"Richard Tanzer" wrote in message
...
"Koi-lo" wrote in
:
But back to fish stuff. Do you think that my fish expend any more of
their own energy when in a pond with the pump running than when the
water is quiet? I've noticed that in the winter they congregate in
one end of the pond that has the least circulation.
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The have to expend energy to stay upright then the water is moving.
Why not just keep a nice size hole open in the ice and allow them to
"rest" as they would in nature?
Keeping a nice size hole open in the ice is a challenge. Here in central
Wisconsin, in January it's not unusual to have morning temperatures of
about -10 deg F, with daytime highs of about 15 deg F.
My pond is only about 3 ½ feet deep at the deepest part. To keep the
pond from freezing solidly during a cold spell I have to heat the pond.
I have a small heater (25 watts?) that is intended to keep a hole open;
and that works just fine when the weather stays above zero F. But in
colder weather I need auxiliary heat. Last winter during cold spells, I
added heat by pouring a few gallons of boiling water into the pond every
morning. I was able to bore a hole in the ice that way. All but one of
my fish survived the winter.
This year I'm leaving the pump running to add some heat and also ensure
gas exchange.
It hadn't occurred to me that the current in the pond would stress the
fish. We've had a few relatively warm days, and the pond is largely ice
free right now. Perhaps I can move the hose to minimize the current;
I'll give it a try.
Well . the days are getting longer, and it's only seven more weeks until
pitchers and catchers report for spring training!
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Rather than going through that why not just bring them in for the winter?
What about a kiddy pool in your garage for the coldest months of winter?
They hold 150g which will hold at least 10 to 15 goldfish for the winter.
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
NEW PAGE: Aquariums:
http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html
http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy
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