Autumn and Winter Pond Fish Care Guide
Introduction | Autumn and Winter Care
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Swooping Heron
As the temperature drops, it is commonly held wisdom to feed your fish less and less. Personally, I rarely feed my fish during the summer and never feed them in the fall or winter. A pond is supposed to be a natural self-sustaining ecosystem anyway and my fish have never had a problem finding enough bugs and snails to eat. You'll find most places where you'll read about feeding your fish special foods multiple times per day are trying to sell you such high priced foods. Fish in real ponds have no problem getting enough protein or minerals. However, I have never owned expensive Koi and have not had experience in how or what they eat.
If you do feed your fish regulary, you should only feed them 2 or 3 times per week when the water temperature drops below 60 degrees fahrenheit and stop feeding them altogether when the water temperature falls below 50 degrees fahrenheit. It is also important to continue to always remove any decaying plant matter from the water. The fact that I did this probably saved my fish from an overabundance of toxic gases released by decaying matter during the many weeks my pond has been covered in ice. In the event that your pond does freeze over, do not break the ice as this can seriously harm your fish. An easy and safe way to melt a hole in the ice is to place a pot of hot water on the ice and let it slowly melt through.
Goldfish and other pond fish can be more susceptible to predators this time of year because they become sluggish with a lack of food and colder water and have a lack of plants to hide under. A pond net placed to catch falling leaves would also help protect fish from birds, cats and raccoons. I enjoy a natural pond most and would quite enjoy a heron swooping down and eating a few of my goldfish. But that's just me.Introduction | Autumn and Winter Care
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