my 6' x 4' pond had 10 goldfish and a couple of other waifs and strays. All
were fine until a few days ago.

Ice became quite thick, about an inch, on the pond, so I melted it down with
a large pot of boiling water, and achieved a hole about 18" diameter. All
the fish were fine. I put a black dustbin lid on it to keep the hole open,
and lo and behold, the next day all the fish were still fine and four frogs
popped up as well at the edge of the ice. Every evening I put the lid down
and every day I removed it, and there were the fish and the frogs. I didn't
even think I had frogs.

Last night I didn't put the lid on because it was quite warm and not near
freezing, and there was the big hole in the ice that I'd made earlier.

Today, I found my largest goldfish, about 20 years old, frozen under the ice
a foot away from the hole. Also two other goldfish frozen just under the
ice. All these were born in my pond, so I feel pretty bad. There is still
a large hole in the middle of the pond, and the other fish are swimming
about slowly. And then I found six female frogs frozen under the ice at the
edge of the pond.

I feel devastated. Was it because I didn't put the bin lid on, or would
this have happened anyway, because frogs are not clever enough to not go to
the sides of the pond?

I hate winter.

someone

Really sorry to her about your fish, particularly the 20 year old. There's something special about a fish of that age.

I can't give any advice about the fish. The reason for keeping a hole open in the ice is, as I understand it, to maintain the oxygen levels in the water, ie to allow some open water surface for gas exchange. The threat is that rotten vegetation in the bottom of the pond will release gases which have nowhere to escape.

So it doesn't depend on fish and frogs being able to locate the hole and stick their heads into it.

That said, I don't do anything with our ponds, and we don't notice any diminution of our frog population.

Therefore, I would deduce that the frogs would have died anyway.

I would also console myself with the thought that once you have frogs, numbers are not a problem (our highest count was 170) and you will always lose a few.

"someone" wrote in message ...

my 6' x 4' pond had 10 goldfish and a couple of other waifs and strays. All
were fine until a few days ago.

Ice became quite thick, about an inch, on the pond, so I melted it down with
a large pot of boiling water, and achieved a hole about 18" diameter. All
the fish were fine. I put a black dustbin lid on it to keep the hole open,
and lo and behold, the next day all the fish were still fine and four frogs
popped up as well at the edge of the ice. Every evening I put the lid down
and every day I removed it, and there were the fish and the frogs. I didn't
even think I had frogs.

Last night I didn't put the lid on because it was quite warm and not near
freezing, and there was the big hole in the ice that I'd made earlier.

Today, I found my largest goldfish, about 20 years old, frozen under the ice
a foot away from the hole. Also two other goldfish frozen just under the
ice. All these were born in my pond, so I feel pretty bad. There is still
a large hole in the middle of the pond, and the other fish are swimming
about slowly. And then I found six female frogs frozen under the ice at the
edge of the pond.

I feel devastated. Was it because I didn't put the bin lid on, or would
this have happened anyway, because frogs are not clever enough to not go to
the sides of the pond?

I hate winter.

someone



A few years ago I got up in the morning to find one of my old and large
goldfish on the heavily frosted lawn, about 6 feet from the pond - it was
bitterly cold, but the pond wasn't frozen over, although the fish was -
covered in ice/frost. The fish looked dead, but I put it back in the water,
and it slowly revived and lived to tell the tale to its children!! I guessed
that maybe a heron had grabbed it out of the pond and dropped it - I've
heard they can't pick a fish up from the ground.

I usually put heaters into the ponds as soon as the temperature looks like
freezing them. This year I did that with one of the ponds, but with the
other one I just left the waterfall running. The heaters create a small ring
of open water - and the fish congregate around it - HONEST - it looks just
like they are warming their bottoms! The waterfall also kept a small hole
open the whole time.

What has been really heart warming recently was seeing herons in the garden
from time to time - but unable to get at the fish because of the ice.

Do hope your fish was really dead, but I suppose either way it wouldn't have
suffered - putting it in the freezer is a method I've known to be
recommended by vets as a humane way to kill them.

JP

"someone" wrote

my 6' x 4' pond had 10 goldfish and a couple of other waifs and
strays. All were fine until a few days ago.

