How to keep outdoor goldfish over winter?

[RachelElizabeth]

Hello everyone! Looking for advice on what to do with pond goldfish over the winter.

Some backstory: My roommate has a little red-eared slider turtle. We dug a little pond in the yard so he could live outside during the warmer months. I don't know the exact size, but I am guessing around 150 gallons. We obtained some plants for the pond and surprise! They came with baby goldfish. They were so tiny we didn't even notice them right away, but they have been growing steadily over the past 3-4 months. I can't count them individually due to all the plants and such, but I think there are about 10. 

Now that its October, here in Pennsylvania the weather will be getting colder soon. We are trying to figure out the best way to keep the turtle AND the goldfish over winter. The turtle definitely needs to come inside, and I think the goldfish will need to come indoors, too. I know goldfish are cold water fish, but our pond is not big/deep enough for them to survive temps below freezing. I have 4 tanks set up now, but all are for tropical fish, so the outdoor critters can't live there over the winter either. We are also on somewhat of a budget. 

My idea now is to get a 300 gallon stock tank for them. The turtle and goldfish have been living together so far, so I would assume they are fine to live together indoors as well? There would definitely need to be a basking area and other turtle-necessities. Do you think this would work? Or should I look into getting something separate for the goldfish? I also need advice on filtration. A pond filter? Cannister filter? How to hook it up?

I would prefer not to rehome the goldfish at this point, as I know they would likely end up as feeders for someone. I am willing to dig a bigger pond (luckily I own the house/property), but I know we won't be able to get it done until spring. 

Thanks for reading my long post and I appreciate any advice!

[Guppysnail]

Hello neighbor! Pa here as well. I have never kept goldfish outdoors but my actual neighbor did for years. He had an insulated cover, and a heater. I’ve come to know from this forum they may not be necessary but I’m not certain. Many folks here keep them by other methods.  @GardenStateGoldfish always has valuable input on the goldfish threads. Good luck. 

Edited October 8, 2021 by Guppysnail

[Patrick_G]

I keep goldfish outside all year round here in Western Washington and I’ve kept them outside in sub freezing temps in central Washington.  I think your idea to get a 300 gallon stock tank is a good one. It can ice over, but you’ll want to keep a hole open for air. You can use a bubbler or a stock tank heater. I use a box style filter with a little fountain  and let it run all winter but that might not be practical in PA. 
You’ll want to switch to a fall/spring food and then taper off feeding completely  as the water cools down. They’ll go into a sort of hibernation mode. 
 

 

[Torrey]

On 10/7/2021 at 6:28 PM, RachelElizabeth said:

Hello everyone! Looking for advice on what to do with pond goldfish over the winter.

Some backstory: My roommate has a little red-eared slider turtle. We dug a little pond in the yard so he could live outside during the warmer months. I don't know the exact size, but I am guessing around 150 gallons. We obtained some plants for the pond and surprise! They came with baby goldfish. They were so tiny we didn't even notice them right away, but they have been growing steadily over the past 3-4 months. I can't count them individually due to all the plants and such, but I think there are about 10. 

Now that its October, here in Pennsylvania the weather will be getting colder soon. We are trying to figure out the best way to keep the turtle AND the goldfish over winter. The turtle definitely needs to come inside, and I think the goldfish will need to come indoors, too. I know goldfish are cold water fish, but our pond is not big/deep enough for them to survive temps below freezing. I have 4 tanks set up now, but all are for tropical fish, so the outdoor critters can't live there over the winter either. We are also on somewhat of a budget. 

My idea now is to get a 300 gallon stock tank for them. The turtle and goldfish have been living together so far, so I would assume they are fine to live together indoors as well? There would definitely need to be a basking area and other turtle-necessities. Do you think this would work? Or should I look into getting something separate for the goldfish? I also need advice on filtration. A pond filter? Cannister filter? How to hook it up?

I would prefer not to rehome the goldfish at this point, as I know they would likely end up as feeders for someone. I am willing to dig a bigger pond (luckily I own the house/property), but I know we won't be able to get it done until spring. 

Thanks for reading my long post and I appreciate any advice!

How big are your goldfish, and how big is the RES shell?

That determines what they need, sizewise over the winter.

It does sound like for this winter, inside is best. The needs, space wise, might not be very much, depending on a few variables. 

[I have had RES in the past, and currently have an Ornate Ornata who lives inside our apartment with their very own 10 gallon pond.... that the endlers will chase the turtle out of, if the turtle doesn't follow the fish rules.🙄]

My grandfather and I took care of the goldfish pond for my greatgrandmother in VT. The RES won't survive winters outside there, but the goldfish can over winter once they are over 4" long, and the pond is at least 18" below the frost line (my grandfather always built his ponds with a 2 ft square section at least 24" below the frost line).

Any goldfish less than 4" is less likely to overwinter outside successfully. 

