Will a heat wave hurt my fish?

With the weather as hot as it has been in the last few days, I’ve been getting this question a lot (and dealing with customers’ whose fish are dying as a result of the heat).

Here’s the one thing we need to remember about hot weather - warm water does not hold nearly as much oxygen as cold water. So, if your pond does not have adequate aeration, either via a waterfall or an added on pond aerator, your fish could be in danger when it gets really hot. If your fish are constantly coming up to the surface, gulping for air, this is one of the main signs that they are not getting enough oxygen and is something that should be remedied immediately if you want your scaly friends to make it through the hot spells.

Remedies include adding a quality waterfall with water crashing over rocks to create a natural source for more oxygen, and adding and external aerator with aeration discs dropped into the pond. Even if you have a waterfall, it is never a bad idea to add an aerator as well.

Happy Ponding and enjoy the warm weather!!!!