Winter inside
- Thread starter Karalak42
- Start date
I've heard and read about people doing that so yes especially if winter includes freezing temperatures.
I used to do this every year in Wisconsin.
Because (even for the cold water fish, and water lilies) my 1500 gal pond would become a solid block of ice by Jan.
Fish would go outside in May, stay thru @ mid Oct, and be brought in the basement for the winter
For large fish like koi, I used a 1,000 gal kiddy pool.
Tropical (and semi-tropical fish) were put in tanks.
But even in summer in WI, the fish kept outside, needed to be quite hardy.
Uruaguayan cichlids worked well, and did northern Mexican species.
Above Gymnogeophagus in the pond. In WI, even summer air temps could drop water temps down into the low 60s F.
Below Uruguayan Australoheros spawning outside
Below netting them out for the winter
Because (even for the cold water fish, and water lilies) my 1500 gal pond would become a solid block of ice by Jan.
Fish would go outside in May, stay thru @ mid Oct, and be brought in the basement for the winter
For large fish like koi, I used a 1,000 gal kiddy pool.
Tropical (and semi-tropical fish) were put in tanks.
But even in summer in WI, the fish kept outside, needed to be quite hardy.
Uruaguayan cichlids worked well, and did northern Mexican species.
Above Gymnogeophagus in the pond. In WI, even summer air temps could drop water temps down into the low 60s F.
Below Uruguayan Australoheros spawning outside
Below netting them out for the winter
If the temp drops below 7/8° C (45°f) then you might want a heater. I think they can take lower temps but i won't risk it.
Depends on the natural habitat of the gar, where it comes from.
Certain species of gars were native to rivers and lakes where I lived in WI, so they possibly could survive if your pond didn't freeze to the bottom.
But a Cuban gar, or a Forida gar, or any tropical gar, I doubt it.