They say hindsight is 20/20, well after this winter I couldn’t agree more. Keeping your koi pond safe all winter can be trying at times.
We have had some close calls, but the good thing is, spring is right around the corner. The days are getting longer and I am getting anxious to get back outside to my garden and pond. Over the course of these past few months I have learned a few truths that I would like to share.
Shutting Off Your Waterfall During Winter Months
In the past I have always stopped my waterfall and drained the lines. This had given me peace of mind knowing that ice would not build up around the waterfall.
*** Note that if ice builds up it could divert water elsewhere. As a result draining the pond enough where the pump would run dry and burn out.
Well this year I was planning to do just that. I wanted to run my waterfall all winter long and enjoy the beautiful view from inside.
The problem of ice build up had not been an issue at the beginning of the winter season. For November and a good part of December things seemed to be running the way they should.
In the winter, I seldom check on my pond besides what I can see from my window. For some reason I was drawn to go outside. The winter had taken a bit of a break as the temp crept just above the freezing mark. I figured I would check the skimmer box to make sure the net wasn't packed with leaves.
My Poor Koi
To my shock and horror one of my large koi was caught in the net. Who knows how long it had been there. He wasn’t moving, but that could have been due to the cold temperature. I immediately turned off my waterfall and removed him from the netting… he was still alive.
The surface of the pond was not frozen over due to the small string of warmer days we had been experiencing. Placing him in the water, he floated to the surface. I gently held him and moved him back and forth to get the water flowing through his gills. I then pushed him forward toward the bottom. At this point he started to swim.
He swam to the bottom, but as I watched, when he stopped swimming he would begin to float back up to the surface. As I kept watching he tried to maneuver himself into the debris on the bottom to hold himself down.
I knew there was nothing more I could do. He would either survive... or not. I checked on him the next day and to my relief he was resting on the floor of the pond. To this day he is doing fine. Seems he just got caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.
My Theory
When I first added my koi to the pond they were small. If they did happen to get caught in the current of the skimmer box, they could easily get sucked in.
This has only happened a handful of times, but never with the koi. It was usually the same goldfish that I had to keep removing from the net. Not sure what that says about the intelligence of koi vs goldfish, but anyways.
When the temperature drops the koi swim down and hang out on the bottom of your pond for the most part. My guess is that the water warmed up just enough to give the koi that little burst of energy.
When that happened, the large koi may have swam too close to the skimmer box. Being cold blooded moving slowly, may not have been able to fight the current.
Koi are cold blooded creatures. They regulate their body temperature using their surroundings. For example, if they are too warm, they will seek shade. As their body temperature drops, so does the rate of their metabolism and movement.
Lesson learned: Turn off your waterfall if you have fish in your pond during the winter. I know I will from now on.
Gruesome Discovery
In my video below about closing your pond for the season, the presenter mentions you should get rid of all the frogs that may have found their way to your backyard pond. This is not only a good idea, but a must.
The fact is that when the temperature changes, just like your koi or goldfish, frogs are cold blooded. Frogs seek a place to bury themselves in the mud to survive the cold months ahead.
Problem is, our man made koi ponds and waterfalls don’t have the kind of deep protective layer of mud. Sure there may be a layer of pond muck, but this is hardly enough to keep the frogs from perishing during the winter. Apparently a frog's favorite hiding spot is the skimmer box.
Last week I took the cover off my skimmer box to make sure nothing was stuck in there. To my shock found an unlucky frog down next to my waterfall pump.
It had probably been looking for a place to hide, and the skimmer box seemed like a good idea. I’m sure as the weather begins to warm I will be coming across more scenes like this one.
***It’s important to remove deceased frogs as soon as you come across them. They could potentially bring disease to your koi and goldfish. I removed the one I found right after shooting the video above.***
Lesson learned: If possible, relocate all the frogs you can find before the weather changes in the fall. You will thank yourself in the spring.
Conclusion
I understand that losing a koi is part of the natural cycle of life. The thing is they are our pets, we give them names, and they even have personalities. Some are skittish and shy, while others are bold and brave. It’s a difficult thing to lose a pet whether it’s due to disease (link to or article on disease treatments for koi and goldfish) or natural causes.
I hope this article will help you get your koi pond through the winter and not make some of the mistakes I did. Keep your koi and goldfish safe, and until next time enjoy your backyard water garden
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