goldfish in an outdoor pond

[chirpychirpy]

when the pond freezes in weather like we're getting now, what happens to the goldfish? Is there any truth in the theory that you're not supposed to feed goldfish in an outside pond during the winter months?

[Count-A-Strong]

You can put a tennis ball in the water before it freezes which can then be removed periodically to allow the water to oxygenate. Oxygenating plants also help.

[tastymorsel]

I never feed my fish in winter.They won't take it and it just goes rotten and causes pollution in the water.The fish will be fine as long as there is somewhere on the pond surface open to release any build up of gas,Polysyrene is useful for floating on top as ot doesn't freeze.

[Barmaid]

I used to have an outdoor pond with goldfish. I used to stop feeding them October-ish and start again in the Spring.

I used to have a floating light in the pond which helped stop it freezing. I also used to break the ice by standing a hot saucepan of water on it (you mustn't crack the ice since the shock waves don't help the fish).

[woofgang]

yes stop feeding when it gets chilly in autumn. I have a floating warmer in mine. You plug it into the electricity (through an rcd of course) and it keeps a small area of ice melted.

[NazNomad]

All of the above ^^^ ... I haven't fed (or even seen) mine since November and won't feed them again until Spring.

[jules77]

Dont feed ours either.......We keep an area of ice melted with oxygen pumps on 24/7.

[wolf63]

What do they eat then - surely they will get a dose of the munchies at some point.

[WhiteBears]

dont the fishes freeze?

[wildwood]

The fish don't freeze WhiteBears, because the water is above freezing temperature under the surface. If the pond is a very shallow one and it is a very cold period you may find one or two fish that croak it but not healthy fish. Ofcourse, if it is that cold that all the water freezes the fish are shushi.

[WhiteBears]

oh thanks wildwood, i usually thought that fishes freezes when the lake, rivers orr ponds freezes, i take it that it only freezes on the surface.... oh dear im so dumb :-P

[wolf63]

.... so what do they eat then?

[wildwood]

They don't need to eat as they live off their stored fats. At these low temperatures they move very little and are almost torpid, so use very little energy.

A 12" deep pond with a ½" icelayer can still have 2°C water at the bottom. The ice acts like insulation so to freeze thicker is has to be veeeeeeeery cold.

[wolf63]

I am just back on-line. Cats, unlike goldfish, are unable to last more than a couple of hours without the risk of starvation. Or so the tom cat whacking me in the face says.

So - it's a boring life being a goldfish. I should try hibernating and then, maybe, I will get rid of some of my fat stores.

Susan - now wide awake, two kitties are off back to my/our bed.

[jomifl]

You don't need to feed fish in an outdoor pond unless you want to end up with so much fish mass that they will suffocate when the pond freezes over. 'Oxygenating' plants cannot be relied upon to supply enough oxygen in the winter as there is too little light.