From November until February the outdoor pond will occasionally freeze solid or be covered with snow. I would like to bring the fish in for the winter. Is it possible to keep them alive in just a bowl with no filtration, or am I going to have to get an actual aquarium set up for them?
The pond is only about 12 inches deep, so It will freeze solid, I don't think I can leave them outside.
catx
Favorite Answer
Do an actual aquarium set up if your pond is too shallow/small for them to overwinter in.
Chances are they'll die very quickly in the bowl, unfiltered bowls are not suitable for any fish at all, especially not goldfish.
They need a fully filtered environment in order to stay healthy. A bowl does not provide this, you would have to do daily full water changes, the stress of that alone could kill the fish, it's a lose-lose situation with bowls.
Anonymous
Goldfish are very dirty fish (they produce a lot of waste), so you'll need more than just the normal "tropical fish" filtration. You'll also have to clean the gravel quite often - at least weekly, but I'd do it 2-3 times a week. A vacuum gravel cleaner makes quick work of it, if you keep cleaning the bag, or you can siphon through cheesecloth and return the clean(er) water. (A D/E filter run a couple of times a week will keep smaller things from killing them.)
Or dig the pond out to below your local frost line. They do quite well if they can stay in liquid water.
ilikekoko
It has to be a pretty big bowl if it's goldfish, but it has to be filtered too.. The pond gives them a natural environment.. If you take them out of that then they will most probably get stressed and die.. You should ask your local pet store about it. If the pond is deep enough I'll bet they could survive in the winter too. Don't worry about it..
Anonymous
If your pond is at least 18 inches in depth, they will survive outside quite well. Go to a pond store and ask them the procedure to winterize your fish in the pond.
Anonymous
Well, an already cycled tank would be the best thing for them even if tis not eh biggest thing, it needs to have a filter and it needs to be cycled. Plus, if the pond only freezes over the top, you can break a hole in the ice to feed them!