Winter Pond Fish Care

Winterizing your yard means putting away the patio furniture, giving your lawn one last mow and getting your pond ready for the cold season ahead. The biggest concern for an outdoor pond is your fish, which need special care when the temperatures drops. Pond fish can always be transferred indoors or even traded in to some stores for credit, according to Aquatics Unlimited. However, they can survive the winter with a little safeguarding.

  1. Ice

    • Never let ice cover the pond completely or your fish will be stuck in a wasteland with no way for the toxic gases in the water to escape. Keep at least one part of pond's surface ice-free with a few different methods. A pond de-icer or outdoor pond heater can be programmed to turn on only when water temperatures dip to freezing. Other de-icing options include a large air stone and a water pump: Don't place them so near the surface they freeze or so deep so they suck cold air and water to the pond's warmer depths. Place either device in the middle level of the deepest water, Aquatics Unlimited recommends.

    Feeding

    • As the water temperatures drop, your fish become less active and their metabolism slows down. This means they need less food than during warmer months. Pick a wheat germ fish food that they can easily digest with their slowed systems. While the water temperature is in the 60-degree Fahrenheit range, feed them no more than once a day. Once it dips below 60 degrees, switch to once or twice a week. Stop feeding altogether when the water temperature dips below 50 degrees. Resume feeding the easily digested wheat germ once the water begins to heat up above 50 degrees in the spring.

    Predator Protection

    • Fish become easy pickings for predators in the winter, thanks to their slower metabolism and movement. They also lose pond plants, which make excellent cover. Using a leaf netting over the pond helps keep predators at bay while keeping leaves and debris out of the pond. Other options include giving the fish a hiding place, such as with rock formations or large pond ornaments. The Water Garden also recommends a motion detection device called ScareCrow, which shoots a blast of water when it senses movement in the area.

    Pond Cover

    • Building a pond cover over your pond will help further protect fish from predators, debris and ice buildup. Leave a pocket of air between the water's surface and the cover so the toxic gases can still escape. Aquatics Unlimited recommends building a wooden platform on a wooden frame above the pond and insulating the top of the platform with mulch or straw.

    Warnings

    • A number of other tips will help your fish survive the winter unscathed. If you live in an area that has extended bouts of very cold weather, you'll need a pond that is at least 30 inches deep, according to Aquatics Unlimited. Ponds as deep as 48 inches are even better for particularly cold spells. Never de-ice a pond by breaking or cracking the ice. This sends potentially fatal shockwaves into the water. Only use heaters approved for outdoor ponds, never indoor aquarium heaters which can easily break and present a hazard from exposed wires around water and snow.