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Part 3 of 4 Fall & Winter Newsletters: Fish Care

Congratulations: Karen Johnson of Laurel, Mississippi

Our Newest Water Feature Contest Winner!

Scroll to end, see the beautiful pond built by the Johnsons!

Click here for Part 1  Fall & Winter Newsletters: Checklist for Autumn/Winter Pond Care

Fish Care: When we keep fish we become very attached to our friendly easy to care for pets but these guys and gals require special attention during fall and winter to ensure their survival. If you have fish there are a few things you need to know about: Feeding; Over-wintering; and Protection.

Feeding: During Summer, feeding your fish high protein several food times a day allows them to build up a reserve of fat which helps them through the winter. You should however, stop feeding high protein/staple food when water temperatures fall below 70. As the water temperature drops into the sixties you should decrease the frequency to only once a day. It can take your fish two or three days to digest food at this temperature.

Food: Provide food with a protein content of 25 to 32 percent. A wheat germ based food is good at this time as it is easily digested. Pond Care’s Spring & Autumn Food is an excellent choice during fall and again in spring. It is Formulated with a unique blend of amino acids and minerals to help supplement the dietary requirements pond fish in cool water.
Schedule: Be sure to feed them well beginning in fall and continue until the water temperature  remains below 50°F. This allows the fish to build up additional fat stores for winter survival. If they seem hungry during “Indian Summer”, you can feed them a little duckweed, cooked white rice, or a special low temperature fish food. Once the temperature drops below 45-50 degrees you should stop feeding altogether until spring when the water temperature remains above 50 degrees to provide an easily digested diet after their long winter fasting.

Over wintering in the pond depends on your climate:

• With temperatures mostly at or above freezing 24 inches is the minimum depth;
• With temperatures mostly below freezing 30 inches is the minimum depth.
• With temperatures drastically below freezing 36-48 inches is recommended.

Living Conditions: If the fish are to remain in the pond throughout the winter, it is important to:

• Reduce organic decomposition
• Provide for exchange of gases 
• Provide protection. 

Click here Part 2 of 4 Fall & Winter Newsletters: Plant Care

Reduce Organic Decomposition: As organic decompose in the pond they can produce toxic gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen sulfide that could be trapped in the pond if it is covered by ice for more than a few days. The build up of these gases is toxic to fish therefore it is important that debris and sludge be kept at a minimum.

Floating plants, excess oxygenating plants, trimmings, and leaves should be removed in autumn. Accumulation of falling leaves may be prevented by using a pond net or skimming them out regularly.

Minimize the amount of accumulated sludge, decaying plant debris, etc. from bottom of pond long before the first frost with a net, a siphon, or a pond vacuum, like the PondoVac 2, or Muck Vac.

Additives such as Pond-Zyme or Pond-Zyme PLUS might be used at this time also.

With the absence of biological filtration you may want to add Microbe-Lift's new Autumn Prep which contains bacteria that will work in near freezing temperatures and it also contains enzymes that consume cellulose in the form of leaves.

Gas Exchange: Because it’s important, I must stress AGAIN, harmful gases will be trapped in the pond if it is covered by ice for more than a few days. You must keep a small area free of ice so that these gases can escape. NEVER break the ice as the shock waves created can damage or kill your fish. A one foot diameter opening per 100 square foot area of pond surface kept from freezing over area is adequate to keep your fish alive.

Keeping a hole: One of the easiest ways to do this is with a floating pond de–icer, aerator or pump. Pond de-icers such as Floating De-icer and Thermo-Pond -100 Watt Heater float in the pond and have a built in thermostat to turn the heating element on when the water temperature drops below 40 degrees.

Other alternatives include: Pond-Vent Ice Reducer or EggLite Pond Vent. In climates where freezing is not normally expected – a surprise freeze lasting 24 hours can lead to trouble, If nothing else, use a pot of hot water to thaw a hole in the ice.
The De-Icer should be unplugged before all the ice is melted to prevent the stress of  a false Spring. You may also want to consider Thermocube -Thermocube Energy SaverAutomatically turns your electrical equipment on or off according to the outside temperature.

