Where do the fish go?

Visitors often approach me with a look of grave concern etched in their faces and ask what I do with the Children’s Garden gold fish during the winter months. The answer is simple. I leave them right where they are most happy – their big pond. I slow down their feeding in late fall, allowing them to just eat off the bottom. Water pond experts might recommend a feed formula designed for the spring and fall. I stop feeding the fish once the water temperature remains a constant 45 degrees and colder. The bacteria in their digestive system cease to function and the fish enter a semi-dormant state.

The key to winter pond management is providing the opportunity for gas exchange. There must be a hole in the ice to allow noxious gases produced from the breakdown of organic matter to escape and fresh oxygen to enter. I simply use a pond heater found at most local water garden supply stores. Some people also use aerators, but for gold fish this is not necessary. I found most small aerators available to homeowners will not do the job in the coldest winters even though the water is agitated.

Posted by Josh Steffen