Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok, my fish are currently being kept in an IBC outside by the house... the cold weather and snow has hit before I insulated the container. #1 will the fish be ok where the container is fully exposed, #2 do I still need to try and keep an opening for gas exchange? I have an air pump and two stones running but it's not strong enough to keep an opening......


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Probably but what kind of fish do you have?

You do need to keep an opening for air and you should keep the water moving. A stock tank heater on a timer can be used to keep the temp above freezing. It will get expensive if you have to do a lot of heating so just use it when you have to.

You can put some tekfoil or bubble wrap around the tank to create an air gap and hold some of the heat in until you figure the insulation out.

I just have gold fish... but they are a decent size, hate to kill them off.... they are residing on the bottom of the tank at the moment. I may have a dark colored tarp to help. And then pile the snow around it to insulate from the freezing winds.....


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Goldfish can sometimes survive even without doing anything so it's hard to predict. Do the best you can to keep it from freezing solid all the way through and there's a good chance they'll make it. The opening in the ice may not be that important with them because they'll become dormant (wrong word but can't think of the right one at the moment).

You could build a big compost heap piled up against the side , variations of this is used to stop horse and cattle water freezing on off grid farms . Cover pile with plastic and insulation to slow heat loss from exposed surfaces .

Goldfish in ponds that freeze over survive by hibernating on the bottom, so yours might be OK - if your IBC doesn't freeze on the bottom! Ponds freeze from the top down, but containers that aren't insulated freeze from the outside in, so if your IBC is raised or on a metal base you might lose them. Circulating the water will help prevent it, but definitely do something to insulate it as much as possible.

Yeah well.. it's up ok a metal base... so they may be frozen... they are 3" above ground... there is 4" of ice on the top so I can assume it's the same on all sides.... so.... needless to say I've probably frozen my fish lol oh well... luckily they were 20 cents a fish... will re-establish when I get everything moved....


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[quote="firediver"]Yeah well.. it's up ok a metal base... so they may be frozen... they are 3" above ground... there is 4" of ice on the top so I can assume it's the same on all sides.... so.... needless to say I've probably frozen my fish lol oh well... luckily they were 20 cents a fish... will re-establish when I get everything moved in the spring... and re-pipe, redo all the grow beds and drains, basically start back at square 1.....


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The water may have frozen around them but it doesn't mean that they are frozen so you may find them alive still.

Here's to hoping, I'll post in the spring and let you all know the outcome

I've heard that floating stuff like plastic bottles half-filled with rocks will help the surface to not freeze over. That, and running water (like a fountain or waterfall). Of course, that could very well freeze over too if it's cold enough.

Unless the whole thing freezes through, the fish might be OK. I would still recommend keeping an opening for the gas exchange, even if you have to manually break up the ice with an auger, hot water, or whatever.

I did get a hole punched through, will have to manually keep it open

Could just have an air pump and air stone to aerate, keep the water moving, and keep an open area.

Tried that airstone frozen in ice... I'll post a pick when I get a chance

Oh well, guess we'll find out how they are when they thaw out in Spring