Koi Carp gone.
19 January 2010, 03:36 PM
#62
Scooby Regular
Are we talking Koi or fish in general?
The prolonged cold weather this year has caused no end of problems for lots of Koi owners. The water temperature has been very cold for a long period. Freezing conditions have been thought responsible for Koi deaths.
Whether the entire surface of the pond is frozen over is a separate issue to water temperatures that Koi live in. It seems a long time ago that I saw 4 degrees on my pond thermometer, a temperature regarded as sustainable for Koi during the winter. Also a temperature found further down than the surface for obvious reasons so ice on the surface is irrelevant.
Obviously there will always be exceptions. I have 2 ponds, 1 50ft x 20ft and 1 30ft x 15ft. One pond is totally natural and was completely frozen over, and still is, though it is thawing.
The fish pond was also frozen over originally except for an area along the side half way around the pond. This was due to the water return from my filters via a 4" pipe flowing. However, even this flowing water soon froze over, all the way back to a small hand sized hole right around the return pipe. A few more days, or just one more day of the freezing temperatures might have seen the small hole disappear. So even with a large amount of relatively fast flowing water my pond nearly completely froze over.
Today I still have a frozen area in the middle of the pond but I've seen all the Koi and so far so good, they are all moving. Whether my water was a decent enough temperature down below or I've just been lucky, who really knows. I know lots of people that have lost their Koi that haven't lost Koi before in 15 winters. I also know people that haven't lost any Koi in shallower ponds than you'd not ideally like to keep Koi in.
The prolonged cold weather this year has caused no end of problems for lots of Koi owners. The water temperature has been very cold for a long period. Freezing conditions have been thought responsible for Koi deaths.
Whether the entire surface of the pond is frozen over is a separate issue to water temperatures that Koi live in. It seems a long time ago that I saw 4 degrees on my pond thermometer, a temperature regarded as sustainable for Koi during the winter. Also a temperature found further down than the surface for obvious reasons so ice on the surface is irrelevant.
Obviously there will always be exceptions. I have 2 ponds, 1 50ft x 20ft and 1 30ft x 15ft. One pond is totally natural and was completely frozen over, and still is, though it is thawing.
The fish pond was also frozen over originally except for an area along the side half way around the pond. This was due to the water return from my filters via a 4" pipe flowing. However, even this flowing water soon froze over, all the way back to a small hand sized hole right around the return pipe. A few more days, or just one more day of the freezing temperatures might have seen the small hole disappear. So even with a large amount of relatively fast flowing water my pond nearly completely froze over.
Today I still have a frozen area in the middle of the pond but I've seen all the Koi and so far so good, they are all moving. Whether my water was a decent enough temperature down below or I've just been lucky, who really knows. I know lots of people that have lost their Koi that haven't lost Koi before in 15 winters. I also know people that haven't lost any Koi in shallower ponds than you'd not ideally like to keep Koi in.
That's a couple of huge ponds you have there
any pics? 
19 January 2010, 05:50 PM
#64
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Murderer !
God forbid that you have kids.....
dunx
P.S. I hit bedrock digging my pond out
so it's not as deep as I'd like at 3' 6" maximum.
God forbid that you have kids.....
dunx
P.S. I hit bedrock digging my pond out
so it's not as deep as I'd like at 3' 6" maximum.
04 February 2010, 09:16 PM
#65
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In mourning.
When the ice melted on 17th Jan I was met by this sight
Both of our ghost carp that we have had for 10 years, and the previous homeowners for some years before, frozen to death. The pond probably wasn't big enough for them.
There goes my chance of hosting Robson Green's extreme fishing. At least it will give the smaller fish and frogs etc. a chance to grow now.
Both of our ghost carp that we have had for 10 years, and the previous homeowners for some years before, frozen to death. The pond probably wasn't big enough for them.
There goes my chance of hosting Robson Green's extreme fishing. At least it will give the smaller fish and frogs etc. a chance to grow now.
Last edited by speedking; 04 February 2010 at 09:17 PM.
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