I have a lot of sympathy for the 'let them handle it themselves' approach.
Our mosquito fish multiply so fast that we catch and feed them by the
hundred to our Oscars, just to keep them in check. They also clean out all
our koi and gf babies!

Jim

"Just Me "Koi"" wrote in message
...
Wait a second Nedra and Jan! I bet to differ if I may.

Mosquito fish are dime a dozen, they are not pets, and they breed by the
trillion per second! My dear wife calls them the cockroaches of the pond!

My point? Why go through the hassle and waste of utility to try and over
winter mosquito fish! I am almost certain that the darn things will
survive
a nuclear attack anyway, so I doubt if freeze will kill them, but if it
does
go to your vector control center and get a bucket load for free!

--
_______________________________________
"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is
like an eggs-and-ham breakfast:
The chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

http://community.webshots.com/user/godwino

"Lydia" wrote in message
news:reuIb.707187$Fm2.611853@attbi_s04...
Thank you both! It's snowing right now in Seattle!!!


"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
...
Yes, and don't break a hole, melt one to insert the airstone. The
sooner
you do this the more survivors you will have. ~ jan

On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 01:27:56 GMT, "Nedra"
wrote:

Lydia,

You really need to make sure you keep a Hole in ice for the
exchange of gases... think of it as letting your fish breathe.

Buy a small air pump - KMart usually has them for about $8.00.
Attach an air hose with a 4 inch airstone. Then put the airstone
about 2 or 3 inches down in your pond. This will keep the hole
open in Seattle's winters.
Almost forgot - do cover the air pump with
a bucket. It is not weather proof and needs protection from the
rain and snow. I have mine nailed to an upright on the deck then I
covered it with a baggie.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
"Lydia" wrote in message
...
The pond is 2 feet deep ~ 500gal. I put about 15-20 mosquito fish
in
it
this fall. It's a new pond so I don't have anything else in it
yet.

Usually our low temps. this season in Seattle are around 40-45F
degrees,
but
we've been having cold snaps where the pond has had a layer of ice
on
it
for
a few days at a time during about 3 different weeks since October.
One
of
those weeks is this week. Overnight temps are mid 20's. Ice on
the
top
of
the pond again.

The feeling I get from what I read is that the mosquito fish will
still
be
there in the spring. Really? Honestly? Is that true? It just
seems
so
amazing to me that I can believe it.

Or are they most likely all dead by now? Should I do something for
them
like dump hot water in or break a hole in the ice even though it'll
probably
be gone in no more than a week?

Thanks!
Lydia




~ jan