Winter in Central Pennsylvania is STILL Upon Us...
When cold weather hits we always get quite a few phone calls about what to do with a koi pond waterfeature during the winter months and the need to heat koi ponds to keep them from freezing over. There seems to be some confusion out there about what is needed.
Generally speaking, ice on a backyard koi pond for a week or so is not a problem for the fish because at this time of year, you should have already stopped feeding the koi and they have gone into hibernation. This means that their metabolism has greatly slowed down and they are producing very little waste. Plant life has died back and vegetative material has hopefully been removed from the pond so there is little to decompose. The biological processes in the pond have also slowed down significantly because of the temperature decrease and the toxins that are being formed from fish waste and plant decomposition are doing so at a very slow rate.
ACCU Weather 2016 Winter Forecast (CLICK HERE)
However, in Central Pennsylvania, we often get extended periods of sub-freezing temperatures in the months of January and February, often leading to inches of ice on ponds. Even though being produced at very low rate, toxins created from fish waste and plant decomposition can accumulate over time and stress or kill your pond fish if not handled correctly or in a timely manner. When ice freezes over the pond for multiple weeks without thawing, those toxins have no way to escape the pond (which is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT). Unfortunately, because this build-up causes stress that is hard to detect while the fish are hibernating in the deepest part of the pond under the ice, you may not notice a difference in your fish’s health until spring welcomes Pennsylvania in April. It is also important to note that gasses trapped under the ice for too long can be fatal to your fishy friends.
- Does this need to be done to protect the fish?
- Do I have to keep all the ice off the pond all winter?
- Is it ever safe for the pond to be iced over and if so how long?
- If my pond needs to be deiced, how can I do this?
Generally speaking, ice on a backyard koi pond for a week or so is not a problem for the fish because at this time of year, you should have already stopped feeding the koi and they have gone into hibernation. This means that their metabolism has greatly slowed down and they are producing very little waste. Plant life has died back and vegetative material has hopefully been removed from the pond so there is little to decompose. The biological processes in the pond have also slowed down significantly because of the temperature decrease and the toxins that are being formed from fish waste and plant decomposition are doing so at a very slow rate.
ACCU Weather 2016 Winter Forecast (CLICK HERE)
However, in Central Pennsylvania, we often get extended periods of sub-freezing temperatures in the months of January and February, often leading to inches of ice on ponds. Even though being produced at very low rate, toxins created from fish waste and plant decomposition can accumulate over time and stress or kill your pond fish if not handled correctly or in a timely manner. When ice freezes over the pond for multiple weeks without thawing, those toxins have no way to escape the pond (which is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT). Unfortunately, because this build-up causes stress that is hard to detect while the fish are hibernating in the deepest part of the pond under the ice, you may not notice a difference in your fish’s health until spring welcomes Pennsylvania in April. It is also important to note that gasses trapped under the ice for too long can be fatal to your fishy friends.
So what is the solution?
A pond deicer, also referred to as a pond heater, is designed to keep a hole open in the ice to release those harmful gasses from underneath the ice and can be as small as a half a foot wide.
Now you may be asking yourself, do I really need a pond deicer? We have heard numerous stories about pond owners not having used a pond heater and not experiencing any fish loss either.
The most important reality in the watergardening world is that every pond is different based on the pond size, amount of plant life, number of fish, size of fish, amount of accumulated fish waste and dead organic matter, balance of the nutrients in the water, you name it --- all are contributing factors to the safety of your pond fish under all that ice.
Now you may be asking yourself, do I really need a pond deicer? We have heard numerous stories about pond owners not having used a pond heater and not experiencing any fish loss either.
The most important reality in the watergardening world is that every pond is different based on the pond size, amount of plant life, number of fish, size of fish, amount of accumulated fish waste and dead organic matter, balance of the nutrients in the water, you name it --- all are contributing factors to the safety of your pond fish under all that ice.
The bigger the fish in length, the more waste is produced, the more stress is created in response to trapped toxins. Therefore, if you didn’t use a pond de-icer in Lebanon County and surrounding areas one year and had no issue but your fish have grown, it is important to realize that larger fish are more sensitive to the conditions underneath that ice. Our recommendation is also to add winter aeration for koi that are 10” or longer.
For more information on pond de-icers (pond heaters), aeration for koi fish or winter care in general, please contact us directly!
Dreamscapes services the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown
For more information on pond de-icers (pond heaters), aeration for koi fish or winter care in general, please contact us directly!
Dreamscapes services the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown
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