If you are considering adding koi or gold fish to your Vancouver pond, there are some considerations you will have to make. Fish such as koi or gold fish can thrive in Vancouver’s climate, as long as certain special care is taken to keep healthy and happy, especially through winter.

For some suggestions on caring for your pond fish through a Vancouver winter, see the below great tips.

Choosing Fish

In Vancouver, the common selections for pond fish are either goldfish or koi – sometimes both. These types of fish can survive outdoors over winter, even though they do prefer warmer water. A pond owner will have to take action to ensure the health of their fish over the winter. Koi and goldfish will naturally stay near the bottom of the pond when the weather is cooler. Some owners may prefer to add a heater to the bottom of the pond to provide a warm area for the fish to spend their winter.

Plant Considerations

Cold hardy pond plants will lose their stems and foliage in late fall. To protect from freezing, plants can be moved to deeper locations in the pond. Most cold-hardy plants can survive a Vancouver winter outdoors as long as the plant is fully submerged. If you have plants in your pond that are tropical in nature, they should be removed from the pond before the weather gets too cold – otherwise they may sink to the bottom and rot, causing issues with water quality for your fish.

Feeding your Fish

When the weather drops to below 5 -7 degrees Celsius, Koi and goldfish will become semi-dormant and will settle near the bottom of the pond. They will not want to feed during the colder months. When the weather is nicer, fish should be fed a wheatgerm based food.

Vancouver ponds can happily house both koi and gold fish, as long as the pond owner keeps up with their needs during the colder winter months. Follow these tips to keep your fish healthy and happy all year round.