Winter

[Deleted]

I feed my fish throughout the winter

I have a thermometer in my pond all year, when the water temp. is between approx. 6c and 10c I feed wheatgerm pellets once a day but only if my fish appear to be asking for food. But once the water is below 6c I don't feed them at all. Fish aren't able to digest food when the water is below 5c.

I also bypass my 3 water falls/chutes as they act like radiators in reverse, thereby causing the water to be super cooled.

[Chuckles]

I don't really feed my fish once they stop regularly coming to the top, maybe I should be when they do

Have put my usual black plastic 1/2" mesh over the top to stop the leaves falling in and will soon be sorting a 1" thick sheet of polystyrene out that I cover half the pond with when they forecast a frost. It looks unsightly but does the job.

Have just been out and the fish are about so might just try a few pellets. I only have 3 fish, 2 gold ones and 1 black, white and gold one, probably 5-6" long.

Wish I had a bigger pond like yours Rita

[Deleted]

Can you post a photo of your pond please BB?

How deep is your pond BB?

[Chuckles]

This is the only photo I have, not a good one I'm afraid, taken in june 2004. It's a rigid black plastic pond and as I kept the ticket off it I can tell you it holds 69 gallons of water, is 4'8" x 3'10" x 1'9" deep and has a shelf for plants at two ends.

[Deleted]

That looks rather nice BB - I can see you have a couple of water lilies too.

You could always dig a bigger pond BB and link them in some way

[andy]

I follow the same winter feeding regime as you Rita.....my koi are still on fairly high protein pellets but as soon as we get a bit cooler, they'll go onto low protein pellets followed by wheatgerm.

My koi are fed as often as they want it. I don't usually feed if the water temp is below 8 C.

As i have a formal raised pond, i can cover it with corrugated plastic sheets. This just keeps the wind chill off and keeps the water just that one or two degrees higher.

I've already turned my UV off for the winter....absolutely no need to keep it running but the filter will be left running.

[Deleted]

I leave my UV on all year Andy, as my pond still gets loads of sun through the winter - I replace the bulb each spring.

[Deleted]

Now here's a funny thing - my new fish rarely come to the top!

I created the pond (say 9 square metres) two years ago, it's 800mm at the deepest and has a bubble fountain aeriator which recirculates from a big filter - there is a goodly clump of weed in the middle.

There is a foundation group of black & brown goldfish which have this year spawned a shoal of little'uns, then I added 10 ghost Koi, 2 Green Tench and 2 (Ron & Reg ) 200mm Ory ( whatevers) - they only come up to feed in extreme heat in the day but I can see them feeding off weed in the dark at night.

Any ideas?

[Chuckles]

I'm not a fish person firstclassalan but I think it takes newly added fish some time to settle down anyway.

I could be telling you totally wrong here, but, I think Ghost Koi are a little on the shy side and Green Tench tend to stay near the bottom anyway.

There are a couple of members who keep fish and I'm sure when they see your question they will be able to help you.

You must be doing something right if you have fish that have spawned

[Deleted]

firstclassalan said:

Any ideas?

I would guess that they are still feeling a little shy

[madonplants]

firstclassalan said:

Now here's a funny thing - my new fish rarely come to the top!

I created the pond (say 9 square metres) two years ago, it's 800mm at the deepest and has a bubble fountain aeriator which recirculates from a big filter - there is a goodly clump of weed in the middle.

There is a foundation group of black & brown goldfish which have this year spawned a shoal of little'uns, then I added 10 ghost Koi, 2 Green Tench and 2 (Ron & Reg ) 200mm Ory ( whatevers) - they only come up to feed in extreme heat in the day but I can see them feeding off weed in the dark at night.

Any ideas?

Ghost Koi are a cross between a koi and a metallic carp I think, so from my carp fishing (not a lot) experience this could be a common thing. Carp will come to the top in hot weather to feed but stay near the bottom when not so warm. Maybe the 'weed' you have, contains lots of bugs for them to feed on or the weed itself. How long have you had them for and how big are they? They normally grow larger than 'ordinary' koi (largest I think is about 30lb in this country) and feed more greedily so check the parameters in the pond. Is the filter coping with the new fish? Check for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to see if this could be a cause. What are you feeding them on? They don't need a koi diet! Do you have any herons (or other predators) that visit, that could put them off
Hope this helps.

Keith

[beanie]

my fish aren't coming up as often now,but in the warmer weather i'm sure they could feel the vibration as we walked towards the pond as they were always surfacing as we got near. I have koi, shubunkin, goldfish and comets. Most of them are hand tame for feeding, except the new koi that I bought this year they are still very shy.

