What happens to the fish during the winter in outdoor ponds? I am going to be building an outdoor pond here in central PA. It will have a liner, so what do I do with the fish come winter time so they don't freeze, I don't have anyway to bring them inside. Do I fill the bottom with dirt for them to burrow in or just leave them or what? Thanks
cold weather
- Thread starter kbaker721
- Start date
You have to dig the pond deep enough to pass the freeze/frost depth (ask plumbers in your area). The unfrozen water in the bottom is enough for them to hibernate in. You also want to keep a small area of the surface unfrozen to allow gasses to exchange.
That’s all I know, maybe more experienced members can clarify. I take my pond fish into the basement in the winter.
That’s all I know, maybe more experienced members can clarify. I take my pond fish into the basement in the winter.
OldVamp said it pretty well.
I would only add that you stop feeding when the water temp goes below 45 degrees.
There are a number of pond heaters on the market that are designed to keep that little "airhole" open. If you get caught by a surprise freeze before you have a heater, you can fill a large pan with water, bring it to a boil on the stove, then take the pan outside and set it on the ice, with the water still inside. It will melt a nice hole through a couple inches of ice.
Under no circumstances should you ever chop or hit the ice to break it up. The shockwaves, trapped under the ice, can be deadly to the fish.
I would only add that you stop feeding when the water temp goes below 45 degrees.
There are a number of pond heaters on the market that are designed to keep that little "airhole" open. If you get caught by a surprise freeze before you have a heater, you can fill a large pan with water, bring it to a boil on the stove, then take the pan outside and set it on the ice, with the water still inside. It will melt a nice hole through a couple inches of ice.
Under no circumstances should you ever chop or hit the ice to break it up. The shockwaves, trapped under the ice, can be deadly to the fish.
TBH, you should really stop feeding when the water temperature falls below 55 degrees F. For me in Michigan, this is around October. You make sure (as others said) to keep a hole large enough so that there can be a gas exchange below the ice. Other than that, the fish just hang out for the winter, hybernating. Most ponds have to be around 3.5-4 ft. in PA to stop from freezing...as you know, it gets cold there!