[RachelElizabeth]

On 10/8/2021 at 6:37 PM, Torrey said:

How big are your goldfish, and how big is the RES shell?

That determines what they need, sizewise over the winter.

It does sound like for this winter, inside is best. The needs, space wise, might not be very much, depending on a few variables. 

[I have had RES in the past, and currently have an Ornate Ornata who lives inside our apartment with their very own 10 gallon pond.... that the endlers will chase the turtle out of, if the turtle doesn't follow the fish rules.🙄]

My grandfather and I took care of the goldfish pond for my greatgrandmother in VT. The RES won't survive winters outside there, but the goldfish can over winter once they are over 4" long, and the pond is at least 18" below the frost line (my grandfather always built his ponds with a 2 ft square section at least 24" below the frost line).

Any goldfish less than 4" is less likely to overwinter outside successfully. 

The goldfish are only 2-3 inches (born this past June, I think). The RES shell is about 7 inches in diameter. He will definitely be spending winters indoors, and hoping the goldfish can stay outside NEXT winter when they are a bit bigger and I have a deeper pond dug for them. 

I don't mind if I need to get a pretty big stock tank for them, but it just needs to fit in through the house door haha.

[Patrick_G]

On 10/8/2021 at 3:37 PM, Torrey said:

It does sound like for this winter, inside is best. The needs, space wise, might not be very much, depending on a few variables.

I agree, if they’re small, bring them inside to enjoy! 
 

 

On 10/8/2021 at 3:58 PM, RachelElizabeth said:

I don't mind if I need to get a pretty big stock tank for them, but it just needs to fit in through the house door haha.

haha, I’m not sure it’ll fit but if you have double doors that will help. 

The half off sale at Petco is happening. You could get a 75g for under $100. That’ll be great for a group of 2-3” goldfish. How many are there? 

[Torrey]

On 10/8/2021 at 4:58 PM, RachelElizabeth said:

The goldfish are only 2-3 inches (born this past June, I think). The RES shell is about 7 inches in diameter. He will definitely be spending winters indoors, and hoping the goldfish can stay outside NEXT winter when they are a bit bigger and I have a deeper pond dug for them. 

I don't mind if I need to get a pretty big stock tank for them, but it just needs to fit in through the house door haha.

10 goldfish at 2" - 3" won't need as much space as the 7" RES. There's a possibility he may eat some of the goldfish, if he ever gets hungry enough. 

The goldfish could go in a 40 gal breeder, no problem. The 7" RES potentially could use the same for the winter, let me grab a video how to for you on building a sunning area.

Other options are a rubber maid tub (will need to reinforce the sides), or something similar. For next year, digging a deep pond will make your life infinitely easier for the goldfish. The RES is still going to take up space indoors... and only going to get larger.

What are your space limitations inside?

[Torrey]

@RachelElizabeth I found the DIY I was looking for.

 

If you have room for a 40 gal breeder, or a 40 to 50 gallon stock tank, you can easily (and inexpensively) creating the basking area like this. Only thing I would do differently is use a metal screen/ grate under the UVA/UVB basking bulb, as they can get a bit warm for plastic.

[This is part 2 of the series, the first video is measuring and cutting out the pieces, and zip tieing them together. ]

[Tanked]

Here in southern most Ohio, my buddy's inground pond is about 2' deep. His goldfish and koi overwinter in the pond. 

[Dwayne Brown]

I have kept goldfish in an outdoor pond/tub above ground here in Seattle. I just Use a heater and some type of water pump to make sure the water is circulating properly. I think my tub is about 200 gallons and a 75 gallon heater with circulation keeps the tub at a reasonable 50ish degrees. I did have to play around to  get the heating right I usually put it all the way up to 80 degrees in the night and it keeps the goldfish at around 45 most nights. 

 

Hope this helps

[KentFishFanUK]

On 10/8/2021 at 1:28 AM, RachelElizabeth said:

Hello everyone! Looking for advice on what to do with pond goldfish over the winter.

Some backstory: My roommate has a little red-eared slider turtle. We dug a little pond in the yard so he could live outside during the warmer months. I don't know the exact size, but I am guessing around 150 gallons. We obtained some plants for the pond and surprise! They came with baby goldfish. They were so tiny we didn't even notice them right away, but they have been growing steadily over the past 3-4 months. I can't count them individually due to all the plants and such, but I think there are about 10. 

Now that its October, here in Pennsylvania the weather will be getting colder soon. We are trying to figure out the best way to keep the turtle AND the goldfish over winter. The turtle definitely needs to come inside, and I think the goldfish will need to come indoors, too. I know goldfish are cold water fish, but our pond is not big/deep enough for them to survive temps below freezing. I have 4 tanks set up now, but all are for tropical fish, so the outdoor critters can't live there over the winter either. We are also on somewhat of a budget. 

