Warm weather is obviously the best time to enjoy koi and goldfish keeping. Posted January 25, 2011 by Full Service Aquatics. I would add a bit of pond salt to a therapeutic level, which is about 1/2# salt per 100 gallons. Your fish will not really get hungry once the water temperatures drop because their appetite is directly related to water temperatures. Since most goldfish are orange, the coloration they display comes from a combination of yellow and red. is almost always perfectly normal. They will even stick their faces out and practically climb out of the pond to celebrate feeding time. I have beautiful multi-colored river rock scattered in the depths and surrounding sides of the pond (as well as gravel) but I hate that all my rocks look “green” the pretty multicolors of the river rock do not show as they are all coated with a green debris type material. need your advice please. More intense reds are possible when combined with large areas of white on a goldfish. Thanks in advance! We also have not treated the water with anything, we’re allowing mother nature to take care of it as much as possible. Here is my question … i have an aerator about 2 feet from the ground installed to keep an open space, i also have a pump that can bring in water if needed this winter we do get a lot of snow which can act as insulation but the water test at o degree. Without other chromatophores, and thereby, pigments, to color the goldfish, it will appear white with a metallic sheen. […] Pond fish virtually hibernate in the winter months because their metabolism is controlled by the temperature of the water. This is because they generally possess weak or no coloration at all. I use a natural biodegradable product to keep algae at bay.I have pond plants also. Needless to say, our fish woke up and have become quite active, many coming to the surface. The difference is in how those colors are distributed; they tend to be spread out in patches, and black in calico goldfish is typically speckled. Can I use my pond filter? I had setup a tank for breeding discus (a type of cichlid fish). So, I have an idea of using a large planter that is approximately 40″ (plus) diameter to use as an above ground pond. If only we all could share that state of torpor and wake again when the spring has sprung! Nacreous is an interesting word, it comes from the word nacre, which means mother-of-pearl. I know I should be feeding only once a week, but it’s been such a warm a Winter that our fish are still coming to the window asking for breakfast. Although, it follows logic that without the components in the diet to create a particular color, the fish might then lose that color. How many goldfish in the container? Any info appreciated! Hello Tanya. Thank you Mike for your reply. This isn’t a hard algae on the rock that would need a good scrubbing to remove, its more a fine mist of debris. Mike. You mentioned salt a few times in the pond, maybe that would be wiser. If you water temps are around 50F, then yes it is time to stop feeding! During winter months the warmer water is on the bottom of the pond. He’s gotten bigger and seems to be doing well. Your story is a somewhat common one this year because of the wacky weather we had. Hello Johnathan, We do not have a deicer yet and debating between getting a reasonably priced Deicer on ebay or removing the fish from the water, and possibly emptying the pond from water and placing them into a large plastic container like those used by the municipality for recycling trash. We have algae now., more than before on the rocks. Which means they lose their black pigments. I have one goldfish that I put in this summer. Ornamental fish are typically raised in outdoor ponds, goldfish included. Is my fish dying or is it hibernating? This is important because it being crystalline in form is what causes it to refract light, and that refraction is what causes the fish to look metallic or shiny. Mike. I really couldn’t get it any deeper and that was with building up the sides by about 10 inches. The two oldest are at least 30 years old, I inherited them 12 years ago and the prior owner could not recall exactly when he put in the pond so this is the estimate; they were elderly and he said they can live to 100 years! Goldfish have three types of scale: metallic, nacreous, and matte. Davon profitierst du immer dann, wenn du mit PayPal, Kreditkarte oder Lastschrift zahlst. Colder temps and the addition of healthy bacteria a month ago appeared to clarify the water. What are these. I am considering moving them into a 30′ deep garbage pail in my unheated garage and insulating it with thick bedding foam wrapped in plastic on the sides and bottom of the pail. This is a single tailed fish with a solid black coloration that does not fade to orange or white over time. Tagged with: goldfish • koi • koi fish • new jersey • nj • PONDS, Hi, is the image ‘koi-under-ice’ copyrighted? This results in some scales having a full compliment of guanine and appearing fully metallic, while others have a partial reflectivity from which fishkeepers made the connection with mother-of-pearl. Your tips are useful regardless. They have 14 babies I plan to give away this spring to the local kids. The bloating of the fish is hard to say exactly without seeing it (you’re welcome to send photos if you can get a good shot); however it could be dropsy if the scales are not sitting smoothly against the skin of the fish. The former owner had blocks of salt that they used for the Koi and all sorts of medicine but none of that has been necessary. If there is truly an excess of debris I would look to things like over feeding, or plant waste, or material from around the pond getting into the pond. I am not sure what type of filtration you are using on your pond, however even in your