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Pet Forum / Aquaria / Goldfish / December 2007Winter Pond Questions
I am new to ponding so have few dumb questions... Live in zone 5 and have small pond...300 gallons and 15 to 16 inch deep....residing in pond are 6 lovely gold fish 4 to 5 inches in length..Temp is starting to get rather cold here...yesterday pond had 1/4 to 1/2 inch ice on it...I removed pump and filter laid some 2x4's over pond and placed 4mil clear plastic sheeting over entire pond area held in place with bricks. I also placed air pump in bucket with bubbler 6 to 8 inches below surface. when I checked today ice was gone from pond area....Am wondering if I need heater if so would low wattage heater work? If there is warm spell is it ok to feed fish? If I feed fish would this create problem with ammonia contamination? any advise appreciated...TIA On Nov 28, 10:44 pm, duf...@dingbat.com wrote: > I am new to ponding so have few dumb questions... > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > warm spell is it ok to feed fish? If I feed fish would this create problem > with ammonia contamination? any advise appreciated...TIA if the temp is below 10 degrees C then you should not feed your fish in your pond. they can last the winter without food because the cold weather slows their metabolism right down red > On Nov 28, 10:44 pm, duf...@dingbat.com wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > red Yes....that's right. However, I have to wonder is there a minimum level to how deep the pond needs to be in order for the fish to be down far enough to avoid the area that's below hibernation temp and leads to death. There's not that much difference there, so knowing how deep ones needs to be is important. What that is...I have no clue, as I don't keep a pond. I too am in zone 5, so I know how cold it can get. Many folks take their pond fish inside for wintering because of it. What that is...I have no clue, as I don't keep a pond. I too am in zone 5, so I know how cold it can get. Many folks take their pond fish inside for wintering because of it. ==================== I'm in zone 6 and many people bring them inside for the winter here also. Keeping them in large water troughs is most common here.  SignatureRM.... Frugal ponding since 1995. rec.ponder since late 1996. Zone 6. Middle TN USA ~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> >if the temp is below 10 degrees C then you should not feed your fish >in your pond. they can last the winter without food because the cold >weather slows their metabolism right down > >red If you feed them and the water temp is below 12c/54f then the food they eat will not get digested and it will expand in their stomaches, decay and eventually cause their death. If you need to feed your fish in the winter then use Sera Koi Professional Winter Food or TetraPond Wheat Germ Sticks. UK: http://www.reptilica.co.uk/product_info. php/product/Sera_KOI_Professional_Winter_Food US: http://www.gardenponds.com/fish7.htm See: http://www.feedingkoi.com/koi_feeding_winter_cold_water.html -Hank Koi cannot digest carbohydrates. dont know where the idea to feed wheat germ and cheerios got started, but carbs ferment so dont feed that at all. I feed my koi a bit of protein when my water is 50oF or better all winter long. I heat my pond a bit or the koi wouldnt have food for 6 months, too long, too much stress. this year I am using frozen krill. basically the nibble on algae and itty bitty critters all winter long when the temp is up so I am just giving them a bit more. Ingrid >If you feed them and the water temp is below 12c/54f then the food they eat >will not get digested and it will expand in their stomaches, decay and >eventually cause their death. > >If you need to feed your fish in the winter then use Sera Koi Professional >Winter Food or TetraPond Wheat Germ Sticks. >Koi cannot digest carbohydrates. dont know where the idea to feed wheat germ > and >cheerios got started, but carbs ferment so dont feed that at all. I don't know anything about Cherrios, but Tetra only recommends to feed the wheat germ when temps are between 39-50F. I would assume a company like Tetra isn't killing off all Koi in the winter by selling this food. I would also assume they have tested this out before marketing it as such. If you feel otherwise, then here is a good chance for a lawsuit. -Hank >>If you feed them and the water temp is below 12c/54f then the food they eat >>will not get digested and it will expand in their stomaches, decay and >>eventually cause their death. >> >>If you need to feed your fish in the winter then use Sera Koi Professional >>Winter Food or TetraPond Wheat Germ Sticks. oh.. you mean tested it out like the pet food industry did for the processed commercial dog foods. dogs dont digest complex carbs well either which is why they have these huge dumps. dogs eat meat. koi eat meat. neither are herbivores, and koi most certainly cannot digest land based, high cellulose carbohydrates. koi have a very short intestine, just like dogs. the day they show proof that wheat germ grows in the water and they get pictures of the koi nibbling on it is the day I will believe it is "good" for the koi. tetra pond koi wheat germ sticks Ingredients: wheat germ meal, fish meal, corn flour, dehulled soybean meal, feeding oat meal, wheat germ, wheat germ meal. Fish meal, or fishmeal, is a commercial product made from both whole fish and the bones and offal from processed fish. It is a brown powder or cake obtained by pressing the whole fish or fish trimmings to remove the fish oil. Some of these sites are recommending feeding this from 39oF to 50oF. Now koi wont eat below 45oF. but I ask, how is ANYONE going to PROVE that rotting food in the gut killed a fish? Look how long it took to connect that melamine powder (used to boost "protein" levels artificially) was killing dogs and cats. Ingrid >I don't know anything about Cherrios, but Tetra only recommends to feed the >wheat germ when temps are between 39-50F. I would assume a company like Tetra >isn't killing off all Koi in the winter by selling this food. I would also >assume they have tested this out before marketing it as such. If you feel >otherwise, then here is a good chance for a lawsuit. if you put bubble wrap over the top, drop in a 100 watt aquarium heater (hang it so it doesnt actually touch the pond liner) you may find your pond gets up to 50oF, and then if the little buggers come up to the surface go ahead and feed them. but do get freeze dried krill or chop up a tiny bit of shrimp because that is what they would eat anyway. no carbs to rot in their gut. and feed tiny, tiny amounts, not every day and yes, do keep a close eye on ammonia. should be the algae will start growing, the pond will green up and as long as there is sun getting thru to the pond the algae will suck up the ammonia. the bubbler actually does aerate some of the ammonia and blow it off too, surprisingly. but what you also need is a little bucket filter in the pond. go here http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/care/hardware.html and click on bucket filter. the whole thing sits in the pond and keeps pulling the water thru the filters with the biobugs which will work to a certain extent even in colder water. however, the algae is the best filtration in cold water. also, you can get a seachem ammonia "alert" to drop in the pond so you can fish it out and take a look. just be careful feeding tiny amounts and not every day. I personally believe that up in zone 5 and 6 (where I am too) our poor fish dont eat for 6 months of the year and it is just toooo long to go without food. since I have started covering, heating and feeding tiny amounts all winter AND THE TEMP IS 50 OR SO, the fish have not died in spring, dont even have scuzzy fuzz or spots or anything in spring. and it is much better than bringing them in and exposing them to the trauma and the ammonia of a cycling tank. here's my pond in winter. http://weloveteaching.com/mypond/winters/winter.htm Ingrid >I am new to ponding so have few dumb questions... > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >warm spell is it ok to feed fish? If I feed fish would this create problem >with ammonia contamination? any advise appreciated...TIA Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top? About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake through top? discharge hose on bottom? Thanks On Nov 29, 10:14 pm, duf...@dingbat.com wrote: > Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top? > > About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake > through top? discharge hose on bottom? > > Thanks please excuse my ignorance but whats zone 5, 6? i'm from the UK > On Nov 29, 10:14 pm, duf...@dingbat.com wrote: >> Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > please excuse my ignorance but whats zone 5, 6? i'm from the UK Plant hardiness zones. In the USA: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html Here's an article with more general information, including the UK: http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/global_gardening_zones Gail near San Antonio TX USA zone 5, -20oF, zone 6 -10oF worst in winter. >On Nov 29, 10:14 pm, duf...@dingbat.com wrote: >> Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top? [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >please excuse my ignorance but whats zone 5, 6? i'm from the UK over the top of the whole pond. on top of the plastic you already have there water intake is thru the top of the bucket and filter media, discharge hose is off to the side of the bucket. it is just to pull water thru the media. ALL UNDERWATER. the hose does not need to break the surface. >Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top? > >About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake >through top? discharge hose on bottom? > >Thanks > Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top? > > About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake > through top? discharge hose on bottom? > > Thanks ======================= Don't count on aeration to blow off ammonia. It's not in a form that can be blown off or well aerated aquariums wouldn't have problems with fish dying from ammonia. SignatureRM.... Frugal ponding since 1995. rec.ponder since late 1996. Zone 6. Middle TN USA ~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> |
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