URGENT: Will the Scottish winter kill my koi?

I have read that some of the koi ponds in Japan get cold enough to have 1" of ice; but likely they are deeper than 2 ft. Are you in a cold part of Scotland? I have seen Fuchia growing as a pernnial in Aberdeen ,was very suprising.
Cover most of the surface with urethane foam sheath ( used here for home costruction); remove on warm days. I find that even 200 watts is enough to help in air temps to 25F with a 1000 gal pond ( keeping water at 50F+ ) ( with foam cover ). I leave a small pump running for temp circulation and aeration. Otherwise the coldest water will stay on the bottom (36F has greatest density) and warmer water will be at top where it will lose heat faster.
I only use heat for maybe 20 days in a winter, but with your long, cloudy winter, you may want to compare electricity cost to cost of new Koi.

If you can aerate properly, the pond will stay open.

Ive been worrying about that with my pond becasue its only 3ft deep (my 10 koi are still only about 7" long) But i dont think it will be anywhere near asmuch of a problem where i am (In the SE of england near the coast) doesnt get to cold hear.

I no my golden rudd and blue orfe ect all survive the winter fine but i only got my koi in the spring. Love them

they should be fine, i live in the uk and we used to have some small koi, they were fine when the pond froze. just keep a hole open in the top.

most kio ponds that keep fish in them yearround in COLD climates are at least 3 feet deep. but if you keep the water running and put a small pond heater to keep the surface open i THINK you might be ok

ferco;586767; said:

so would this sort of thing suffice?
Thanks for all the help so far.

Click to expand...

thats a great pond heater yet they make them smaller 1250 Watts Cast Aluminum Pond De-Icer
1250 Watt floating heater/ de-icer designed to keep a vent hole in the ice to release the harmful gasses from underneath. Even the smallest of holes will suffice. By allowing your pond to completely freeze over during the winter months, the harmful gasses produced by fish waste and plant decay cannot escape the ice, becoming deadly to your costly fish and plants. It is safe to use in ALL ponds- plaster, liner, or concrete. The Model P-418 is intended for use in ponds 600 gallons or less. A pond larger than 600 gallons will require the use of two de-icers tied together to act as one. De-icers will only operate when the temperature reaches freezing. The unit is thermostatically controlled to turn on when the water temperature approaches freezing and will turn off according to the internal thermostat shut off temperature. The Ice Chaser is constructed of durable cast aluminum for longevity, safety, and efficiency. Comes with a 10 foot long three prong supply cord and a three (3) year warranty. and you get more watts

I agree with FishSkins thease cast aluminum heaters are among the best i will be using 2 of a bigger model its the 2500 but this is by far the best way to go , the arraters only do so much, as far as the the 2 feet thing goes that might not be good for your fish, if its below ground trhen your ok, there is a nusery near me that has a bunch of ponds on display that run 24/7 and they dont eaven use a heater, the temper here is about -20*C to -30*C the cold dosnt bother them its being frozen solid that dose, although i have herd stories of people that have had there koi and goldfish frozed solid and thawing in the spring and the koi atleast where still alive... i dont belive it bit i have herd about it.

I know that down here in the South-East, ponds need to be at least 2 foot deep.
And we have much milder winters compared to you lot up North.
So i would say 3 foot would be the minimum...

Maybe re-dig its depth in Spring?