garage I would still filter the water that your koi are in. Thank you. I know that the common consensus is not to feed under 10c, but if I did that, I couldn’t feed for practically 6 months a year (we are quite far north for carp). This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Your email address will not be published. For the last 30 years I’ve kept goldfish on and off, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched goldfish turn from black to orange and then orange to white. Metallic scaled goldfish are the most common you’ll come across in your local fish store, so I’ll talk about them first. Or do I not require one in the winter the garage can get as cool as 40F. Do you think koi are hardy enough to survive winters here untended? If creating depth is not an issue, then a bit deeper is a bit better! KoiWrangler, Dallas. Hi Julie, The fish will not be able to metabolize the food due to the low water temperatures. Akvaryum 150x55x40h ölçülerinde. If you’ve ever bought a nice red and white goldfish from the pet store, only to slowly watch the red fade to orange in your tank at home, this is because of its change of environment. i just stumbled upon your blog and it very helpful but, i was was wondering if you might be able to advise me on whether to buy a couple of koi carp. thank you, michelle, Hello Michelle. Thanks for getting in touch and checking out the blog! More Fish . Koi and goldfish are poikilothermic animals, a fancy way of saying cold-blooded. Hi~ So I live in the Northeast like NY and I was wondering what time during the spring my koi will begin to be active again. Good luck, Mike. Is there anything I can do to help bring it back to health? You can use solar salt that is also used for water softeners to save a bit of money, or just buy “pond salt” its the same thing. But, before this happens, the fish will often darken first, and many times a young goldfish will take on an inky black color. Guanine is distributed unevenly in nacreous goldfish. Hi Connie, They have lots of shelter as I have used square sley type material drain pipes …(have used them for year and the fish love to hide in them and swim through them!) I did put some algaecide in at one point. We live in Canada. And vice versa, a yellow goldfish will still have a modicum of red in its pigment. So, what happens in a metallic goldfish when it loses a little, or a lot, of its orange coloration? Wann gilt der eBay-Käuferschutz?. Der Investitionsgrad soll flexibel - je nach Marktlage und Markteinschätzung - zwischen 0 und 100% liegen. Their activity level will probably settle down once we are deeper into winter. The temp of the water is kept unfrozen with a pond heater that only comes on if the temp goes below 42. And the rest is piscine history. I hate using the chemicals the fish do not appear to like them. So, when it comes to color, we’re talking about white, black, orange, and yellow. To answer your questions – I’ve answered in the body of the email –. Before goldfish get their brighter, more desirable coloration, they go through a period of demelanization. We live in Central Oregon and have been hit with a significant storm with temps bottoming out at 5 to 7 degrees F. Our large pond was properly winterized and we have 2 aerators keeping holes in the ice and a heating device over our waterfall pump intake area to keep the pump from freezing. -Mike, Hi Mike, Hello Yvonne! I am buying a house with an 8 foot long pond. There is a 200 gallon reedbed filter, a large pressurised filter, UV, vortex and a couple of 250 gallon tanks hooked into the system. I’m very sorry to hear about your fish loss. Thanks for the reply Mike – much appreciated. Based on the size of your pond, if it is easy enough and you have the room, then you may want ot just bring the fish indoors. The waterfall is running. Take your time! Hi Al. As the pond is only 12″ deep I am looking for the best way to get them through the winter. So how does guanine affect the color of your goldfish. This is because the farm responsible for creating new and desirable fish want to protect their secrets so others can not reproduce their fish and thereby prices stay high. Hopefully it will survive the winter though the bamboo we will probably take indoors. Very cool website! I think you koi would do fine in the pond that you are describing. Hello Eli, Mike. Given that the carp are still feeding quite well, when would you stop feeding? The other fish will only be disturbed briefly and should recover just fine from the removal of the dead fish. Mosquitoes don’t stand a chance in a koi pond! The water temperatures are an issue. I went to remove him again, yikes, still alive. Don’t feel bad, I’ve used a sledge hammer on a pond before I realized what I was doing to the fish (and myself!). I work out of my house and they take me outside. After which, goldfish were selectively bred. I don’t see a problem to winter them in the pond. As far as the pump and filter that are now outside, if we keep the fish outdoors during the winter should we have them both work together w the waterfall or should we disconnect the pump and filter and not have the waterfall work at all but only use deicer or hot water to break any potential ice as some have suggested here. 2. Its on the small scale I would say more like the size of a bathtub. My husband gently touched the fish and he slowly swam back into their cave. All of the ponds we build are at least 2ft deep for that reason. My pond water is clear, very clear. I don’t think that what you are experiencing with your rockwork is unusual of an indication of anything wrong with your pond. If water temps are above 52F/11C consistently then feeding more often should not be a problem, as long as you keep the feedings on the smaller side. I live in Central