Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
Hello
I wonder if someone can help me. We have a small pond in the garden that did have 4 lovely goldfish in it. Over the summer they disappeared, not sure what happened, and we assumed there was nothing in there. However, in September we noticed 2 little beautiful black baby fish swimming merrily around. They're only about 2 inches long. My question is what do we do over the winter? Do fish need feeding in the winter or do we leave them? Any help gratefully received. Cheers Emma |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
"Eshymouse" wrote in message
... Hello I wonder if someone can help me. We have a small pond in the garden that did have 4 lovely goldfish in it. Over the summer they disappeared, not sure what happened, and we assumed there was nothing in there. However, in September we noticed 2 little beautiful black baby fish swimming merrily around. They're only about 2 inches long. My question is what do we do over the winter? Do fish need feeding in the winter or do we leave them? Any help gratefully received. Cheers Emma Leave 'em. Fish stop feeding when the temp drops below about 50 deg F. ANy food you put in then will just rot. Besides which, if there are only a few fish, there will be enough natural food for them to get by on anyway, even in the summer, though its always nice to feed them and see them come up. Next spring/summer they may change colour to that of their parents. -- Tumbleweed Remove theobvious before replying (but no email reply necessary to newsgroups) |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
"Eshymouse" wrote in message ... Hello I wonder if someone can help me. We have a small pond in the garden that did have 4 lovely goldfish in it. Over the summer they disappeared, not sure what happened, and we assumed there was nothing in there. However, in September we noticed 2 little beautiful black baby fish swimming merrily around. They're only about 2 inches long. My question is what do we do over the winter? Do fish need feeding in the winter or do we leave them? Any help gratefully received. Just break the ice regularly so as to expose some of the surface of the water to the air. Franz |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message ... "Eshymouse" wrote in message ... Hello I wonder if someone can help me. We have a small pond in the garden that did have 4 lovely goldfish in it. Over the summer they disappeared, not sure what happened, and we assumed there was nothing in there. However, in September we noticed 2 little beautiful black baby fish swimming merrily around. They're only about 2 inches long. My question is what do we do over the winter? Do fish need feeding in the winter or do we leave them? Any help gratefully received. Just break the ice regularly so as to expose some of the surface of the water to the air. Franz Don't break the ice - the shock waves could kill them. I did a similar dumb thing and stunned a number of our fish - and I should know better as I was once a Marine Biologist. Hi-tech way is to get a pond heater - just a small heater which floats in a foam collar - which keeps an area clear of ice. Lo-tech way is a bucket of hot water to melt a hole in the ice now and then. Cheers Dave (fish killer) R |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message ... "Franz Heymann" wrote in message ... "Eshymouse" wrote in message ... Hello snip Any help gratefully received. Just break the ice regularly so as to expose some of the surface of the water to the air. Franz Don't break the ice - the shock waves could kill them. I did a similar dumb thing and stunned a number of our fish - and I should know better as I was once a Marine Biologist. Hi-tech way is to get a pond heater - just a small heater which floats in a foam collar - which keeps an area clear of ice. Lo-tech way is a bucket of hot water to melt a hole in the ice now and then. Cheers Dave (fish killer) R Or a couple of ping pong balls floating on the surface. If it freezes, pull one of the balls out/pour warm water on one. This releases any trapped gas under the ice which causes lots of problems to fish. Dave |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
In article , David W.E.
