WINTER POND TIPS

by Ray Jordan

            It is hard to believe that another winter will be shortly upon us, maybe. Now is the time to make your plans for an uneventful winter and spring pond season. Many fish problems that show up in the spring actually start because of winter stresses and problems. Remember that your fish’s immune system becomes very weak in water much below 55 degrees. Also the beneficial bacteria in your biological filter become inefficient at detoxifying ammonia and other wastes as your pond water drops below 60 degrees.  

However there are also some excellent advantages of cooler water. Cooler water holds much more oxygen than warm water. Most fish parasites and disease causing bacteria, etc. are less active in cooler water. However they are ever present and will cause problems if the right situations occur. Also we can and do have crazy swings in temperature during the winter. In past years we have had 100 degree and 20 degree days in February! Who knows what will happen this winter? So you better be prepared. Here are some tips to help get your fish and plants through the winter healthier and off to a stronger start next spring:

 1)      Do a thorough pond cleaning if needed now. Remove fallen leaves and any sludge that might have accumulated in your pond or filter. Never stir up the muck in your pond with fish still in the same water. Use a holding tank. (also prune your water plants and remember that tropical lilies, etc cannot survive cold temperatures. If you want to save tropical plants they have to be kept in warm water above 65 degrees) Hardy Lilies can be left in the pond all winter in South Texas. It is especially important to remove any acorns that might have fallen into your pond this fall as they can be toxic in large quantities. To save yourself a lot of work cover your pond with netting to prevent leaves and acorns from getting into your pond.

 2)      Continue to test your water and do regular water changes. Remember your ponds biological filtration will not work as well in cold water. You can definitely get ammonia levels building in the winter. Continue to change 10%-15% of your water each week while you are feeding your fish. Continue to backwash your filters depending on feeding schedule and do not forget to use declorinator. 

3)      Check your pond plumbing. Be careful that water circulates through all your pipes at all times. Water pipes can freeze and then break and drain your pond if water flow is stopped.  

4)      Keep your water pump, air pump, and filters running all winter. If you can reduce the amount of flow and/or redirect your return to bypass your waterfall, in the very coldest weather, that is helpful but keep your pump and filter running all the time! 

5)      Know your pond water temperature. You will need to adjust the number and amount of fish feedings as the water temperature drops. A suggestion might be to reduce both the amount of food and feedings to twice a day when water temperature stays below 70 and only once a day when it stays below 60 degrees. Do not feed fish at all when water temperature stays below 50 to 55F degrees. (I promise they will not starve) Switch to lower protein food such as wheat germ base. This is the hardest part for Martha. Our fish always swim up to us even on very cold days and expect to be fed. Not because they are hungry but because they are conditioned They will of course eat if fed. But, their body temperature is below that necessary to chemically digest food. So undigested food just passes through and becomes a source of toxic waste and additional ammonia. And no your bio filter cannot detoxify ammonia very rapidly in very cold weather because the bacteria are also dormant at very low temperatures. Please believe me it is far kinder to decrease and then stop feeding your fish and then have them healthier and enjoying high quality water all winter. 

6)      Continue to watch your fish carefully for any that do not swim or eat with the other fish. On very cold days they will all be very slow or inactive but they should act similar. Watch carefully any fish that swims funny or sits on the bottom when all the others are starting to swim around on warmer days. Observe any cuts or sores that might develop. These will not heal well in cold water and when we get a few days of warmer temperatures the bad bugs can wake up and cause big problems. If your fish start flashing excessively find out what is happening and treat it. If you test and find high ammonia do a major water change (30%-50%) and stop feeding. If the signs and symptoms point to parasites catch and scrape a few of your koi and look at the scraping with a microscope. If significant numbers of parasites show up use appropriate treatment for the water temperatures you are experiencing.. 

7)      Move sick, injured, or just weird acting fish to a heated hospital tank. Remember a fish’s immune system is temperature dependent. After they recover you can put them back in the pond.

Read and learn more about how to care for the special needs of your pond’s inhabitants in the winter season. The club library is a great place to start. The better your fish and plants go through the winter the fewer problems you will have next spring. Best wishes to everyone for quiet, healthy, and a happy pondering winter!