Wisconsin with a 150 to 200 gallon pond, with a depth of 19 inches. Water is getting colder – I estimate it to be between 40 and 50. I thought maybe because they fall on stones we put and don’t splash the pond itself from high above… or perhaps its an issue w the filter needing some cleaning, although it is new and installed in late summer, I would say. Any comments would be appreciated since I am not expert but am quite fond of my fish. The third one is currently lying on its side and it looks like he’s not going to make it either. Required fields are marked *. Thank you for your help. I have two pond options – both Rubbermaid stock style. What’s going on under the ice and snow? Given the conditions you describe I would disconnect and winterize the filters that have UV build into them since they can generally cannot handle freezing weather. In Ancient China, the ancestors of domestic goldfish were farmed for food. We are not sure what to do as we do not want to disturb the other fish. Another storm is coming this week and I was wondering if there is anything we can do for the poor koi we woke out of torpor! The waterfall seem to be very slow compare to before. You can use cold weather food for your fish and feed until late October typically, and you can also use a cold water beneficial bacteria treatment during winter months. Good luck and enjoy! We had terrible Col spell for a month I was told to change the UV lights every other year. I have them on different circuits in case one power strip flips off, the other is available. The water temperature is still 45-47 and they are feeding well on wheatgerm sticks, with some supplementary maggots and worms. This is our first winter with our beautiful koi pond and I am a nervous wreck. He appeared to be moving but very slowly. Mike, Question: Using tanks in such cold conditions would be very difficult to control temperatures. Later on, I repurposed that tank for goldfish. It came with a water feature with 8 koi in the pond that is about 18 inches deep. Snow, ice, shorter days, and more indoor time leads to our slowly losing our ability to see what’s happening with our pond fish. Would a planter serve as an adequate pond for pond fish? i do have a heating rock to put in the pond. If the garage temp keeps the water at 52F or lower then they will probably stay dormant. I wish I had read your post a few days ago, but because I didn’t, I’m afraid we made a big mistake with our koi pond. -Mike. putting your fears to rest. If the fish have done well through the winters in years past I would thing they will do fine moving forward, and there is little maintenance to do in the winter months for your fish. How many gallons is the container? i asked the woman at the pet store for as much advice as she could give me because im a real animal lover and want to make sure im providing him the best home possible. I am worried he might be sick ~ I’m not sure what the swelling is and am hoping you might be able to provide me with some guidance. A handful of maggots went largely uneaten until today. I live in Kelowna and would place them in the garage in the winter. Hey Brittany, However, if you have a genetically more orange or yellow goldfish and put it in an outdoor pond, it won’t turn red. We have a 3500 gallon pond, with approximately 17 koi and goldfish. Metallic goldfish, as the name suggests, have a metallic shine to their scales. If the goldfish have acclimated to the new conditions then you are doing great so far. We are having a warm winter here in the states too! Thanks for getting in touch! Lutino vs Albino Oscar – What’s The Difference? Do I need to bring him in for the winter, given the shallow depth of the water? Mike. So, goldfish with nacreous scales have an aesthetic that resembles mother-of-pearl. During winter the running water keeps just above zero degrees. All those that died were at the top so I was surprised that you told the other California person that he would find if the fish at the bottom were dead. Sometimes days and weeks go by without major water lose, but one time we had 70% of the water suddenly gone. Cheers! I would probably offer them food now. I have put a couple of inverted plant pots in the pond so they can swim inside because none of our plant stores have pond plants right now for them to hide under. -Mike, It’s been strange winter in New York area I assume this one is not deep enough for winter housing. This is a common question and concern that many pond keepers have. It doesn’t appear to be hibernating/sleeping since it’s on it’s side and very weak when it flapped. Matte scaled goldfish can appear pinkish, because the transparent scales allow the flesh beneath to color the fish. Thanks in anticipation Mike. Also, if ever, I would love to hear you blog on pond cleaning, your method and how often. Thank you. It is more than likely that we will see a steady drop of temperatures to below freezing and that snow and ice will come out way for prolonged period of time. Also worth noting is that black is very stable in calico goldfish. A quick peek in the pond tells us everything. And do we need to buy anything that would do the job of a pump and filter? © 2021 Full Service Aquatics • NJ HIC License #13VH03407600. Any way to tell if I am an accidental mass murderer or not? What is the typical maintenance routine and charge? Mike. i’ve been reading on what i should do, but i’m still not 100% on what steps i need to take to get it ready for cold weather. Some floated and were caught in skimmer. Most pond pond professionals will use a hand held drill with a hole saw to open ice. The water has a lot of foam but no ice. I live in Anchorage, Alaska. If kept outdoors I would just use aeration, there is good chance of damaging your filter if you run it during winter months. Would