This is my first winter with my small 5 X 5 X 3 deep pond & goldfish. I've cut way back on their feeding as the temps are dropping down into the low 20s at night. Anything I should know about their feed during cold months?

I'm also wondering if I need to leave the Pond Boss waterfall pump running continuously to help keep the water from freezing? I have an aerator pump & bubbling stone in there now & the waterfall 24/7.

As always, any tips & advice gratefully accepted. TIA.

Do you have a heater for it for the winter?

I assume based on your temps you live in the Tuscumbia in Missouri, not Alabama.

I am in Kansas. My previous neighbors used to have two koi ponds and never suffered a winter kill (that I know of) in over 10 years.

My kids used to go over and feed the koi, but I never closely examined their systems. However, I believe both of their ponds were about six feet deep. I think that helped the fish get through the winter.

I know they deepened the smaller pond one time when they still lived there, but that was due to a trash panda (raccoon) incident.

Hopefully, you can get an expert to respond and keep your goldfish happy!

Hi & thanks for helping. No, I don't have a heater. I'm looking at them now on Amazon but naturally clueless about what to get. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help. Actually I am in Alabama. We had a pretty snow Tuesday that stuck & covered the ground. We don't get a lot of snow here although I'm in the tippy top pretty near the Tennessee state line. I worry about raccoons since I live out in the boonies with woods on 3 sides. The only thing that might discourage them is that the neighbors all have large dogs that guard my place too.

I think maybe I should pull the waterfall pump out & put it in a bucket of water somewhere it won't freeze & leave the aerator bubbler going & add a pond heater. Gotta figure out what to get. As always, any advice gratefully accepted.

If all you're looking to do is prevent your pond from getting locked up in ice, a 1500w floating tank heater might be the ticket.
Your local farm-n-home store should have them for about $20.

Ditto on the floating heater, and for the 'coons, look at getting a solar or grid based electric fence system. You need the smallest system that is available and you could put it on a timer. On at sunset, off at sunrise. 1 or 2 wires would be all that you needed around the pond.

Thanks, all, I appreciate your help!