Help on Over-wintering Larger Koi

[gseal]

Hi Folks

I have had a pond for 7 or 8 years (it's about 12 ft x 16 ft and 30" deep at the deepest point) and I have successfully overwintered smaller koi ( say up to 5" - 6") other years by using an airpump + drilling out a vent hole if the weather got too cold.

This summer I have purchased 2 larger KOI (I guess about 14" long) and I don't want to lose them this winter.

Are larger KOI just as able to stand overwintering in a pond or are they more likely to be stressed and die?

Would I best be advised to bring them into my garage and set up an aquarium?

I am looking for your good advice, OK?


Cheers


Grant

[jimskoi]

What I have done for many years is use the 5000gph pump that runs my pond now and use it to keep it open during the winter.All I do is run the output hose to the edge of the pond and turn it back so it hits the top of the water.This way it keeps the water moving and a open surface.All you need is to make sure that you get enough O2 into the water and the gasses can escape.I have never lost a koi during the winter for the 14 years that I have had Koi.
The temp doe not bother them.Just dont fed them below 40.

[Bwhiskered]

I also have a 16X12X3-1/2 deep koi pond. All I use is a good vibrator air pump with 2 large air stones that are suspended half ways down with syrofoam balls on the air line. This keeps a hole open most of the time. After a very cold night I may have to thaw the hole with a kettle of hot water. The warmest part of the pond is the bottom where the water is at it's greatest density. A pump running all the time equalizes the temperature making the pond colder. I had one person tell me he killed all his fish by freezing a 3 foot deep pond solid by running a fountian all winter until it froze up and quit. My pond has 15 large koi in the 24" range. Also about 50 six to eight inch 2 year olds that I have to remove in the spring as the pond is over populated and it is now hard to keep it clean. I also have a 3 foot deep gold fish pond with 50 Lionheads up to 8". They also stay out all winter along with Gold Dojos and Gold Medaka Rice Fish. I also have several fry ponds that are only 12" deep and only have an air stone and are covered with a plastic greenhouse style cover. They winter just fine.

I have been in fish over 55 years and have proved many experts wrong by experimenting.

[jimskoi]

Mine has never frozen over.I do not have to go out after a cold night a melt the ice with a kettle and I have never lost a fish.The fish do not care about the temp.
For a 2-4" pond.The temp is going to be the same all over.There is nothing in there that will keep it warmer.Its not the temp that  keeps it from freezing.Its to movement of the water.

It has worked for me for years and others also.I know of people who see to use the pond heaters.Only to have them stop working or freeze up on cold nights.They have switched to the pump.No problems.

BTW.Its not a fountain that I use.Its an actual pump with a 1 1/4"outlet.The same one that I use all year long.It runs my water falls in the other months.Everyone has different ideas and ways of doing everything.This is the way that works for me.No hassle,no tarps or melting of ice.Its a maintenance free way that I do it.

[Bwhiskered]

Fish do care about temperature. That is why they go to the deepest part of the pond where the water should be warmer.

[jimskoi]

Mine dont.
My pond is about 2.5' deep.Lots of the times in the winter they are at the top of the water.
Oh well!

[Rybren]

When my pond was up and running, I did the same as Jimskoi - just ran a pump to keep the surface agitated.  Never lost a fish.

[Sue]

Mine dont.
My pond is about 2.5' deep.Lots of the times in the winter they are at the top of the water.
Oh well!

sounds like some agreement there that the pump method keeps the pond one uniform temperature, where as the other guy's method leaves the fish in the bottom. I would guess the depth the groundfrost (is that the correct term?) would also make for a difference, since I would expect Burlington to have a warmer winter than Ottawa.

I was really interested in bewiskered comment about breeding lionheads. I'd love to see photo's of that pond and what his adults and babies look like! (I guess in another thread or they will nail me for derailing this one).
Sue

[Fishnut]

I have an above ground pond.  Last winter, I moved the tub...aka pond into the garage.  I put a fluval 4 internal canister filter on the bottom of the pond and an air stone about 4" from the surface.  It froze over quite a bit!  It got so cold that there was a 4" ice hill around the place where the air stone bubbled up and the hole still closed over.  I would poar several kettles of water to un-block it but by noon it was frozen over again.  I lost my favourite fish, so that day I went to BA and blew way too much money on a floating heater.  That kept the entire surface clear of ice and the rest of the fish were 100% fine over the winter.

This year, I bought a 180 gallon tank and I'm bringing them inside.  It's not going to be a permanent solution but the back yard is getting an overhaul as soon as the snow melts so we'll have the needed space in the garage and the koi will be safe in their own tank.

The 180 will eventually be used to grow some softball size ryukins!!!   I wish it didn't get so cold here.  I would be putting them outside too!

[asmackay]

This thread shows what I am planning.  Never gone through a winter yet but I got this idea from OVAS forum post.  It's only 12 watts to power and airates and should keep the a hole open.  It sits' 12" down on a plant shelf.

http://www.gardenpondforum.com/my-cheap-winter-pond-de-icer-testing-winter-t4532.html