Mike’s Fish Tank – Pond Fish

This is the time of year when people start thinking about bringing their pond fish inside. Your pond fish are usually safe outside until maybe November.Just how cold can it get in some parts of the Continental United States? Does it get cold enough to freeze ponds solid?  it can get cold enough to freeze some ponds solid. Small ponds and above-ground ponds are especially at risk of this happening. Larger, in-ground outdoor ponds of, say, 1000 gallons that are at least 2.5 feet deep can usually successfully overwinter hardy fish. A lot of my customers told me that last year they lost a lot of their pond fish because we had such a cold winter.And many of them had big big ponds so you never know. They do make outdoor pond heaters that help to keep a section of your pond from freezing. They generally run around $49.99 and up. You can also blow a massive amount of bubbles into your pond from a big airpump and that will stop the pond from freezing in the area of the bubbles. Aeration that is too heavy in small ponds can create a current that the fish will have to fight all winter. They simply do not have that much energy during the winter and can die. In these situations, all that is needed is a good stream of bubbles located in the center and on the bottom of the pond.

If your bringing fish inside for the Winter, it’s a good idea to get your tank ready a month or so ahead of that so you can get your beneficial bacteria going. Or if you have any gravel or small rocks in the pond, bring that inside into your tank as it will have the good bacteria growing on them. Any questions on bringing your pond fish inside for the Winter, stop in or call us 607 753 9213. We’d be glad to help.

Pets A Plenty is located in the Blockbuster Video Plaza, Rte 281 Cortland, 753-9213. Open 7 days a week. We now have a website. www.petsaplety.biz. check it out. I post care sheets, coupons, new animal arrivals, contests and more. Any questions, email me at friskyy@hotmail.com

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