My idea now is to get a 300 gallon stock tank for them. The turtle and goldfish have been living together so far, so I would assume they are fine to live together indoors as well? There would definitely need to be a basking area and other turtle-necessities. Do you think this would work? Or should I look into getting something separate for the goldfish? I also need advice on filtration. A pond filter? Cannister filter? How to hook it up?

I would prefer not to rehome the goldfish at this point, as I know they would likely end up as feeders for someone. I am willing to dig a bigger pond (luckily I own the house/property), but I know we won't be able to get it done until spring. 

Thanks for reading my long post and I appreciate any advice!

My goldfish pond is only 18" deep at its deepest and my goldfish overwinter fine, even with some ice and snow on the pond. As long as it doesn't freeze solid to the bottom they should be fine, they basically hibernate (you don't feed them or anything during winter, some people recommend breaking up ice to allow gas exchange but that's it). They are common goldfish though if yours are fancies I don't know if they are the same. Also I am in the UK so if your winters are much colder then maybe freezing solid could actually happen? 

[Torrey]

On 10/9/2021 at 8:43 AM, KentFishFanUK said:

My goldfish pond is only 18" deep at its deepest and my goldfish overwinter fine, even with some ice and snow on the pond. As long as it doesn't freeze solid to the bottom they should be fine, they basically hibernate (you don't feed them or anything during winter, some people recommend breaking up ice to allow gas exchange but that's it). They are common goldfish though if yours are fancies I don't know if they are the same. Also I am in the UK so if your winters are much colder then maybe freezing solid could actually happen? 

Yes, where they are, ice hockey is a thing. Outside whenever possible. 

Pipes for house plumbing has to be put in 6" to 12" below the frost line, to prevent ruptured pipes and leaky plumbing. 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 10/9/2021 at 11:23 AM, Torrey said:

where they are, ice hockey is a thing

Ice hockey does not mean goldfish can't survive outside.  😜

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/14/us/football-sized-goldfish-minnesota-lake-scn-trnd/index.html

That article also serves as a good reminder that the "it's too cold for  X species to make it here, so I can release it into natural waterways" is not solid logic. 

[KentFishFanUK]

On 10/9/2021 at 5:23 PM, Torrey said:

Yes, where they are, ice hockey is a thing. Outside whenever possible. 

Pipes for house plumbing has to be put in 6" to 12" below the frost line, to prevent ruptured pipes and leaky plumbing. 

Ah fair enough! In that case freezing completely solid might be a real risk. You can get those floating things that stay warm enough to keep a hole in the surface ice and warm it up a few degrees, would that be just enough to stop if freezing solid? 

[Torrey]

On 10/10/2021 at 7:21 AM, OnlyGenusCaps said:

Ice hockey does not mean goldfish can't survive outside.  😜

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/14/us/football-sized-goldfish-minnesota-lake-scn-trnd/index.html

That article also serves as a good reminder that the "it's too cold for  X species to make it here, so I can release it into natural waterways" is not solid logic. 

I absolutely didn't mean to infer goldfish wouldn't survive, I was trying to explain how deep the pond needs to be dug unless a lake is available 🤣[NO!!! I DO NOT ENCOURAGE RELEASING ANYTHING INTO LAKES]

On 10/10/2021 at 7:37 AM, KentFishFanUK said:

Ah fair enough! In that case freezing completely solid might be a real risk. You can get those floating things that stay warm enough to keep a hole in the surface ice and warm it up a few degrees, would that be just enough to stop if freezing solid? 

It's a P.I.T.A., much easier to bring inside first winter, and dig a proper pond for next winter. 

 

USian infrastructure has a lot of.... old areas. A power outage would result in dead fish.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 10/10/2021 at 2:54 PM, Torrey said:

I absolutely didn't mean to infer goldfish wouldn't survive, I was trying to explain how deep the pond needs to be dug unless a lake is available 🤣[NO!!! I DO NOT ENCOURAGE RELEASING ANYTHING INTO LAKES]

I know you didn't, and it seems like you've taken it in the light tone my comment was intended.  Thanks for for your generous and kind approach, once again! 

[GardenStateGoldfish]

On 10/9/2021 at 9:43 AM, KentFishFanUK said:

My goldfish pond is only 18" deep at its deepest and my goldfish overwinter fine, even with some ice and snow on the pond. As long as it doesn't freeze solid to the bottom they should be fine,

The depth needed for PA will likely be at least two feet deep, you should check your plant zone (I am 6B) and the safe minimum depth is about 3 feet for me but rarely does the ground water ever freeze more thank 18 inches anymore from what I have heard by my local club, all my tubs are above ground and I take my fish in right before thanksgiving to give them plenty of time to egg up.

Also the turtle will eventually eat the goldfish most likely, if you want to keep them together just know that eventually you may just be left with a turtle.