A Hard Winter

Three Common Overwintering Questions and Answers

Can I really leave my fish in the pond all winter and not feed them?

Yes, said Ralph Kiracofe, the president of Waterworld at Monmouth Feed, in Farmingdale, N.J. With proper aeration, fish can live happily all winter without food. In fact, Kiracofe says giving them food in this semi-hibernating state could do more harm than good.

"The cold water holds dissolved oxygen much better than warm water," he explained. "When you combine the need for less oxygen with the decreased body temperature you can see why they don’t need more food."

Which plants can stay in the pond and which should come out?

Some plants, such as lilies and lotus, can’t stand up to Old Man Winter as well as others but can survive under the water, said Ken Schoen, the owner of Waterscapes, Inc. in Kingston, N.Y.

Most tropicals should be treated like annuals and be replaced at the end of their prime, Schoen says. The majority of marginals can freeze solid in the winter and then defrost in the spring and be fine, Schoen said. "They’re used to doing that in the wild," he added.

If I bring my fish indoors, what do I have to do to take care of them?

"The biggest problem people have when they bring their fish indoors is maintaining a good temperature for the fish," Maki said. "When people keep their fish at that mid-50 degree mark it’s hard on the fish."

Instead, Maki said customers should keep their fish between 60 and 65 degrees in a semi-heated basement or garage.
-S.S. & A.S.

A Hard Winter
Insiders explain how the economy has influenced overwintering.
By Scott and Ann Springer

With everyone speculating about which direction the economy will go, some watergardeners are bracing themselves this winter for escalating energy costs by preparing smartly now.

As a result of the potential spike in energy costs, sales of more energy efficient products are taking off, said Michael Gibson, the national sales manager for Abby Rock, a Ft. Wayne, Ind.-based manufacturer

The market has been tough for the last year or so, but Gibson is starting to see sales turn around.

"We had to go through a period of shock and then realize that all sickness is not death," Gibson said. "People were afraid to do anything, but now we’re seeing sales rising to a level that is better than we’d expected."

Upgrading Instead of Giving Up
For many hobbyists, livestock are their lifeblood, said Mike Maki, the president and owner of Premier Aquarium Service, Inc., a division of Premier Water Features in Minneapolis, Minn.

"A lot of my clients consider their fish to be a part of the family, and it seems to be easier for them to cut back on their Starbucks than to cut back on the care of their pets," Maki said.

Although Maki said that if electricity and heating costs go through the roof – the way fuel costs have – operating costs may be on watergardeners’ radar. "If electrical costs go up dramatically, I could see that being an issue," he added.

Customers doing new installations or replacing old equipment in their ponds are carefully analyzing and comparing costs while factoring in the possibility of higher energy costs, Maki says.

Product Options for Winter
Some watergardeners are shelling out more money this fall on products that will save them green all winter long, said Ralph Kiracofe, the president of Waterworld at Monmouth Feed in Farmingdale, N.J. "With the cost of electricity on the rise, customers are looking to buy products that may cost a bit more up front but are less expensive to operate," he said. "In the end, these products save customers’ money."

Customers desire high efficiency and low maintenance products all of the time, of course, but more so now than in the recent past, said Ken Schoen, the owner of Waterscapes, Inc., a Kingston, N.Y.-based manufacturer.

Schoen recently replaced a customer’s pump system on a waterfall that was generating a monthly electrical bill of over $1,000. His replacement solution included three high-efficiency pumps. "The system puts out just as much water for way less money per month," Schoen says. "Now my customer can run his waterfall all the time."

Other products that efficiently aerate in the coldest parts of the country are seeing an uptick in sales, Kiracofe said.

"We’re seeing an emphasis on air pumps and aerators over heaters this year," Kiracofe said. "They consume a lot less energy, cost less to run than a heater, and aerate the pond in the summer too."

Many people are also using deicers to keep their ponds oxygenated all winter long, Kiracofe added. These products also help defray costs while keeping fish happy and healthy long after the first frost has hit, he added.

Some customers prefer to invest in water features that have built-in timers, Gibson said. "People still want to use what they have but they’re being more conscientious about it," Gibson said. "The cost of the timer can easily be made up in the savings that it would provide from reduced energy costs."

Skimmers and nets, which are highly efficient and have low or no operating costs, are always an easy way to cut down on pond maintenance going into winter, Schoen said.

Helping Hands
Hosting seminars about the proper care of equipment, plants and fish may be a profitable way for retail stores to cash in on overwintering, Schoen said. "People love to become mini-experts on topics," he added.

Kiracofe always hosts an end-of-the-season sale on his products, paired with an educational campaign on the how-tos of overwintering. "There’s no doubt in my mind that the people who get the bulk of the business this year will be those who give out good information," Kiracofe said. "People appreciate that you can answer their questions."

A lot of consumer concerns about overwintering are centered in logistical, nuts-and-bolts-type questions, Maki said. "If they want to overwinter we show them what we can do to accommodate that."

Hosting a seminar on nutrition can help quell myths about feeding fish in the winter, Maki suggested. "People just can’t fathom that a fish wouldn’t want to or need to eat in the winter."

Other topics for seminars may range from the mechanics of disconnecting features and storing them properly until spring to the conditions that create super cooling, Gibson said.

Brochures explaining the basics, signage near the pumps and filters describing which size ponds they work best with, and other good visual information are great alternatives or additions to seminars, Schoen suggested. "People love information and it’s great to be able to tell people how these products can save them money in the long run," he added.