Wintering pond fish..

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S

Saterus

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 5, 2009
206
1
0
Minnesota
I would really really like to build an outdoor pond with fish in it. I'm sure I'll at least build one for plants. My question though; How easy can you over-winter goldfish/koi fish in a fairly temp controlled basement in 55g drums? Do you know a better way to winter them in a basement? I know I've seen it done but never looked at the details (my bad, I know).
I'm up in New England, we are building gardens and I'm hoping this year or next I can have a few hundred gallon pond for fish. For just plants I'll go smaller and shallower. In any case.. I mostly just want comets, I've always loved them, maybe some common koi. I have a very old house with a stone basement that rarely dips below 55F.
I've known people in ND/MN that brought all their pond fish in for winter and many that just dumped them like garbage..
Not so much a question I guess, more reassurance and new ideas. With a good filtration system, they could winter in the basement just fine, right? I want pond fish but I'm not going to restock every year like almost everyone I know.
Should I maybe build a temporary pond in the basement out of wood and/or bricks/cinderblocks?
 
Well I put a stock heater in my pond with a milk crate filter in the pond and my pond and fish are healthy. Its deepest level is 5 ft and 2ft at shallowest. got about 1inch thick at 20 below this year but heater and filter kept about 4x4 ft open so still had air.
 
I overwinter in an aquarium on the floor of my enclosed porch, mostly because I also like to overwinter pond plants there, to get sun. But the basement would also be fine for just the fish.
I also bring in the pond filter and keep it running all winter to keep the bacteria in it alive. The screen top keeps the fish from jumping out.
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