bit worried about my fish :(

[lynda66]

have just spent half an hour slowly trying to melt a hole, in over an inch of ice off the top of the fish pond, was fairly thin last night, so was easy ....... have had the pond 4 years now, and it's the first time it's ever frozen ...... i know you shouldn't smash the ice, and should try melting it slowly, have been putting a pan of water on it....... but i'm worried about my babies ..... can anyone think of anything to make it easier to get rid of the ice?? i have a couple of balls floating, but it's not working ...... once i can get to the fish, i think i might bring them indoors, ..... i know they are pretty hardy, just not sure they are as hardy as they are going to need to be to get through this winter

[BrideXIII]

my mum always uses a plastic football, if you pour hot water over it, then the thinner ice at the edges of the ball will melt and you can lift it out, (or squeeze it if its not fully inflated)

they should be ok though, they go down to the bottom when its really cold to keep warm in the murk.

do what you are already doing with a hot pan to melt a new whole for the balls.

[Marthaclematis]

A milk "bottle" (the plastic ones) half filled with water - so the weight pulls it down a bit, tied to a piece of string and pegged to the ground - might do it. Easy to get out too by pulling the string.

[Capsid]

I don't advise bringing them indoors the change in temperature may shock them too much.

I'm not so sure that a frozen pond is that much of a problem. The fish are in a low metabolic state as are the other pond inhabitants, so there is not much demand for oxygen like there is in the summer. There is plenty of oxygen dissolved in the water for them to survive..

[nelliegemini]

Mine (goldfish and ghost carp) survived the winter in Wetherby, West Yorks fine, and we had it tough!

We used a rubber ball or just left a saucepan of recently boiled water on the ice until it went through (then again and again).

[SueA]

I've had to melt holes in my pond yesterday & today too. I haven't got any fish but I think there may be a frog or two hibernating in there so I was a bit worried, I did what Marthaclematis suggested & put some very hot water in a plastic milk bottle & sat it on the top. On the other 'water feature' which is just a large pot with plants in I poured some warm water onto one spot until it melted a hole as I don't think there's anything in there which would have been shocked by being warmed up. I agree with Capsid, I don't think it would be a good idea to bring the fish indoors, they should be fine at the bottom of the pond, my neighbour has a small fairly shallow pond & his survive all winter.

[Hilary B]

The idea of floating a ball in the pond is so the ice doesn't break the pond liner. Fish under the ice are pretty near dormant. They will be OK. The only time you might need to move them would be if the pond wasn't deep enough for them to stay BELOW the ice, and ice that thick is pretty close to unheard of in UK.

[lynda66]

ok will try not to panic then ..... i was mostly worried about how quickly it has got so thick, i've already got the babies indoors, cos i was worried about them being so tiny and getting eaten in summer, i would have been lots more worried about them i think than the big ones ........ would covering the pond with a plastic sheet help do you think?? ....... sorry but i can't help worrying lol

[Flummery]

They'll be fine - as long as your pond isn't just 3" deep! It's just the top few inches that freeze over, the temperature is higher lower down. That's science, that is!

[lynda66]

and there was me thinking heat rises cos of science it's about 2 foot i think ...... wish i'd got the new pond in thats about 3 foot, bit late now though lol

[Flummery]

Heat rises in the air. It sinks in water. Maybe it can't swim? I think I'm fantasising now - but the first bit was true!

[BrideXIII]

and there was me thinking heat rises cos of science it's about 2 foot i think ...... wish i'd got the new pond in thats about 3 foot, bit late now though lol

it does in air, not in water, and the ice actually acts as insulation from the cold air, same as snow does for the soil.

you only really need to worry if the ice gets REALLY thick and they have no water to be in.and that is pretty unlikely.

[lynda66]

ok i'm not worrying now ....... honest

[digthatchick]

Hi Lynda
Your fish will be fine, they are cold blooded animals and can survive in freezing conditions. Always worth keeping the ice broken (with a ball as has been suggested) this will enable frogs etc. to escape if they need to. It is also worth putting netting over the pond as, with the leaves off the trees, the herons will be able to spot the ponds, and fish, more easily. We had a heron in the garden this morning, but no fish for him! (he ate them last year )

[Hilary B]

Water is heaviest at 4 degrees C. Ice is a LOT lighter than water (so it floats). Warm water is lighter than cold. Ice is also a good insulator. Once there is ice on the top, what little heat remains under it can't get out easily.
DON'T cover the pond with palstic. A little oxygen will get past the ice. NONE would gat past plastic sheet.