Cold water pond fish
- Thread starter capo larzo
- Start date
so considering pond depth and proper winter aeration, there are quite a few fish that could be kept year round at those temps? Im assuming the better the aeration during the winter months, the more shallow the pond could be. So it would be a mix of the two. depth/aeration. I appreciate all of the help so far.
I would say the 5-6 foot range for depth is sufficient; a bigger concern, in my opinion, is the summer temperature of the pond.
My big pond is a bit over 6 feet deep at the deepest point, with an average depth of 4 feet. I have smallmouth bass, walleye, catfish, and minnows in this pond, and I haven't had any problems with fish kills for the few years that I have had the pond except for the brown trout I put in the first year (rainbow trout did fine as far as I know).
Here's a pic of my big pond:
My goldfish pond is only about 3 feet deep, and all of the fish, including a small largemouth bass, survive the winter just fine.
Aeration is an important factor; there needs to be a hole in the ice somewhere for proper gas exchange.
Just about any native that lives in your area will do fine in the pond you are planning.
My big pond is a bit over 6 feet deep at the deepest point, with an average depth of 4 feet. I have smallmouth bass, walleye, catfish, and minnows in this pond, and I haven't had any problems with fish kills for the few years that I have had the pond except for the brown trout I put in the first year (rainbow trout did fine as far as I know).
Here's a pic of my big pond:
My goldfish pond is only about 3 feet deep, and all of the fish, including a small largemouth bass, survive the winter just fine.
Aeration is an important factor; there needs to be a hole in the ice somewhere for proper gas exchange.
Just about any native that lives in your area will do fine in the pond you are planning.
I have an above ground pond built with 4X4's, its 12'X8'X3' deep.
I put a Cattle trough heater in it in the winter to keep a hole open in the winter.
I quite leaving the filter (waterfall) running because of power outages.
I never had a problem with a fish kill.
I have 3 longear sunfish, 1 green sunfish, 1 rockbass, 2 albino channel catfish, 2 black bullhead, 7 golden orfe, 3 koi, 3 goldfish in it.
Mike
I put a Cattle trough heater in it in the winter to keep a hole open in the winter.
I quite leaving the filter (waterfall) running because of power outages.
I never had a problem with a fish kill.
I have 3 longear sunfish, 1 green sunfish, 1 rockbass, 2 albino channel catfish, 2 black bullhead, 7 golden orfe, 3 koi, 3 goldfish in it.
Mike
capo larzo;3156954; said:
Aeration in the winter is mainly just a way to keep a hole in the ice open. You'll still need some deep areas to prevent freeze-through. Aeration is also important in the summer, when the water's capacity to hold dissolved oxygen drops and the fish's oxygen demand goes up.
A fountain or waterfall works just as well as an air pump to aerate the pond. As Mikeberg said, power outages can be a problem with any electrical features. You can get windmill-driven aerators, but they are primarily built for large ponds and may be more expense than you want to deal with.
would that even be the same case though it gets super cold in michigan and i dont think tenn gets as cold cause i live in eastern to mid NC and it gets cold but i think you would be just fine with 5 or 6ft !!
I'm taking into account that he lives in a colder climate than mine. I don't have to do anything to keep ice off my pond, for the most part; in very cold winters I'll open a hole in the morning with a bucket of hot water. Summer heat is a much bigger problem here in the south.
Five or six feet is sufficient where I live, and the climate around here is similar to that of New York. As Noto said, summer aeration is a bigger worry than winter aeration due to the need for more oxygen in the summer.
