Winter Pond Questions

I am new to ponding so have few dumb questions...

Live in zone 5 and have small pond...300 gallons and 15 to 16 inch
deep....residing in pond are 6 lovely gold fish 4 to 5 inches in
length..Temp is starting to get rather cold here...yesterday pond had 1/4
to 1/2 inch ice on it...I removed pump and filter laid some 2x4's over pond
and placed 4mil clear plastic sheeting over entire pond area held in place
with bricks. I also placed air pump in bucket with bubbler 6 to 8 inches
below surface. when I checked today ice was gone from pond area....Am
wondering if I need heater if so would low wattage heater work? If there is
warm spell is it ok to feed fish? If I feed fish would this create problem
with ammonia contamination? any advise appreciated...TIA

On Nov 28, 10:44 pm, wrote:
I am new to ponding so have few dumb questions...

Live in zone 5 and have small pond...300 gallons and 15 to 16 inch
deep....residing in pond are 6 lovely gold fish 4 to 5 inches in
length..Temp is starting to get rather cold here...yesterday pond had 1/4
to 1/2 inch ice on it...I removed pump and filter laid some 2x4's over pond
and placed 4mil clear plastic sheeting over entire pond area held in place
with bricks. I also placed air pump in bucket with bubbler 6 to 8 inches
below surface. when I checked today ice was gone from pond area....Am
wondering if I need heater if so would low wattage heater work? If there is
warm spell is it ok to feed fish? If I feed fish would this create problem
with ammonia contamination? any advise appreciated...TIA

if the temp is below 10 degrees C then you should not feed your fish
in your pond. they can last the winter without food because the cold
weather slows their metabolism right down

red

In article ,
redsockfluff wrote:

if the temp is below 10 degrees C then you should not feed your fish
in your pond. they can last the winter without food because the cold
weather slows their metabolism right down

red

If you feed them and the water temp is below 12c/54f then the food they eat
will not get digested and it will expand in their stomaches, decay and
eventually cause their death.

If you need to feed your fish in the winter then use Sera Koi Professional
Winter Food or TetraPond Wheat Germ Sticks.

UK:
http://www.reptilica.co.uk/product_info.
php/product/Sera_KOI_Professional_Winter_Food

US:
http://www.gardenponds.com/fish7.htm

See:
http://www.feedingkoi.com/koi_feedin...old_water.html

-Hank

Koi cannot digest carbohydrates. dont know where the idea to feed wheat germ and
cheerios got started, but carbs ferment so dont feed that at all.

I feed my koi a bit of protein when my water is 50oF or better all winter long. I
heat my pond a bit or the koi wouldnt have food for 6 months, too long, too much
stress. this year I am using frozen krill. basically the nibble on algae and itty
bitty critters all winter long when the temp is up so I am just giving them a bit
more. Ingrid

On Sun, 02 Dec 2007 06:36:29 GMT, (Hank Nussbacher) wrote:
If you feed them and the water temp is below 12c/54f then the food they eat
will not get digested and it will expand in their stomaches, decay and
eventually cause their death.

If you need to feed your fish in the winter then use Sera Koi Professional
Winter Food or TetraPond Wheat Germ Sticks.

In article , wrote:
Koi cannot digest carbohydrates. dont know where the idea to feed wheat germ
and
cheerios got started, but carbs ferment so dont feed that at all.

I don't know anything about Cherrios, but Tetra only recommends to feed the
wheat germ when temps are between 39-50F. I would assume a company like Tetra
isn't killing off all Koi in the winter by selling this food. I would also
assume they have tested this out before marketing it as such. If you feel
otherwise, then here is a good chance for a lawsuit.

-Hank


On Sun, 02 Dec 2007 06:36:29 GMT, (Hank Nussbacher) wrote:
If you feed them and the water temp is below 12c/54f then the food they eat
will not get digested and it will expand in their stomaches, decay and
eventually cause their death.