Aeration by air or water pump can be used to increase the amount of oxygen and force out gases in the water. The water agitation should gently disturb the surface rather than unnecessarily cool the deep warmer water. At low water temperatures, the fish are under some stress and do not need to be disturbed which can increase the level of stress and the concomitant expenditure of energy they can not afford to use.

It is a great idea to run the filter as long as possible. If you decide to run a pump all winter to keep an air exchange going, keep the following in mind.  Ice floats and water is heaviest at 39 degrees, so your water temperature is in this range anytime you see ice. By circulating the deepest layer, water, you eliminate the warmer layer at the bottom of the pond.  Elevate the pump on a pedestal at least half way to the surface.

Skimmer and Waterfall filters can be run through the winter in many areas of our country. Depending on your climate and other factors you may or may not want to run your pump and filter system through the winter. If you live in a climate with temperatures mostly at or above freezing then it will be to your advantage to keep your pump and filter running through the winter. The bacteria in your biological filter will not be active at low temperatures but it will remain alive as long as you keep it supplied with oxygen-laden water. Microbe-Lift Autumn, Will continue to provide sustained biological activity in water temperatures under 55 degrees. Helps to jump-start your pond to a healthier environment in the spring. Also helps to maintain a healthy immune system for your fish during the winter months. IF you plan on running the pumps and filter, your filter should be cleaned and operating at peak efficiency.

Protection: During winter your fish have a slower metabolism and after pond plants are removed from the pond, (see Part 2 Plant Care) fish will need to be protected from predators such as raccoons, birds of prey and other animals. Depending on the predators in your area consider one of the following products. Home made caves made with fish safe materials will also be beneficial.

Koi Kastle will help your fish be more comfortable by providing a place for them to hide when plants are not present and in summer they provide shade area as well.

Flora Island Floating plant protectors serve double duty. Provide fish with protection from predators during the fall and early spring. They float on pond surface providing areas for fish to hide under anytime plant cover is absent. This is especially important in fall when the fish left suddenly without plant cover, during winter when fish sit close to the bottom almost motionless and again in spring when they are still in a weakened condition.

Scarecrow One of the most effective methods of keeping predators away from the pond at any time of the year. This device senses movement with a motion detector and sprays any intruder with a burst of water frightening them off.

Pond Guardian: Protect your fish from raccoons and other pests. Kits are available in both battery and AC operated.Pond Guardian electric fence kits come with all the necessary parts contained in one kit. Additional parts are available to suit any size pond.

Pond Netting or Ultra cover: Use of pond netting will provide protection however, place a floater (plastic milk jugs will do) device between the ponds surface and the net.  Netting laying directly on the pond is subject to sinking and trapping your fish if winter storms deposit debris..

Now for Our Our Newest Water Feature Contest Winner!

Congratulations: Karen Johnson of Laurel, Mississippi

My husband, Bill and I, along with the help of my daughter and son-in-law, built our pond by hand.
We built in in an oval shape with the deepest part of the pond 2 1/2 feet deep. It has shelves around the sides for my potted plants. We have water lilies, water hyacinth and water lettuce. All those are so easy to take care of when you don't have a green thumb!
Around my pond, we have elephant ears, angel trumpets, inpatients, cat tails and banana trees. This is the first year that I have ever tried to get anything to grow and everything has done great. There is always something new that you can add to them.

My husband built the bridge for me and he did a fantastic job building it just from my instructions!

We just finished our pond a couple of weeks ago so it is still in the "adding to" stage.... We absolutely love it and have added around 25 goldfish. They are so beautiful and are amazing to watch. I can go out there and call them and they come to the top to eat. We had a million frogs, but they have all deserted us.
It is so beautiful at night when only the spotlights are on. The sound of the running water is so relaxing.
The internet has been my "pond bible". I have learned so much from the internet and think everyone should have a water garden. They are so relaxing and so much fun to work with.

Available Now in Fall & Winter Pond Care Product Catalog

Vacs Netting: Fish Care Products Fish Care Fish Food Fish Protection