Q: We’ve been keeping our fish indoors for the winter and have filtration. Do we need to use any chemicals?
Shiela – Norton, VA
A: No doubt your finned friends are enjoying the cozy indoors during the chilly winter season. With your tank’s filtration system turned on, you’re mechanically cleaning the fishes’ aquatic abode – which is a great first step – but there are a few more things you can do to make their stay inside a pleasant one. Here’s what we recommend.
No Chemicals Necessary
Unless your holding tank receives a lot of sunlight, you won’t need chemical treatments, like algaecides or water clarifiers. They’re not necessary, particularly if you use beneficial bacteria, stress reducer and an aeration system.
Boost Your Bacteria
Natural beneficial bacteria, like those found in The Pond Guy® Liquid Clear
, will keep your tank water clean (and give your mechanical filtration system a break!), so pour some into the tank. The tiny microbes activate as soon as they hit the water, multiplying every 20 to 40 minutes and digesting dead organics in the water. The result: crystal clear water and happy fish.
Condition the Water
A stress reducer, like The Pond Guy® Stress Reducer Plus, will help your fish enjoy their indoor stay, too. The water conditioner fortifies your fish’s slime coat, which is the natural slime secretion that’s lost when its stressed. It also removes heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines from tap water, making it safe for underwater living.
Aerate and Circulate
In addition to beneficial bacteria and stress reducer, you should also drop in some air stones into the tank and connect them to your aeration system. Because your fish are living in a smaller space, they’ll need even more oxygen than they did in your pond. Our PondAir Aeration Kits will infuse the water with plenty of fresh O2 for your fish until spring arrives again!
Pond Talk: Where do you overwinter your pond fish?
Enjoy this article?
Join over 60,000 fellow pond owners and receive our Weekly Pond Talk every Saturday.