Proper Winter Care for Your FISH POND Outdoors

Fishes can be wintered either outdoors or indoors. This will depend on the construction of the entire pond according to the inclination of the owner. This article will focus about things that a hobbyist can do to properly protect and care for his fishes during winter if his pond is situated outdoors.

If you’re living in a country where winter is the most prominent season of the year, better build a pond wherein a portion of it is about 30-45 inches deep.

Fish pond in winter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This will protect the fishes from long periods of cold spells. Even more drastic than cold water is the building up of gasses which are toxic in a pond that is iced over completely for a certain amount of time.

Therefore, it is mandatory that a part of the pond’s surface is kept open to enable the pond to circulate air that results to the disposal of deadly gasses and adds oxygen. You can accomplish this by:

a. Aerator. 

This is a large air stone that is operated by an aquarium air pump which can constantly create a small opening inside the ice. Unfortunately, placement is quite critical and hard to be arranged precisely.

Ideally, the aerator should be placed halfway measuring from the deepest part of the entire pond and should be monitored frequently. Chances are, if the aerator is placed too near from the surface, it has a tendency to freeze, if placed deeper, it can chill the entire pond.

b. De-Icer or Heater.
There are different kinds of de-icers that can be safely used for performed ponds, liner or even in  concrete. Out of the use of electricity, a puncture can be made through the iced pond where it serves as breathing hole for fishes.

Sometimes, the most efficient de-icers or heaters can produce an ice-free pond even if the winter weather is overwhelming.

c. Water pump. 

Same limitations to an aerator, a water pump can provide an opening on the surface of the pond but with several conditions. One condition is that the pump must be mounted on the deepest part yet should be far enough from the bottom to avoid water circulation and far enough from the surface so that it wouldn’t solidly freeze. Regularly inspect the pump because it can freeze solid or run dry, these can destroy the integrity of the pump.

Covering the pond can be helpful for the fishes and the devices used. It can protect the pond from extreme coldness and will reduce the amount of electricity that your heater needs. Although, the cover must always be raised to enable gas exchange and prevent toxic substances to reside in the pond. The structure would turn out like a wooden frame is built over the pond at its surface then it will be covered with plywood. Insulating materials can follow. The covering must possess sturdiness to withstand the long days of snow accumulation.

Last concern is feeding your fish. Actually, you can drop this idea for even if your pets seem to be quite interested, they will just ignore the food that you’ll give. This is because during cold days, metabolism can be quite sluggish. Although, to prevent starvation, you can supplement them food that can easily be digested like the ones that are made from wheat germ.

Proper care of your pond fishes during winter can be crucial to your pets especially when it is located 

outdoors.

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Chilled Out KOI: How Koi Survive Frozen PONDS in Winter

If you live in a northern climate then chances are good that you see snow and ice as does your koi pond. Its natural to worry about your koi during the winter periods, especially if they have been around for years and years. Fortunately, koi are adapted to dealing with cold temperatures and an iced-over pond. They have a few tricks up their "sleeves" to deal with the inevitability of ice cold water.

Photo by Hulk, Smash!

Regulating Body Temperature

Thermoregulation of animals or how an animal regulates its body temperature can be a confusing subject. For example, within the subject of thermoregulation there is:

- Ectothermic
- Endothermic
- Mesothermic
- Heterothermic
- Homeothermic
- Poikilothermic
- "Cold-blooded"

There's a lot of variations in the world of temperature regulation in animals but to make it more straightforward for koi owners you should know that your fish are ectothermic,which means that their internal body temperature is governed strictly by the ambient temperature (or in this case, the water temperature). So that must mean that all fish are ectotherms, right? Not necessarily. Unfortunately, biology is not always consistent.

For example, the bluefin tuna and some sharks create internal heat from muscle activity yet are still largely affected by water temperature which puts them in a category known as mesothermy. Furthermore, the term "cold-blooded" is actually not all that accurate. A "cold-blooded" lizard in the hot desert sun can achieve an internal temperature greater than that of humans. So in everyday conversation its just easier to refer to mammals and birds as endotherms and just about everything else as ectotherms.

Biological Activity and Temperature

You have probably noticed throughout the seasonal changes that as the water temperatures get colder your fish start to become less active. As a result, they require less food and at somewhere between 50 and 40 degrees F they stop eating all together. Ectotherms are able to pull this off because they don't have to maintain a certain internal temperature and, in fact, they can get away with using as little as 10% of the energy of what a mammal would need. As temperatures fall, the rate of internal biological activity decreases which includes things as basic as how fast a muscle can twitch. This concept in biology is known as the Q-10 coefficient.

