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

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.

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

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!