Ice became quite thick, about an inch, on the pond, so I melted
it down with a large pot of boiling water, and achieved a hole
about 18" diameter. All the fish were fine. I put a black
dustbin lid on it to keep the hole open, and lo and behold, the
next day all the fish were still fine and four frogs popped up as
well at the edge of the ice. Every evening I put the lid down and
every day I removed it, and there were the fish and the frogs. I
didn't even think I had frogs.


I am sorry to hear of your loss ;-(

Last week I poured hot water over my small similar sized pond to
create an air hole through the ice, the ice was about three inches
thick at the time, though I only poured the water in at one end of
the pond not in the centre.

This afternoon after work a decided to check the pond as the ice
has almost completely melted and as I counted my six goldfish, I
then noticed four frogs on the bottom of the pond, two large ones
and two small ones, I don't know the difference between male and
female but maybe I'll get frogspawn in the spring, however I have
no idea if the frogs were in there prior to the ice or since the
thaw, but I'm glad they are there all the same.

The hedgehog also appears to be still in his hide fast asleep.

We are already making plans for more work to do in the garden come
spring....... can't wait!

Stephen.


--
http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk
Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
"Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce

On Dec 28, 9:49*pm, "someone" wrote:
my 6' x 4' pond had 10 goldfish and a couple of other waifs and strays. *All
were fine until a few days ago.

Ice became quite thick, about an inch, on the pond, so I melted it down with
a large pot of boiling water, and achieved a hole about 18" diameter. *All
the fish were fine. *I put a black dustbin lid on it to keep the hole open,
and lo and behold, the next day all the fish were still fine and four frogs
popped up as well at the edge of the ice. Every evening I put the lid down
and every day I removed it, and there were the fish and the frogs. *I didn't
even think I had frogs.

Last night I didn't put the lid on because it was quite warm and not near
freezing, and there was the big hole in the ice that I'd made earlier.

Today, I found my largest goldfish, about 20 years old, frozen under the ice
a foot away from the hole. *Also two other goldfish frozen just under the
ice. *All these were born in my pond, so I feel pretty bad. *There is still
a large hole in the middle of the pond, and the other fish are swimming
about slowly. *And then I found six female frogs frozen under the ice at the
edge of the pond.

I feel devastated. *Was it because I didn't put the bin lid on, or would
this have happened anyway, *because frogs are not clever enough to not go to
the sides of the pond?

I hate winter.

someone

Buy yourself a pond aerator. The box has to go inside the house or
somewhere dry. This keeps ice from forming in all but the coldest
weather. I did hear of someone addtionally made himself a heater for
the air, metal pipe wound round a lightbulb sort of thing.
Also you can buy electric heaters that keep a small part ice free.

Female frogs tend to be larger than males - but of course some of the small frogs are just immature - they take several years to get to full size. In spring, the females are the ones at the bottom of the heaps ;-)

Only a proportion of frogs over winter in the pool - a lot overwinter on land. So if you have some in the pond,, you'll get a lot joining them in the spring.

In article ,
says...
my 6' x 4' pond had 10 goldfish and a couple of other waifs and strays. All
were fine until a few days ago.

Ice became quite thick, about an inch, on the pond, so I melted it down with
a large pot of boiling water, and achieved a hole about 18" diameter. All
the fish were fine. I put a black dustbin lid on it to keep the hole open,
and lo and behold, the next day all the fish were still fine and four frogs
popped up as well at the edge of the ice. Every evening I put the lid down
and every day I removed it, and there were the fish and the frogs. I didn't
even think I had frogs.

Last night I didn't put the lid on because it was quite warm and not near
freezing, and there was the big hole in the ice that I'd made earlier.

Today, I found my largest goldfish, about 20 years old, frozen under the ice
a foot away from the hole. Also two other goldfish frozen just under the
ice. All these were born in my pond, so I feel pretty bad. There is still
a large hole in the middle of the pond, and the other fish are swimming
about slowly. And then I found six female frogs frozen under the ice at the
edge of the pond.

I feel devastated. Was it because I didn't put the bin lid on, or would
this have happened anyway, because frogs are not clever enough to not go to
the sides of the pond?

