Baby goldfish - overwinter inside?
 

We have 2 goldfish and 2 shabumkins
We recently spotted babies - 2 orange and 3 black
They must be at least 2 months old and probably 1.5 inches long
Should we move the babies inside for overwintering?
Our pond is probably just over 1/2 metre deep and the larger goldfish have survived a few winters now.

you don't say where you are located or what the winters are like in your
area but from my perspective
(Zone 5 - USA), I have brought some koi fry in for the winter and left
others out in the main pond. The ones that came in did a bit better in
growth (they were fed all winter) but all did equally well in survival. The
only thing I would caution in your case is the depth of the pond - approx
18" - is not very deep for a COLD climate. My pond is 4' (1.3 meters ?) at
the deep end and everyone does quite well.

--
G.D.Smith
Harpers Ferry, WV

FOR SALE: 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK350
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"gardencottage" wrote in message
...

We have 2 goldfish and 2 shabumkins
We recently spotted babies - 2 orange and 3 black
They must be at least 2 months old and probably 1.5 inches long
Should we move the babies inside for overwintering?
Our pond is probably just over 1/2 metre deep and the larger goldfish
have survived a few winters now.


--
gardencottage

we are in UK - south. probably doesnt drop below freezing for no more than 12 hours at a time and not very often although everyone says it will be a cold winter this year. our goldfish and shabumkins have survived two fairly mild winters so far.

we reckon its more like 2 feet but still too shallow for babies? what if we got a water heater? i wouldnt know the first thing about keeping fish indoors - do we use a tank?

Our winters here in SW Ont. Can are colder than yours and I have never brought fish in because of winter and the first year my pond was only 17" - 18" deep and about 200 US gal - that was 11 yrs ago and now have 24" depth and ~1000 gal - with the mild state of your winter as compared to mine all you need is an airline if you don't feel comfortable without something there - IMHO all you need to do is keep a hole open for gas exchange with a fish load that low
Gale :~)

Where you are located, your babies should have no trouble with the
winter. The depth issue is only relevant from the perspective of
freezing over.

We used to be in Cambridge and are now in Jackson, Mississippi. Our
winters here include times when there is 3/4" of ice on the pond...for a
few days. We run our water features all year. The babies do fine
through the winter.

May yours thrive, whichever process you choose.

Jim

gardencottage wrote:
you don't say where you are located or what the winters are like in your
area


we are in UK - south. probably doesnt drop below freezing for no more
than 12 hours at a time and not very often although everyone says it
will be a cold winter this year. our goldfish and shabumkins have
survived two fairly mild winters so far.


The only thing I would caution in your case is the depth of the pond -
approx 18" - is not very deep for a COLD climate.


we reckon its more like 2 feet but still too shallow for babies? what
if we got a water heater? i wouldnt know the first thing about keeping
fish indoors - do we use a tank?

I would like to build a in house pond with a fake mountain scense.

I wonder if any of you had done this before. If so please give out
some hints about how to start and the ingredient of fake rock.

Thanks

"gardencottage" wrote:

you don't say where you are located or what the winters are like in your
area

we are in UK - south. probably doesnt drop below freezing for no more
than 12 hours at a time and not very often although everyone says it
will be a cold winter this year. our goldfish and shabumkins have
survived two fairly mild winters so far.

The only thing I would caution in your case is the depth of the pond -
approx 18" - is not very deep for a COLD climate.

we reckon its more like 2 feet but still too shallow for babies? what
if we got a water heater? i wouldnt know the first thing about keeping
fish indoors - do we use a tank?


I'd say 2 feet would be fine. I assume the water never freezes but perhaps
just "glazes over." Goldfish are coldwater fish, and at 1.5 inches should
fair well.

San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.

Baby goldfish - overwinter inside?
 

gardencottage wrote:
you don't say where you are located or what the winters are like in
you area

we are in UK - south. probably doesnt drop below freezing for no mor
than 12 hours at a time and not very often although everyone says i
will be a cold winter this year. our goldfish and shabumkins hav
survived two fairly mild winters so far.

The only thing I would caution in your case is the depth of the pond
approx 18" - is not very deep for a COLD climate.

we reckon its more like 2 feet but still too shallow for babies? wha
if we got a water heater? i wouldnt know the first thing about keepin
fish indoors - do we use a tank

We are also in Hampshire south of UK. Our goldfish are breeding in the pond
which we had deepened to about 3 feet. I think you will be Ok over winter as
long as it does not freeze. Our little ones all survived last winter.


--

Quilly,

Have a look at the new Anti-Spyware program CounterSpy
I recommend it, it worked for me at,

http://quilljar.users.btopenworld.com/

Baby goldfish - overwinter inside?
 

gardencottage wrote:
We have 2 goldfish and 2 shabumkins
We recently spotted babies - 2 orange and 3 black
They must be at least 2 months old and probably 1.5 inches long
Should we move the babies inside for overwintering?
Our pond is probably just over 1/2 metre deep and the larger goldfis
have survived a few winters now

1.5 inches is a good size, probably a fishy equivalent to teenagers
rather than babies or toddlers! I would leave them outside. If some die
and others survive that's survival of the fittest and you will end up
with better fish. As they are breeding you want the pond to end up with
the right balance of fish/water/vegetation, not artificially help the
weak fish and end up with overstocked pond.


--
Pete Thomas - www.petethomas.co.uk
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