Planning for Winter

There's not much activity going on with your fish, on the inside or outside. They don't need food and not as much oxygen however its still a good idea to keep some of your pond unfrozen with a de-icer for gas exchange (and some pond owners will run aeration all year long).

One of the things your koi will do is try to hang out in the warmest part of the pond and that will subsequently be the deepest part. In general though, its a good idea, when designing/building a koi pond, that you make it at least 3 feet deep to avoid the possibility of total pond freeze. Another thing you may want to keep in mind is that adding salt to your pond before winter will lower the freezing point of water and artificially cause your water to reach a super low temperature which can potentially harm your koi.

Koi in Dormancy

So what exactly are they doing under the ice? Sleeping? Playing cards? As with thermoregulation there are a lot of different ways to go inactive during winter (or periods of less-than-ideal conditions).

There is:

hibernation in mammals
brumation in reptiles
diapause in insects and
aestivation in invertebrates

but ultimately your koi under ice are in a state of dormancy. Essentially, they are simply "chilling out" in a state of super decreased activity and metabolism while waiting for spring. Perhaps you don't get to enjoy your koi as they mill around under the ice but just think of the money you are saving not buying koi food!

By Grant W Stoecklin Have you ever wondered what happens to your koi with the onset of winter? What are they doing under an iced over pond? Are they hungry and looking for food? In this article I discuss the physiological and biological changes that occur to your fish with the onset of cold water. I also discuss simple things you can do to prepare your pond for ice that will make it the most comfortable for your koi. If you're wondering about your fish in winter even how to change the way you feed in fall ( http://koi-care.com/feeding-koi-water-temperatures-change/ ) then please see more at my site. Thanks for stopping by! Article Source: EzineArticles

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Winterizing Your KOI POND

Winter is coming, and this will be the first Winter that you go through with your Koi pond. Think of Winter as a down period for your pond, as less events happen during Winter then any other time. However, there are special precautions that you need to take before Winter arrives, to ensure that your pond and fish survive.

Ornamental fish pond -  The net over the water is essential to keep
the fish safe from marauding herons. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Clean Up- Take about a weekend to completely go over your pond. Clean up and unwanted bulk material in and around your pond. Inside your pond, clean up all leaves, slit, and other material from the bottom. Also, remove any plants or flowers that will not make it through the winter. Around the pond, clean up anything that can blow into your pond, as you are not likely to notice this debris until the end of winter. Taking the time to make sure that as much debris is removed as possible will prevent potentially harmful bacteria and parasites in the future.

Stop Feeding- You must remember to stop feeding your Koi during the winter. When fall begins and the temperatures hover around 55 to 60 degrees, only feed once a day.  Once the temperatures drop below 50 degree for the first time, stop feeding completely. Even if the temperature goes above 50 degrees, still reframe from feeding your fish. The majority of Koi, when healthy and the temperature is above 50 degrees, take at least four days to completely digest food. If you mistakenly feed your fish to late the food will not digest and will end up killing your fish. Do not mistake you Koi as hungry when they open to their mouths to you. This is more of a learned reflex then hunger. If you are concerned about not feeding them, remember that fish eat other things besides the food you provide them, especially if your pond contains a large amount of natural plant life. If they are at all hungry and you are not feeding them, they will fill up on this.

Check Up- Do you seasonal check up on all your equipment. This includes everything from your filtration system to your store of preventable medications. Since the majority of ponds in the world lie dormant during the Winter, you are less likely to be able to find the products you need. Make sure your emergency kit is ready and up to date, which should include medications, bags, nets, and your water testing kits.

Prepare For Cold Weather- Prepare for cold weather by investing in the items you will need during the summer. Koi have been known to withstand constant temperatures as low 39 degrees, and temperatures slightly lower then 39 degrees, for short periods of time. When buying a heater, remember to research what size you will need to adequately heat your pond during the winter, otherwise ice will still form, causing potentially dangerous amounts of gas in the water, due to it being trapped under the ice. In extreme events, it may be a good idea to have an emergency tank inside available.

Turn Off All Water Sources- In colder temperatures, your heater will be working hard to maintain a water temperature suitable enough to keep your fish alive. If you have water features such as waterfalls, streams, or constant moving fountains, make sure to turn them off during Winter. These features will circulate water, and constantly bring new, and cold water into your pond. With these switched off, the only water that your heater will be responsible for is the standing water in your pond.

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