Koi fish are Poikilothermic (cold blooded). on the temperature of the water that they live in. when the water in your pond is ice cold, the Koi fish's metabolism slows down to a crawl. They spend most of their time treading water at the bottom of the pond, while sometimes swimming around a bit. sit completely still all winter, they need a little movement to keep their joints from seizing up. Water reaches its densest point at 39.16°F. In the wintertime, the warmest water is at the bottom of the pond. That is why Koi spend most of their time there. It would be nice if you could treat a Koi pond like a garden, forgetting about it during the winter, letting it freeze and then taking care of it again in the spring after everything thaws out. people learn the hard way that you shouldn't forget about your pond when they end up with a collection of fish that are floating upside down. Regular fish tanks aren't big enough for Koi fish.

A fish tank may work fine when your Koi are small, but they tend to grow faster than you want them to and soon enough your tank will be too small.40 gallon fish tank on sale Most Koi fish winter tanks are 100 to 1,000 gallons in size. square fish tank with fountain hobbyists use a Polytank or a stock tank. fish tank price in sangliThese are much more durablefish tank accessories for sale and easier to move than a glass aquarium.cheap bio fish tanks Filters Usually Sit Next to the Tankhow much do fish tank rocks cost

The filtration equipment needed for the winter tank depends on the location it is going to be installed in. If you keep the tank in your garage, you'll need a smaller filter, a bubbler and a de-icer. keep the tank in your house or a heated garage, then you'll need a larger filter, a bubbler and a supply of Koi food. The tank will be warm enough to keep them from hibernating. A tank setup should be somewhat near a source of water and a drain, for when you need to water changes or clean the filter. is required to run the filter equipment too. Make sure you always use de-chlorinated water to fill the tank. The winter tank should be covered by a net, Koi fish like to jump out of a new area. be performed weekly or bi-weekly depending on the amount of feed the Koi are receiving and how warm the water is. They can be performed on a monthly basis if the tank is in a garage. A more expensive and more permanent solution is to build an indoor

These are usually made from poured concrete or masonry, with a Polyurea liner.  The filtration equipment is usually installed in the utility room, away from the pond.  usually incorporate lighting system to illuminate the Koi.  majority of indoor Koi ponds are under 4,000 gallons.  provide ample room for your Koi to swim in during the long winter You can leave your Koi in the pond during the winter, as long as it is at least four feet deep. They will require less attention than keeping them in an indoor tank, but you can't completely ignore themAs the water in your pond gets colder, things will start toKoi will stop eating once the temperature gets below 50°F. live off the fat their bodies have put on in the late spring and summer. Their movement will slow down, along with their metabolism. need less oxygen since their metabolism has slowed. The water will hold You will need to keep a hole in the ice for gas exchange. will need fresh Oxygen and the Carbon Dioxide that they exhale will need

If the CO2 level in the water is allowed to remain at high levels, a buildup of carbonic acid will occur and a pH crash will turnOnce that happens, your pond will be too toxic to support most forms of life. A de-icer will keep the water temperature around 40°F.  a sensor that will shut off once the water has reached that temperature. Pro-Tip: A lot of Koi hobbyists place two de-icers in their pond. One will run and the other will act as a backup in case the primary de-icerIt's a good idea to run the de-icers on separate circuits, so if a breaker trips, it won't take out both de-icers. An air pump and airstone will both aerate the water and keep it moving to help prevent it from freezing.  The air pump should be placed in a dry, sheltered area, out of the rain and moisture.   should be suspended no more than twelve inches from the surface of theYou do not want to disturb the warm water at the bottom ofBringing it to the surface will only chill it.

Lets say you leave your waterfall on for that beautiful winter effect, water movement at the surface will keep your pond from freezing. This doesn't mean that you should keep your waterfall running.   only will the waterfall act as a large heat exchanger (by losing heat from your pond), but it will undoubtedly stir up the warm water at the bottom and will further cool your pond down.  Another reason not to use your waterfall to keep your pond open: the waterfall can drain it,If there is a power outage on a really cold night, the small pools of water that are left in your waterfall after it shuts downWhen the power comes back on, those frozen parts of the waterfall will probably coerce the water into flowing into your yard instead of the pond.  You can be left with an empty pond, rescue of your Koi will be hindered by a sheet of ice hanging precariously over them. The best way to use water movement to keep the ice from covering your

pond is to install a pump at the surface.  The best type of pumps to use are aquarium power heads.  These draw water from the top where they are installed at the then move the water around the surface with a jetIf your pond does freeze over, don't panic.   may be to grab the nearest ax and hack away to rescue your trapped fish. Believe it or not, this will harm your fish and it will make your neighbors wonder why you are hitting your pond with an ax.   organ, known as the lateral line that detects changes in pressure and movement in the water.  Pounding on the ice severely damages this organ and can kill the Koi.  The best way to make a hole in the ice is to pour hot, de-chlorinated water on it.  This is the quietest method, anything else will make a lot of noise will harm the fish. Another way to keep your Koi in the pond during the winter is to install a heating system.  A heating system is made up of a boiler, heat exchanger and a temperature probe.