Living in upstate New York virtually guarantees a frigid winter, with a backyard pond that remains frozen for several months. If you have a Koi pond and live in a similar climate, you may wish to know how we have managed to keep all of our fish safe through 5 consecutive harsh winters.
We have about 70 fish in our pond, including Koi, Shubunkins, Comets, and Goldfish. Our concern for their safety has led us to research the topic of winter survival and settle on the following measures, which have been totally effective so far.
Our pond is shaped like a peanut shell, and it's about 23 feet long by 12 feet wide. Half of it is about 2 feet deep and the other half goes to a maximum of 3 feet.
The first winter preparation step is to thoroughly clean the pond. We reposition the pump hose to drain nearly all the water out of the pond, so the fish all crowd together in the deepest part for about an hour. We scrub the liner walls and bottom and remove all debris from the pond bottom. A gentle vacuum assists. Since I know I will be refilling the pond with fresh, clear water from our well, I try to plan this pond maintenance for a time when the pond water has been close to 55 degrees, because that is the temperature of our well water as it comes out. So, this cleaning is done every year in October, and it could also be done in the spring. So far, I have found one cleaning to be sufficient for the year.
The second step is to reduce the feeding of the fish. As the water gets colder through the fall, we stop feeding every day and go to an every other day schedule in early October, graduating to a once a week schedule in mid-November. By Thanksgiving time, we stop feeding altogether for the winter. This is not an absolutely precise regimen. The fish let you know by their behavior how much food they really need, if you get to know them, and you listen and watch.
Once there is no further fish feeding, the pump and filtration circuit may be shut down, cleaned, and stored for the winter. This year, I did that on November 29.
I have chosen to leave the bird netting over the pond, as long as the pond has not frozen. Although many of our Blue Herons have migrated south already, a few remain, and I take no chances with these predators.
After we get our first thorough freeze which lasts at least a few days, I will then implement the last part of our winterizing solution. I use a pond de-icer on an outdoor timer. The de-icer goes in the deepest part of the pond, and it floats. I only run it about an hour or two a day, to avoid excessive electric bills. The de-icer is 1500 watts, so it doesn't take long to open a hole in the ice or to impact my electric bill. Having a hole open in the ice mostly every day for an hour allows the gases time to exchange from the pond to the air and vice-versa.
During the winter, when we have a snowfall, I will brush the snow gently from the ice over the hole and that general area. The sun helps with the daily thawing.
You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that the fish do not hibernate at the bottom of the pond through the winter. Rather, they still like to cruise around near the de-icer, and it is very reassuring to see them happily swimming on cold days. Even more rewarding is the feeling of greeting them safely in the spring.
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