Roberts writes Hi-tech way is to get a pond heater - just a small heater which floats in a foam collar - which keeps an area clear of ice. Lo-tech way is a bucket of hot water to melt a hole in the ice now and then. I keep the waterfall thing going very gently which stops that end of the pond totally freezing in winter janet -- Janet Tweedy Dalmatian Telegraph http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
Emma wrote in message I wonder if someone can help me. We have a small pond in the garden that did have 4 lovely goldfish in it. Over the summer they disappeared, not sure what happened, and we assumed there was nothing in there. However, in September we noticed 2 little beautiful black baby fish swimming merrily around. They're only about 2 inches long. My question is what do we do over the winter? Do fish need feeding in the winter or do we leave them? With only two small fish in your pond, the others being eaten probably by herons before you were even awake, you will never need to feed your fish. Certainly if you feed fish with the normal dried food much below 50°F they will be unable to digest it quickly enough to avoid it rotting in their guts with dire consequences for them come spring. Don't forget they are cold blooded so go almost dormant in cold water. Young Goldfish are often black and unfortunately they often fail to ever change colour, it's their natural colour after all. I've always thought that temperature plays a part in the changing of their colour so you might get a pleasant surprise come next summer. But then the heron will be back too for an easily seen meal! If your pond freezes totally over for more than a few days you will need to provide an open area to allow gas exchange to take place between the water and the air to avoid the build up of toxic gasses in the water, and the best way to achieve that is to place a large ball in there pond now and take it out when it freezes, thereafter melt a hole with a sauce pan of hot water stood on the ice. Never hit the ice, you could damage the spine of the fish and kill them, you would be acting exactly like a depth charge against a submarine. -- Regards Bob Use a useful Screen Saver... http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/ and find intelligent life amongst the stars, there's bugger all down here. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message ... Just break the ice regularly so as to expose some of the surface of the water to the air. Franz Be very careful doing this - you could easily stun the fish. Best practice is to float a football on the pond. If it ices up for more than a day, lift out the ball to expose a hole. If you wish you can then increase the size by breaking the ice "up" rather than whacking it down. In very cold winters I dangle an ordinary aquarium heater just below the surface. It's sufficient to maintain a permanent air hole. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
"Janet Tweedy" wrote I keep the waterfall thing going very gently which stops that end of the pond totally freezing in winter I do this too, but I have been told it's really a bad practice because you are constantly drawing water up from the warmer pond and chilling it in the air and on the rocks of the waterfall. Although it keeps part of the pond clear and oxygenates the water, it also reduces the temperature of the whole pond. (apparently when the pond freezes a gap is produced under the ice which helps to "insulate" the pond) But I still keep it running because of the aeration! |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
every time I have tried this "floating a ball on the water" trick the ice
just formed under the ball pushing it up above the surface. I have a UV filter which provides enough warmth via the bulb to keep the pond from freezing. Andy P "Sad Sid" . wrote in message ... "Franz Heymann" wrote in message ... Just break the ice regularly so as to expose some of the surface of the water to the air. Franz Be very careful doing this - you could easily stun the fish. Best practice is to float a football on the pond. If it ices up for more than a day, lift out the ball to expose a hole. If you wish you can then increase the size by breaking the ice "up" rather than whacking it down. In very cold winters I dangle an ordinary aquarium heater just below the surface. It's sufficient to maintain a permanent air hole. |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
Keep a suitable floating object in the pond to stop it all iceing up.
Thats about all you need to do. -- email farmer chris on Please don`t use as it`s a spam haven. |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message ... "Franz Heymann" wrote in message ... "Eshymouse" wrote in message ... Hello I wonder if someone can help me. We have a small pond in the garden that did have 4 lovely goldfish in it. Over the summer they disappeared, not sure what happened, and we assumed there was nothing in there. However, in September we noticed 2 little beautiful black baby fish swimming merrily around. They're only about 2 inches long. My question is what do we do over the winter? Do fish need feeding in the winter or do we leave them? Any help gratefully received. Just break the ice regularly so as to expose some of the surface of the water to the air. Franz Don't break the ice - the shock waves could kill them. I did a similar dumb thing and stunned a number of our fish - and I should know better as I was once a Marine Biologist. Hi-tech way is to get a pond heater - just a small heater which floats in a foam collar - which keeps an area clear of ice. Lo-tech way is a bucket of hot water to melt a hole in the ice now and then. Yes. Actually I used to use a blowlamp to make a hole throught the ice. It worked. Franz |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Winter pond
"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
... snip My question is what do we do over the winter? Do fish need feeding in the winter or do we leave them? Any help gratefully received. We have a submerged re-circulating water pump running all year round about 18 inches below the surface and the small amount of heat that it generates keeps a hole clear in the ice. No feeding required. -- ned |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Winter... - winter-corner-posts.jpg (1/1) | Garden Photos | |||
Winter here Vs. Winter In Fairbanks | Gardening | |||
Winter-Summer: - Pond-Winter.jpg (1/1) | Garden Photos | |||
[IBC] Winter (was: [IBC] winter care) | Bonsai | |||
pond in winter | Ponds (alternative) |