Winter Pond Care Tips For Your Koi
If you live in a warm climate where freezes are relatively rare, your Koi fish pond care duties won't change very much in the winter.  If you reside anywhere else in the winter, you do not need to worry about pumps or filters when caring for your Koi pond.  Your major care objective will be to keep your pond from freezing for long periods.

While you do not need to keep the entire Koi fish pond free from ice in the winter months, the most important winter pond care tip I can give you is to keep an area open so that your Koi can receive oxygen.  When ice forms on the surface of the pond, it can trap toxic gases beneath.   Should your Koi pond freeze over for more than just a few days, your Koi fish may suffocate.  The pond-breather shown at left uses less electricity than a pond de-icer and can be used as an alternative in the winter.   A word of advice here on winter pond care. NEVER break the ice because the iconicon vibrations could harm your Koi fish.  Should your Koi pond's surface freeze over you can use a pan of boiling water to make a hole.  Just lay the pot or pan on the surface of the ice until it melts a hole.  (I had to do this in my own pond last winter when my de-icer quit.)  Be sure to attach a string to the pot in case it melts through the ice. Of course this will only be a temporary fix unless you live in a climate where ice is a temporary condition.  In winter months, ice can also crack a concrete pond and may damage some inexpensive shells or possibly damage the sides of pond liners.  Winter care of your pond is not difficult, but you will need to check on your Koi at least daily to make sure they have enough oxygen.

Should you live in a moderately cold climate your winter care can include  the use of an aerator or circulating  pump off the bottom of  the pond and then direct the flow up by using a short pipe or a tube.  This will keep an area of your fish pond free from ice and enablicone your Koi to get the oxygen they need to survive.  The easiest and best way to care for your  Koi pond icon and keep the fish from suffocating over the winter months is to purchase a floating pond de-icer., shown at right and bottom left.  This will keep a open hole in the ice all winter.  These devices are controlled by a thermostat, so they only operate when needed.  They should be plugged into a circuit with a ground-fault interrupter.  You will want to keep snow off the surface of the ice so that light can reach the bottom of your Koi fish pond.  MacArthur Water Gardens has a nice selection.  You can also purchase de-icers at Petsmart or Drs. Foster and Smith.com.