What to do with pond during a heatwave

[michaelsf90]

We are expecting crazy temperatures for England/UK next week. Only for a couple of days but I was wondering what should I do to possibly protect the fish. I have 3 shubhnkins and a comet. The pond isn't huge. About 500/600 litres. At its deepest its about 50cm. It has a waterfall. Pump sends water up to a box filter then it goes down a waterfall I made and some rocks and into the pond. So it's well oxygenated with the waterfall. I have a fair amount of plant cover as well. I was wondering should I put a parasol to give it some shade and add some buckets of water from the tap at its peak temperature in the afternoon?

 

[Lisak1]

I would definitely watch the water temperature - get a pond thermometer if you don't have one. That will give you your best information to work from.

A pond that small could heat up very quickly. Providing shade will help, but the increase in air temperature will still affect the temp of the water. Is the pond in ground or above ground? In ground will obviously stay cooler for longer - but again, small volumes of water heat up more quickly.

If you are going to add cooler water make sure you either treat for chlorine or allow the water to sit for 24 hours for the chlorine to dissipate - if chlorine is an issue where you live.

 

[michaelsf90]

It's dug into the ground. That's not the pond right now. Theirs a fair bit of duckweed at the minute taking up a good bit of area so that will provide shade. The pond will get sun for a certain amount of gkme. As the day goes on it gets shade from the trees. I always dechlorinate water with prime. I'm just hoping if I add water when I finish work it should lower the temp when it will be at its peak

 

[Mgessert]

Be sure the water temp difference isn’t huge if you’re adding a significant amount, so as not to shock the fish.

 

[GBBUDD]

Shade the pond that's is by far the simplest most effective way to help the fish.

Add extra aeration as hot water can not hold as much dissolved oxygen.

Adding a block of ice to a bag filled with pond water will slowly melt in the bag and the water in the bag will neutralize any big temperature differences

 

[SarahT]

For a smaller pond, you could freeze a container of water (4 liters, if you have that size available. US has "gallon" containers for milk and that's what I used to use) and put it in the pond. It takes a while to melt, and so any water temperature change would be negligible.
How hot will your temperature be and for how long?

 

[Relic]

I read on the Daily Mail that southern England will be in the 105F area on Monday & Tuesday, which would be a new record there.

I think temporary shade (pond edges would make it easy to lay something over it) and frozen water containers would be perfect.

(Of course in my little slice of hell, often referred to on maps as Texas, 105 is as common as dead armadillos on the side of the road...)

 

[michaelsf90]

Yer it shouldn't be as warm as up north. Its 30 Celsius tomorrow, 33 Monday and 35 Tuesday apparently. On Wednesday it drops to 18 Celsius and plenty of rain and thunderstorms. Supposedly. The waterfall should provide enough aeration. It's 23 Celsius today and the fish are happily swimming at the top of the pond with the sun on it. We don't have loads of room in the freezer which is a problem. I could make some ice cubes probably and float them in

Do you have a pond with fish in @Relic ? If so they must be some very hardy fish to cope in that heat. Or a very deep pond. When I get in at its peak at 4 in the afternoon I could add water from the tap. Add a bucket every 5 minutes to try and lower the temp but not too much?

 

[Dimelius]

I'm living in north Italy and these last weeks we got 35-42 celsius during the day and my fishes seem hadn't any problems...my pond is almost full sun from 11am to 6pm...i just got a lot of waterlilies(they hide under em during afternoon if they need)....top water is "warm" but after 15-20cm is more cold...i noticed during my maintenance baths ahah

You can shade half of the pond and add a pump on surface for aeration(air pump don't work for it...only mix water so colder water come up and fishes haven't a cold place to stay)
My deepest area is 70cm

 

[Relic]

Yer it shouldn't be as warm as up north. Its 30 Celsius tomorrow, 33 Monday and 35 Tuesday apparently. On Wednesday it drops to 18 Celsius and plenty of rain and thunderstorms. Supposedly. The waterfall should provide enough aeration. It's 23 Celsius today and the fish are happily swimming at the top of the pond with the sun on it. We don't have loads of room in the freezer which is a problem. I could make some ice cubes probably and float them in

Do you have a pond with fish in @Relic ? If so they must be some very hardy fish to cope in that heat. Or a very deep pond. When I get in at its peak at 4 in the afternoon I could add water from the tap. Add a bucket every 5 minutes to try and lower the temp but not too much?

Pond is only about 24 inches deep, full sun most of the day, water lilys shading about 20% of the surface, water temp right now is 90F (32+ C). There's a waterfall to help aerate, and a couple of large aeration stones in the filter tank so oxygen levels seem to be adequate. Fish don't seem to mind in the least...

 

[GJNac]

I read on the Daily Mail that southern England will be in the 105F area on Monday & Tuesday, which would be a new record there.

I think temporary shade (pond edges would make it easy to lay something over it) and frozen water containers would be perfect.

(Of course in my little slice of hell, often referred to on maps as Texas, 105 is as common as dead armadillos on the side of the road...)

LOL!! I was thinking the same way! I’m in Nacogdoches!! My pond with goldfish and two koi is 3,000 gallons, with small waterfall from above ground bog filter.

 

[j.w]

@GJNac

 

[GBBUDD]

LOL!! I was thinking the same way! I’m in Nacogdoches!! My pond with goldfish and two koi is 3,000 gallons, with small waterfall from above ground bog filter.

your responding to a post that is a year old

 

[j.w]

Hey @GJNac you can start a new thread w/your own question and people will respond better. Making shade will help you w/heat. Maybe frozen bottles might help as @Relic and @Dimelius suggested.