Mike’s Fish Tank – Pond Fish Indoors

It’s that time of year when people start thinking about bringing their pond fish inside. Some people start as early as September, but some people are doing it now.

Remember, goldfish can stay out in the ponds all year as long as the water doesn’t freeze solid.

Of course around here, you never know because we can get a really cold winter. However if you want to leave them out in the pond all winter, there are a couple things you can do.

The first is a pond heater. It floats in the pond and keeps at least one area free from ice so that the fish don’t freeze. Another is to have a pump blowing bubbles in the pond. That will prevent the water from freezing solid.

If you do bring your pond fish in, try to set up the tank a few weeks ahead of time and put a couple of small goldfish into the tank to get the beneficial bacteria going. If you bring in a whole bunch of pond fish and add them to your tank all at once, you could be facing a massive die off.

The good bacteria actually eats the urine the fish produce. So it is very important to have that.

After the bacteria grows, the rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon of water. Also, be sure to have a good power filter and an air pump with an airstone blowing lots of bubbles into the tank. Lots of bubbles are a very good thing. Also, consider having a koi pond filter media to ensure that you have a good quality of water for your fish. Feed your goldfish good-quality food and feed them small amounts, but several times a day. The fish farms recommend feeding 3 to 4 times a day, but remember to use small amounts.

Pets A Plenty is located on Rte 281 Cortland, across from Tops Market in the TJ Nails Plaza. 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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