I need goldfish experts!

[Tuffoldhen]

My goldfish stay out in the fish pond all year long. We have terrible winters with temps below zero. I bought a small pond heater that kicks in to keep the ice from freezing over too much but for years I would just go out and chop a breathing hole for them when the temps dipped.

Year before last I put my inside goldfish out in the pond, I had kept him indoors for years. He does just fine.

 

[Okie Amazon]

The main thing overwintering them outside is to make sure your pond is fairly clean on the bottom (I'm talking artificial ponds, of course) and that there is a deep enough area that it can't possibly freeze all the way to the bottom. If it gets that dang cold where you are, I'd recommend YOU move! lol

Maintaining an air exchange hole is a must too, but DON'T chop! You can send shock waves through a small pond that will stun and kill your fish. Either float an old ball on the pond and give it tap with your foot here and there or boil a pot of water and pour that on till you melt a hole.

 

[shelleyd2008]

How big is your outside pond? Is it below ground level? You know you can leave them outside during the winter? I'm planning on making a 'pond' outside for mine and they will stay there all year round. It sounds like you need to cycle your indoor tank, do you leave it up and running when the fish are outside?

Here is a fish forum (they have forums for everything these days!): http://www.fishlore.com/

You can go there and get all sorts of information on basically any type of 'pet' fish.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I guess my 10 year old gold fish don't know the meaning of chop, because I have just chopped a hole for them for years before installed the pond heater.

Good luck with whatever you do!

 

[Okie Amazon]

Maybe your pond is big enough to avoid the shock waves.

I know several cases of people here in Ok with small yard ponds that have "kilt" the fish that way.

 

[thekid]

i had a 8 inch koi in a ten gallon with 13 other fish at one point but it lived sold all of my fish now i got chiclids

 

[RabbitMage]

Quote:
This, for anyone wondering, is a terrible idea.

 

[thekid]

Quote:
This, for anyone wondering, is a terrible idea.

it is now living happily in a bigger tank at the pet shop then in the summer time it is going in the pet shops pond