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gold fish and freezing water

25 9:54:57

Question
Hello,
I have a pond in my front yard in Seattle area.  I was wondering if goldfish can live if there is no pump running during the winter months?  My pond is 5ft deep 10long and 7 feet wide.  Havent had time to get the fountain part running and the top is freezing over in the night.  Can you help me?  
Thank You!
Sincerely,
Mark
mandesignr@aol.com

Answer
Your pond should be large enough to overwinter your fish.  Five feet deep is pretty deep for an ornamental pond.  You need to keep a hole in the ice but do not need to keep your pump running.  An air stone might be a good idea.  See http://www.fishpondinfo.com/winter.htm for lots of informaton on overwintering a pond.  That page should tell you most of what I would say.