If you need to feed your fish in the winter then use Sera Koi Professional
Winter Food or TetraPond Wheat Germ Sticks.

oh.. you mean tested it out like the pet food industry did for the processed
commercial dog foods. dogs dont digest complex carbs well either which is why they
have these huge dumps. dogs eat meat. koi eat meat. neither are herbivores, and
koi most certainly cannot digest land based, high cellulose carbohydrates. koi have
a very short intestine, just like dogs.

the day they show proof that wheat germ grows in the water and they get pictures of
the koi nibbling on it is the day I will believe it is "good" for the koi.

tetra pond koi wheat germ sticks
Ingredients: wheat germ meal, fish meal, corn flour, dehulled soybean meal, feeding
oat meal, wheat germ, wheat germ meal.

Fish meal, or fishmeal, is a commercial product made from both whole fish and the
bones and offal from processed fish. It is a brown powder or cake obtained by
pressing the whole fish or fish trimmings to remove the fish oil.

Some of these sites are recommending feeding this from 39oF to 50oF. Now koi wont
eat below 45oF. but I ask, how is ANYONE going to PROVE that rotting food in the gut
killed a fish? Look how long it took to connect that melamine powder (used to boost
"protein" levels artificially) was killing dogs and cats.

Ingrid

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:18:40 GMT, (Hank Nussbacher) wrote:
I don't know anything about Cherrios, but Tetra only recommends to feed the
wheat germ when temps are between 39-50F. I would assume a company like Tetra
isn't killing off all Koi in the winter by selling this food. I would also
assume they have tested this out before marketing it as such. If you feel
otherwise, then here is a good chance for a lawsuit.

if you put bubble wrap over the top, drop in a 100 watt aquarium heater (hang it so
it doesnt actually touch the pond liner) you may find your pond gets up to 50oF, and
then if the little buggers come up to the surface go ahead and feed them. but do get
freeze dried krill or chop up a tiny bit of shrimp because that is what they would
eat anyway. no carbs to rot in their gut. and feed tiny, tiny amounts, not every
day and yes, do keep a close eye on ammonia. should be the algae will start growing,
the pond will green up and as long as there is sun getting thru to the pond the algae
will suck up the ammonia. the bubbler actually does aerate some of the ammonia and
blow it off too, surprisingly.

but what you also need is a little bucket filter in the pond. go here
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/care/hardware.html
and click on bucket filter. the whole thing sits in the pond and keeps pulling the
water thru the filters with the biobugs which will work to a certain extent even in
colder water. however, the algae is the best filtration in cold water.
also, you can get a seachem ammonia "alert" to drop in the pond so you can fish it
out and take a look. just be careful feeding tiny amounts and not every day.

I personally believe that up in zone 5 and 6 (where I am too) our poor fish dont eat
for 6 months of the year and it is just toooo long to go without food. since I have
started covering, heating and feeding tiny amounts all winter AND THE TEMP IS 50 OR
SO, the fish have not died in spring, dont even have scuzzy fuzz or spots or anything
in spring. and it is much better than bringing them in and exposing them to the
trauma and the ammonia of a cycling tank.
here's my pond in winter. http://weloveteaching.com/mypond/winters/winter.htm
Ingrid

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:44:33 GMT, wrote:

I am new to ponding so have few dumb questions...

Live in zone 5 and have small pond...300 gallons and 15 to 16 inch
deep....residing in pond are 6 lovely gold fish 4 to 5 inches in
length..Temp is starting to get rather cold here...yesterday pond had 1/4
to 1/2 inch ice on it...I removed pump and filter laid some 2x4's over pond
and placed 4mil clear plastic sheeting over entire pond area held in place
with bricks. I also placed air pump in bucket with bubbler 6 to 8 inches
below surface. when I checked today ice was gone from pond area....Am
wondering if I need heater if so would low wattage heater work? If there is
warm spell is it ok to feed fish? If I feed fish would this create problem
with ammonia contamination? any advise appreciated...TIA

Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top?

About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake
through top? discharge hose on bottom?

Thanks

On Nov 29, 10:14 pm, wrote:
Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top?

About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake
through top? discharge hose on bottom?

Thanks



please excuse my ignorance but whats zone 5, 6? i'm from the UK

"redsockfluff" wrote in message
...
On Nov 29, 10:14 pm, wrote:
Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at
top?

About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water
intake
through top? discharge hose on bottom?

Thanks



please excuse my ignorance but whats zone 5, 6? i'm from the UK

Plant hardiness zones. In the USA:
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

Here's an article with more general
information, including the UK:
http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com...ardening_zones

Gail
near San Antonio TX USA