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Advice for Koi keepers during winter

When winter is upon us, the pond is quiet and still.  The pond covers should be fitted by now keeping the fish safe and snug all winter long.  The cover will also be keeping predators at bay, such as foxes, herons, cats etc. 

Covering your pond in winter
Polycarbonate pond
cover for winter

Heating your pond

If you intend to heat the pond, there are some great products available on the market.  Remember heating the pond will incur extra cost due to extra gas or electricity being used on the pond.  Electric heaters are a great option, easy to install and use.  I have found these to be very reliable (as I have had one on my pond for many years now). You don’t have to use the heater to create summer temperatures, instead use the heater to stop the pond temperature falling to low.  48°F is a good temperature to set the heater at, avoiding  50°F as Koi and Carp immune systems breaks down, but it is still warm enough for parasites to thrive and this is what we need to avoid.  So avoid 50°F wherever possible, 48°F or 52°F are good temperatures to sustain the pond heat at. 

If you do not heat the pond, your hobby will come to a virtual standstill until spring arrives.  But the advantages of heating a pond are worth considering, the bacteria in the filter will not die back (as they will in an unheated pond), you can still feed your fish maintaining their growth and size.  Not leaving the fish to feed off their fat reserves for months on end.  The fish will still be swimming in a heated pond rather than in an unheated pond where they will be sitting on the bottom of the pond, this can cause sores and ulcers.  If you heat the pond to 52°F plus you can feed all winter long.  If you heat at 48°F only wheatgerm food should be given.  You can feed every couple of days if desired.  This will also keep the food bill down!

The subject of heating your pond is greatly debated by Fish Keepers today, but I believe the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.  I think we spend a lot of time and money on our fish, and as time goes by and the fish have grown to larger sizes then the cost of heating is far lower than the cost of replacing a large fish that we have lovingly grown on.  Heating the pond is better than losing the fish to cold harsh winters.