I hate winter.

someone



Most of the time the fish are fine once the ice melts, even if they are
on their sides, leave them be they normally recover, hopefully this is
not too late!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

In message
kay wrote:


;908719 Wrote:

This afternoon after work a decided to check the pond as the ice
has almost completely melted and as I counted my six goldfish, I
then noticed four frogs on the bottom of the pond, two large ones
and two small ones, I don't know the difference between male and
female but maybe I'll get frogspawn in the spring,


Female frogs tend to be larger than males - but of course some of the
small frogs are just immature - they take several years to get to full
size. In spring, the females are the ones at the bottom of the heaps
;-)

Only a proportion of frogs over winter in the pool - a lot overwinter
on land. So if you have some in the pond,, you'll get a lot joining them
in the spring.


Ahh, cheers for the info, The frogs are still in the pond today so
I presume they are happy to be in there.

Stephen.



--
http://www.stephen.hull.btinternet.co.uk
Coach painting tips and techniques + Land Rover colour codes
"Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble". Henry Royce

"Zapp Brannigan" wrote in message
...
Bob Hobden wrote:

It's not all lost, I have heard of frozen in goldfish being
resurrected when the water warms up.

Yep, I've heard of this too.


Our neighbours Goldfish multiplied to silly numbers and we transferred about
80 to my daughter's pond a couple of months ago. They went straight to the
bottom in the murk and we haven't seen them since!!

Had a good look for them this afternoon ............ not a sign. Not even
floating ........ dead ;-)

Water is muddyish where it comes down the stream through the gardens and
into the pond and is nearly always like that. The overflow is one of the
feeds to the Village Pond

Mike

--

....................................
Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday.
....................................

'Mike' wrote:
Had a good look for them this afternoon ............ not a sign. Not even
floating ........ dead ;-)

Heronned/kingfishered?

wrote in message
...
'Mike' wrote:
Had a good look for them this afternoon ............ not a sign. Not even
floating ........ dead ;-)

Heronned/kingfishered?

Can they see through the murky water which could be up to 2 feet deep in the
middle near the island?

Mike

--

....................................
Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday.
....................................

"'Mike'" wrote ...

No fish in there before. The pond dried up a while back and the few fish in
there died, dispite efforts to save them :-((
No the pond was clear.

But how long ago? If a stream flows into the pond then fish fry can come in
too and they would grow well with little competition. They can even come in
as eggs stuck to the legs of wading birds. So, if it's a few years ago that
it dried up there may well be a few native fish in the pond again now.

Don't think we have anything like the annual Killifish in this country
unfortunately.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killifish

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...


"'Mike'" wrote ...

No fish in there before. The pond dried up a while back and the few fish
in
there died, dispite efforts to save them :-((
No the pond was clear.

But how long ago? If a stream flows into the pond then fish fry can come
in too and they would grow well with little competition. They can even
come in as eggs stuck to the legs of wading birds. So, if it's a few years
ago that it dried up there may well be a few native fish in the pond again
now.

Don't think we have anything like the annual Killifish in this country
unfortunately.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killifish

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK




Wading birds :-((

Seen in excess of 70 ducks there before. And they don't half make a mess on
the path which surrounds the pond. Moorhens and Coots as well.

The pond dried out in 2009 and with the overflow being one of the supplies
to the Village Pond, there was a 'visitation' from a water board/council
official looking to see if we were 'stopping the flow for our advantage' but
when he saw the state of the pond he understood.

Mike


--

....................................
Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday.
....................................

So sorry to hear about both your fish and frogs! whether it was because you didn't put the lid on or not, it hasn't been quite so cold lately, so you weren't to know. To be honest with you I'd have thought the same, so don't feel bad.

This is probably the worst thing about winter, my animals don't like it, and my rabbits can't go out in the garden, and my cats don't particularly like to either.

I have heard it is meant to snow again, so if it gets quite as bad as before then make sure you put the lid on, even if you don't think you should, just to be on the safe side.

Don't worry though, the worst of it is soon over! once the winter is gone it will all be better... No more frozen fish and frogs then!