The fish become dormant and will feed off the algae at the bottom of the pond all winter.You will want to feed them Low-Temp fish food once the water temperature reaches below 55°. Be sure to look your fish over and check for any signs of parasites. Treating your fish before the winter months will give them time to recuperate. Salt is a safe and inexpensive way to treat many ailments that occur with fish. It destroys the external parasites that may be attacking them and it restores the slime coat. The slime coat is a protective outer layer the wards off infection. It acts as a liquid band-aid.
Installing an aerator to your pond will create a hole in the freezing months of winter. This allows harmful gasses to escape that is caused by decaying debris. It also helps create much needed oxygen for your fish. A pond heater will not heat your entire pond but will keep a hole, just surrounding the heater, warm enough to allow the gases to escape. By using both you have created a back up system incase one stops working.
