![]() Take particular care with Koi carp, which are generally more delicate, partly because the carp from which they are originally bred are quite warm water fish. However, be warned that this isn’t much more than a week or two, so under snow covered ice, they are at risk. In fact goldfish are amongst the most tolerant of freshwater creatures to lack of oxygen, and can survive at least as long as frogs completely without it. This is fine as long as you can keep the pumps or fountains running, and is helped by the fact that in winter fish have very much lower oxygen needs than in the warmer weather. This is because we often keep more fish in small ponds than can strictly be supported by the natural processes of oxygenation and water purification. I have goldfish, koi or other fish in my pond: how can I help them survive?įish keepers traditionally oxygenate their ponds in winter to help the fish. Ultimately, good water quality, and allowing plenty of submerged plants to grow is probably the best way of making sure that your wildlife survives well overwinter. This will certainly help fish, though no-one knows how it affects the rest of the pond’s wildlife. ![]() Running a pump, if you have one, may be a good idea. Most pond wildlife will probably be fine as long as the pond doesn’t become de-oygenated completely, though many garden ponds do already have rather low oxygen levels even at the best of times.Ĭlearing the snow away is probably the easiest thing to do. How will my dragonflies, water beetles, mayflies and all the other invertebrates cope with the cold weather? No-one knows much about their survival chances overwinter: but it is likely that keeping the pond in generally good shape is the best thing you can do. Tadpoles also occasionally overwinter in the water when they don’t develop fully during the summer and autumn. Carefully sweep away as much of the snow as you can to allow the light to reach the plants. If your pond is covered in snow it will be completely dark under the ice, stopping submerged plants and algae from photosynthesising and creating oxygen. The simplest thing to do is make sure that your pond plants are getting some light and can go on producing oxygen under the ice. ![]() They can tolerate very low oxygen levels but will survive only a few days if the pond becomes completely de-oxygenated. My pond was full of frogs and tadpoles over the spring and summer: where are they now?įrogs quite often hibernate at the bottom of ponds among the leaf litter and plants. Based on the findings from our two Big Pond Thaw surveys a few years ago, we have developed a downloadable FAQ that summarises our advice. What can I do to help the creatures in my pond over the winter?Īs the nights draw in and the temperatures drop, lots of people start to ask what they can do to look after their pond over winter. Create clean water ponds: the biodiversity benefits. ![]()
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