[oldmoleskins]

possibly really silly - but has anyone ever experimented with solar power as a way of artificially raising the temperature by a degree or two...? I've got a really good design for one.

OM

[Deleted]

Sounds interesting OM please tell us more

[andy]

It's something i asked about on the koi forum i go on. There are a lot of koi keepers who heat their out door ponds to 24 degrees all year round. But there are a lot of koi keepers, like myself, who don't heat at all.

It was agreed that for a unit big enough to heat the pond, it would cost around £10,000 to install plus you'd also need a boiler or some kind of heat exchanger etc etc.

If you've good a good design OM, please share !!!

[oldmoleskins]

Ok... I first saw this as a raffish swimming pool heater 30 years ago... and the cost is just the copper tube, tube supports and a small pump... probably not £10,000.

Most days there is some strength in the sun to raise the temperature of the water filled solar exchanges you see on some roofs, even in winter. In summer, of course the 'uplift' can be dramatic (you don't want that). You can probably get solar data via Google/the centre for alternative technology (Wales)

What you do is to collect wine bottles with a punt in the bottom - the depression in the glass. You invert these in a bucket of sand, one at a time, and using a steel punch of some kind (a half inch dia bolt is good, possibly a short lenght of the copper tube) and wearing goggles and gloves of course, punch in the punt with a sharp blow, leaving a half inch or so hole through the glass. This is surprisingly easy.

You thread these on connected lengths of half inch (15mm) copper tube, with the neck of one bottle nestling into the punt of the next, aiming for at least 5-10 yards(metres) of bottles - more bottles, more heat. You want a seamless, glass jacketted run of tube. You can put them in rows to save room, but south or southwest facing to catch the sun. Any exposed pipe (like at turns if in rows) you insulate with normal plumbing insulation.

Attach the smallest (slowest) pump you can find to an inlet hose from the pond and feed the outlet back in.

The trickle of water will 'collect' heat on its way through. In winter it won't be dramatic - but it will be low cost and should extend the active season. And think of the fun of collecting the bottles to start with...

OM.

[Chuckles]

oldmoleskins said:

Ok... I first saw this as a raffish swimming pool heater 30 years ago... and the cost is just the copper tube, tube supports and a small pump... probably not £10,000.

Most days there is some strength in the sun to raise the temperature of the water filled solar exchanges you see on some roofs, even in winter. In summer, of course the 'uplift' can be dramatic (you don't want that). You can probably get solar data via Google/the centre for alternative technology (Wales)

What you do is to collect wine bottles with a punt in the bottom - the depression in the glass. You invert these in a bucket of sand, one at a time, and using a steel punch of some kind (a half inch dia bolt is good, possibly a short lenght of the copper tube) and wearing goggles and gloves of course, punch in the punt with a sharp blow, leaving a half inch or so hole through the glass. This is surprisingly easy.

You thread these on connected lengths of half inch (15mm) copper tube, with the neck of one bottle nestling into the punt of the next, aiming for at least 5-10 yards(metres) of bottles - more bottles, more heat. You want a seamless, glass jacketted run of tube. You can put them in rows to save room, but south or southwest facing to catch the sun. Any exposed pipe (like at turns if in rows) you insulate with normal plumbing insulation.

Attach the smallest (slowest) pump you can find to an inlet hose from the pond and feed the outlet back in.

The trickle of water will 'collect' heat on its way through. In winter it won't be dramatic - but it will be low cost and should extend the active season. And think of the fun of collecting the bottles to start with...

OM.

How exciting, did anyone do this ? ? ?

[dirtyboots]

Sounds a great idea, we have enough empty bottles for miles ;D

If I had fish I'm sure the OG would have a go, he has installed solar panels on the roof and is very keen on it.

[Dutchy]

;D Making a good effort at collecting the bottles we are
My pond is still filled with ice. We had thaw since Saturday but a small round pond in the shade does not really thaw fast. Good thing we have no fish in it.
The newts are out and about. Sometimes I find one in the debris in the garden. I take care in not handling it as my body temp will wake it up and probably kill it. They are such minute creatures.
What I want to say is should you be clearing your garden ( winter boredom ) be real carefull not to disturb the bigger heaps as there are newts and maybe frogs in there.
Maybe even leave some of the dead stuff in a heap especially for them.
In Spring you will be rewarded with frogs and newts in your pond
Not that this reply belongs here but hey there you go.