What Temperature should be maintained once winter inside tanks stablize

[Sharon Goode]

My inside Tanks have cycled and the water is great. PH is 7.6, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0. These tanks are 150 gallons and are housing Koi from my pond. Koi ponds run the gamete of temps in Zone 7 but what would the correct temperature be to over winter these tanks.

 

[koiguy1969]

been wintering my fish indoors for years.... i maintain 58*f. i'm not paying to heat my 800 gal wintering pond. their fed, 2x daily, i maintain crystal clear , and healthy water. i run a 55gal biofilter.

 

[dieselplower]

I keep my house at 68* and I never run heaters in my tanks. Goldfish and Koi can live under ice so a bit cooler water will not harm them. I have read a number of stories about heaters failing and overheating tanks, and of fish getting themselves stuck between the heater and tank and burning themselves badly or to death. Not worth it to me.

 

[Sharon Goode]

You have a good point about heater malfunction. Our lights went out for about 10 minutes, later when I checked on fish the water temp was 78. 78 is not dangerous, but it could have been 98. So your advice is very good and I will go ahead and let the tanks cool to the room temp which runs between 66-70....

 

[addy1]

I lost a 175 gallon tank full of breeding ciclids, heater malfunction, cooked them all.................oh my the smell was horrible

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I couldn't tell you the recommended temp, but mine is at 54° right now, in the basement, unheated. will likely get to 50° or 48° in January. They've been just fine the past couple of years so I'm sticking with it.
Not sure about Koi, but goldfish do fine in cool water.

 

[shakaho]

As cool as anyplace in your house gets. Indoor wintering ponds are typically heavily stocked, so keeping the metabolism down and the feeding light helps maintain the water quality.

 

[koiguy1969]

just a hint...store your (new, clean) waterchange water between changes. i keep, and refill a 55 gal barrel as soon as i pump it into my pond on waterchanges. i do a 55gal water change every 4 days in my 800 gal basement wintering pond. water stays at 58*f in a basement that stays at 68*. i add dechlorinator, fill the barrel, and let it sit. this way it has the time to acclimate (warm) to the same temp as the pond water, or atleast very close. smaller more frequent water changes are less stressfull on fish, and their enviroment.
and i cant speak for anyone elses indoor wintering setup(s).. but mine is 800 gals. and i currently have about 230 koi in it. well over 100 every year. including my 4 adults in the 20" range. the rest in the 2'-5" range. and a 20" pieco.

 

[dieselplower]

just a hint...store your (new, clean) waterchange water between changes. i keep, and refill a 55 gal barrel as soon as i pump it into my pond on waterchanges. i do a 55gal water change every 4 days in my 800 gal basement wintering pond. water stays at 58*f in a basement that stays at 68*. i add dechlorinator, fill the barrel, and let it sit. this way it has the time to acclimate (warm) to the same temp as the pond water, or atleast very close. smaller more frequent water changes are less stressfull on fish, and their enviroment.
and i cant speak for anyone elses indoor wintering setup(s).. but mine is 800 gals. and i currently have about 230 koi in it. well over 100 every year. including my 4 adults in the 20" range. the rest in the 2'-5" range. and a 20" pieco.

just a hint...store your (new, clean) waterchange water between changes. i keep, and refill a 55 gal barrel as soon as i pump it into my pond on waterchanges. i do a 55gal water change every 4 days in my 800 gal basement wintering pond. water stays at 58*f in a basement that stays at 68*. i add dechlorinator, fill the barrel, and let it sit. this way it has the time to acclimate (warm) to the same temp as the pond water, or atleast very close. smaller more frequent water changes are less stressfull on fish, and their enviroment.
and i cant speak for anyone elses indoor wintering setup(s).. but mine is 800 gals. and i currently have about 230 koi in it. well over 100 every year. including my 4 adults in the 20" range. the rest in the 2'-5" range. and a 20" pieco.

Wow i imagine you have a significant filtration system? Or do you just not feed much because of the cool water. What do you think explains the 10 degree difference in water vs air temperature?

 

[koiguy1969]

Wow i imagine you have a significant filtration system? Or do you just not feed much because of the cool water. What do you think explains the 10 degree difference in water vs air temperature?

water volume, and a cold concrete floor may have something to do with the temp diff. i feed about a cup a day, in 2 feedings. 8 am and 4 pm.them. i scoop any poop out before theyre fed. i have my water returns set to create a light whirlpool effect. so debris gather in a small area. i run a 55gal drum upflow "skippy" style filter. the media goes back and forth between my outdoor and indoor filters as i move the fish.
heres a link to a thread on my wintering pond
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/top...-my-simple-but-effective-basement-pond-setup/

a video....