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!!!!

Don’t feed your fish when it’s cold

As a general rule, I don’t feed my fish when the water level is below sixty degrees. This is because the fish need warmth in order to process and digest their food.

There are some cold water foods made of wheat germ that can be used between 50 and 60 degrees, but in the spring time when it’s just going to be cold for a few days I simply choose not to feed them instead of bothering with changing foods. Your fish will be fine for a few days without food, and your pond will stay a lot cleaner without that undigested food being put out by your fish!