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Do Koi naturally hibernate? Or is this something we force upon them by not bringing them inside?

Its snowing and the heater and waterfall are working. Fishies are sleeping. I hope its a short winter. We had to put a small fence around the pond, last winter one of our Westies fell thru the ice and couldn't get out. So now there is no way they can get in there.

Linda,

I hope Bonnie and/or the experts will respond with their expertise as I have only read: "you should not disturb koi in their dormant stage at or below 40°". I reiterate, I have only read; "do not disturb the very bottom ground water, even with water flow such as a water fall, due to the effect that the incoming water, although moving, is near freezing and disturbs the natural dormant cycle".

This actually makes sense to me as this type of fish are not prone to moving water, limited space etc. You do mention a heater, what is the water temp? This is just my best effort I do hope someone with experience replies soon..

Your pond is beautiful by the way, I wanted to mention that much earlier, but even with snow and harsh weather abound it's very lovely..

~Pam

Brrr, Linda that sure looks cold! AND it sure brings back memories of me being cold too when we lived in Michigan.

The coldest I have seen here in my pond is 32* and I did have a thin layer of ice on the very edges of the pond. Thankfully it only lasted 2 days.

Koi and goldfish go into a state of tupor in cold water. It is really not hibernation so to speak.

Their breathing and heartbeat slow down to conserve on the energy they need to survive the cold water. They are fully aware of their surroundings in that if a disturbance (such as net or predator) comes into the picture they will move away from that source. One should not disturb the fish because that will cause them to use up the resources that they stored up during the previous season

They are not eating and should not be feed once the water is 50*. They live off the stored up fat from the previous season when the water was warm and food was plentiful. And because of their decreased movement they do not need food. In fact you will be hard pressed to even get them to take food!


In the north we always had what we called a "January thaw". The weather would warm up, the ice would melt (sometimes the ice would totally be gone). The fish would become active and move closer to the surface and folks would think they were looking for food. Not so!. They actually move close to the surface because the sun has made the water warmer on the surface.

The above brings up a frequently asked question. Should I feed them if this happens? I can emphatically say "NO!" To feed during a thaw is one of the worst things one can do. It takes many days for the digestive track to "kick in" and start working. Any undigested food will rot in the gut if ample time is not allowed for the food to digest. This can cause the fish to be ill when the water does finally warm up come spring.

YOU have to maintain control! Don't let them fool you into thinking that they are hungry because they are "mouthing" the water. Let them enjoy the warmer water and sunshine. If you must, walk away from the pond so you can resist the urge to feed them.

In Michigan my fish did not eat from mid-September until sometimes mid-May. They did just fine through all our winter thaws with no food.

Don't watch the calendar, watch your pond thermometer! When the water reaches 55* in the spring and is on its way up, feed them lightly.
Be sure to net out any uneaten food after a few minutes. Wait a few days and feed lightly again.

By the time the water reaches around 70* they should be eating once a day. As the water continues to warm you can feed smaller meals a few times a day.

To my friends in colder climates, try to stay warm.

I hope this information helps,

Warm Regards,
Bonnie

Thanks Bonnie. I'll post more pictures as the weather changes. Thanks Pam about the info on the moving water. There is a three ft. piece of blue slate on the second level of the pond covering part of the deepest area so there isn't too much water movement on the very bottom which is where the koi are at. I hope I explained it ok.