I use this filter AND use the air-bubble -Aquascape 75000 Pond Air 2 Aeration Kit? There is one more large Koi and a number of large goldfish in the same container. Is that correct? In the past it has been dormant at the bottom of the pond 1.5 m deep. Nacreous goldfish come in a calico color form, and their scales have a pearlescent value that resembles mother-of-pearl, while matte scales are transparent and therefore show a flat color akin to matte paint. Every pond has very small particulate matter (aka fines) in the water that may not be getting pulled out by the filter system, so it settles on the rockwork. Our koi and goldfish not being up to too much is an interesting behavior, considering how lively they are throughout the rest of the year. Color in fish is controlled by chromatophores. Any other advice? -Mike, Yes, they love eating them! The telescope eye mutation is strongly associated with the failure of demelanization, i.e. Your generosity is so appreciated! Too many fish for this pond. Goldfish & Koi. 2 adet 25 cm civarında ve 5 adet 12 cm civarında balıklarım. it has a waterfall and a hand built filter system. Hello, thanks for getting in touch. Pond was frozen other then where I have heaters I have 3 Koi about 8in @. Two days ago, our waterfall had developed an ice jam and water was leaking out of the pond so we took a shovel to it to break it up. Will the lack of depth be an issue? If you’re like me, and you love goldfish, you’ll find the underlying science fascinating. If water temps are staying less than 55F then you do not want to feed even if they are not fully “sleeping” yet. Enjoy – Mike. Thanks again, good luck, and let me know if I can help any more! We have no aeration system, no waterfall, and no filter system. Well, because it makes the scales appear “solid” in color. Don’t forget to use aeration during those harsh NE PA winters! If you warm up the fish slowly they should do just fine. I too look forward to those Spring blooms! Should I try to heat and aerate this pond, to over winter the fish? This is a common question and concern that many pond keepers have. This time of year koi and goldfish will still casually scrape the highly nutritious algae from rock growth below water for a bit of calories and energy. There is alot of info that I do not have to really be able to tell you why it may have died. Americaeli@aol.com, Hello Eli, If so, at what point? We sometimes have cold winters last year wasnt to bad the odd few days below freezing but the previous two years went as cold as -14. I have a mud pond pond of about 45 feet diameters and 6 foot deep that i can keep filling with fresh water from the over if needed. Thanks for reading and commenting! If we get any more warm spells offer them a bit of food and by November your feeding will mostly stop until spring. Its already brutally cold and windy here (especially yesterday) but although its already November Philly is expecting a climb of temperatures that will reach the 60’s and maybe even the low 70’s but I expect it to be isolated and more rare occurance. The bottom of the pond as some mud where the koi could hide. hi mike Currently one of the large fish is lying on the bottom looking dead. Hi Deanna, Goldfish with a calico pattern are still working with the same colors (black, red, yellow, white). The water is 40 degrees F. I have a 50 gallon tub I could put in my house. I pull out the leaves manually and spend some time out there and also clean out the filter rinse, backwash at least once a week. that he installed a few years ago and a waterfall that is currently running. I have seen many patio ponds that have fish in them but cannot function year round because of cold weather conditions, or even very hot conditions. I have a 15ft x 15ft pond set up with a bias towards it being fairly natural. I live in Chicago and my pond is about 2 1/2 deep and my fish have stayed out all winter before but my koi is now 24″ long is this pond to shallow for that fish this winter for hibernation …thanks for your help. The koi are back in the cleaner pond but are all at the bottoms and lifeless. This funny behavior that may lead a pond keeper to think koi and goldfish are huddled together to share body heat; but koi are poikilothermic, so no. If the water temps are above 55F you might even want to begin feeding them a little bit. In the morning, we use the remote control to restart the waterfall. I enjoy your website very much. There may be around 14 2-3 inch goldfish and there are probably 5 smaller goldfish and then one other large (10″-12″) Koi in the trough. Total volume about 2800 gallons. Instead, the scales are transparent and allow the pinkish color of the flesh below to show through. It all depends on water temperature. Thank You! Try using the search function for what ever questions you may have and you’ll likely find an answer! contact Hello ~ Hi Mike: I got my first black and orange goldfish when I was 9 years old. This is the one for me. It sounds like the pond was shut down properly. Almost never drops below 20 fahrenheit, though exceptionally can drop to 10. Discus tanks are often given white backgrounds for breeding purposes. I typically feed them once week in the winter here.a small quantity of food. Also add some additional aeration, then wait and see how the koi does. The water never completely freezes over as I keep the pump running which powers the water fall too so there are always two areas which are ice free, I am however still a bit concerned about the winter months this year, should I cover part of the pond with bubble wrap or something similar to maintain an element of heat? Try to check if those are the issues. It is approx. The waterfall we shut every evening since the spring or summer when it began working with this new pond.