Yeah, ok, so winter is still a few months off... But I'm starting to think about it now, because if I make the decision to bring the fish inside, I have to get an aquarium set up to house them.
Location: Ontario Canada - Ottawa to be specific. So yeah, it gets pretty cold.
Pond is 6' by 5' by 4' deep, with a nice waterfall on one end. Residents: a bunch of frogs and 5 shegenaki pond fish (I hope I spelled that right). It's the fish I'm worried about. I have read that if I keep the pump going all winter, the fish will be fine - they'll go to the bottom and essentially hibernate, and with the pump going there should be enough oxygen in the water to keep them alive.
I've read other alternatives as well:
1- don't keep the pump going, but keep part of the water surface clear of ice, and that will be just as good
2 - take the fish inside, in a cold water aquarium (ie no heater at all), and they'll be fine. Which would mean setting up a new aquarium and cycling it... which I'd have to start sometime in October I guess. The fish are already getting big though - about 3" each... that might mean a rather big aquarium that I don't really have space for.
Thoughts and suggestions?
Thanks
Location: Ontario Canada - Ottawa to be specific. So yeah, it gets pretty cold.
Pond is 6' by 5' by 4' deep, with a nice waterfall on one end. Residents: a bunch of frogs and 5 shegenaki pond fish (I hope I spelled that right). It's the fish I'm worried about. I have read that if I keep the pump going all winter, the fish will be fine - they'll go to the bottom and essentially hibernate, and with the pump going there should be enough oxygen in the water to keep them alive.
I've read other alternatives as well:
1- don't keep the pump going, but keep part of the water surface clear of ice, and that will be just as good
2 - take the fish inside, in a cold water aquarium (ie no heater at all), and they'll be fine. Which would mean setting up a new aquarium and cycling it... which I'd have to start sometime in October I guess. The fish are already getting big though - about 3" each... that might mean a rather big aquarium that I don't really have space for.
Thoughts and suggestions?
Thanks