Is A Pond Heater Necessary?

A good and timely question from Esther who asked, “I have a small pond in my front yard I have 2 koi and 3 goldfish, I live in South Carolina and in the winter the temperatures can drop down to freezing but they recovered with the sun. I don’t think the pond will freeze solid but I’m wondering about my fish. Should I put a heater in the pond? What temperature should I try to maintain the water? “

Thanks for the question Esther!

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Why Aren’t My Fish Eating?

A common question we get in the fall or winter months, and this is particularly from new pond owners…but they wonder why their fish stopped eating as the weather cooled down. And the answer, is very simple.  Many fish simply go into a type of dormancy in cold weather…their digestion slows way down as does …

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What’s Better, A Pond Aerator Or A Pond Heater?

Tammy from Iowa wrote to us recently and asked, “We have a small pond, maybe 800-900 gallons. Is it possible to have to strong of a bubbler going? We have about 15 fish and its about 40 inches deep in one spot. We live in Iowa and it will be soon be freezing. Just wondering if too much bubbling can hurt the fish?”

Answer: Tammy thanks for the question! I like to use a small aerator in garden ponds during the winter months, but I would suggest either providing a way to float the air stone or diffuser off the bottom and near the surface of the water, or moving it over to an end of the pond, or even a shelf if you have one.

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