

The airstone is the best advice for keeping a hole open with the heater the close second. The heater folks here that I talked to say they struggle too much when it gets really cold and the pond will ice over even with one. We can get well below zero here in Colorado, but my fish should overwinter fine at 3-3.5' of depth with the airstone in place.
 
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I use a trough heater that I bought a farm supply store. I will run my water fall until it start to freeze then switch to my heater. Never had a problem with my fish yet, going on 12 years.
 

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