Wintering of fish. How do aquatic vertebrates survive the cold? How fish winter

In winter, artificial reservoirs require special attention, since the success of its operation in the warm season will depend on this. The preparation of the pond for winter begins in the fall, so that the owner has the opportunity to prepare not only the pond itself, but also the individuals living in it. These activities play an important role in the preservation of fish in winter, and also affect the further productivity of fish.

Preparatory work for wintering begins with the onset of the autumn period. To prepare the pond for winter, the temperature must be carefully controlled. For such control, you should get a good thermometer. It is necessary to tie a thread to the thermometer and fix it on a stone or other heavy object. Only it will be possible to find out the exact temperature in the water space and start preparations in a timely manner.

The easiest to prepare for winter are small ponds, because due to their small size they do not cause difficulties with devastation. With an average depth of up to 0.8 m and an area of ​​at least 20 m2, the reservoir freezes to the very bottom, which is a significant reason for the movement of aquatic inhabitants and plants.

After the completion of the emptying and cleaning of the pond, it is recommended to draw water into it no more than half the depth, which will help keep snow and ice on the surface. With the onset of severe frosts, you can make an ice hole and pump out air, which will help prevent complete freezing. Features of preparing the pond for winter are shown in Figure 1.

With the onset of the first cold snaps, the temperature regime is monitored daily. Setting the temperature at around +10 gives the green light for a more substantial preparation of the reservoir for winter (Figure 2).

Note: In this temperature regime, aquatic inhabitants can be fed less, since fish in cool water eat very little, and uneaten food will rot. If heating for the winter period is not provided, then it is necessary to dismantle additional equipment: filters, pumps and aerator.

Also, do not forget that there are models of filters and pumps that, when located at a depth of 0.5-0.6 m, can turn on for several minutes and at this moment they mix the water and aerate it. A pond less than 1 meter deep will need to be lowered, manually cleaned of dirt and silt, and fish with plants transferred to prepared indoor aquariums.

The preparation of the pond for wintering includes blowing pipes and sealing them with plugs, after which the reservoir must be filled with two-thirds of new water, which will simplify wintering and defrosting in the spring. Shallow reservoirs are prepared for winter, as are pools - the water level is regulated in accordance with the level of the soil, while expansion compensators (flooded plastic canisters) are placed in the water space. Such expansion joints should be placed one at a time per 1 square meter of area. You can also use rubber balls or wide foam sheets.

Reaching the temperature regime of water to the level of +5 means the transition of the water space to wintering. At this point, a complete cleaning of sludge is carried out, which will be left in the wintering pit. Excess debris and the remains of dead plants are also removed. The bottom of the reservoir is cleaned with a water vacuum cleaner or manually (with a rake with frequent rounded and flattened teeth).

Pond preparation

With the beginning of autumn leaf fall, it is necessary to protect the reservoir from falling leaves, which, when they hit the surface of the water, will later sink and thereby spoil the composition of the water in the spring (Figure 3). Sunny spring heat warms the water and rotting of the leaves occurs, which takes oxygen and releases swamp gas.

Note: To prevent leaves from falling into the pond, you can stretch a net with a small cage over it, on which fallen leaves will fall. With the completion of leaf fall, the mesh must be removed, dried and the leaves removed from it.

Ponds of small sizes on acrylic and PVC base must be drained before the first frost, as well as clean and dismantle the equipment. If there is a need to leave the devices in the pond, in this case it should be covered for the wintering period. Water equipment not intended for winter conditions is recommended to be dismantled and moved indoors. The pumps should be washed and stored in a container with liquid, and the filters should be dried after washing and stored in a dry room. It is also necessary to store hoses, nozzles, fountain nozzles, lamps and aerators in a dry room.

How to properly prepare a pond for winter, you will learn from the video.

Caring for fish in the pond in winter

Many owners of small ponds are interested in the question of how to keep the fish in the pond in winter without moving them to the aquarium. This is possible only if all individuals are carefully prepared for wintering.

Heat-loving species of aquatic inhabitants (swordtails, Japanese carps) will still have to be caught and moved for wintering even before the onset of cold weather, since moving to a warm aquarium during the onset of cold weather will cause diseases. The occurrence of diseases in fish is associated with violations in the preparation for wintering and failures in the biological program.

For fish of local breeds in the middle zone of our country, the optimal depth for wintering is at least 1.5 m. At a depth of one meter, the reservoir can freeze to the bottom and aquatic pets will have no chance of survival. However, in the pond, you can arrange a hole for wintering at a depth of at least one and a half meters and a size of 1 * 1m. Local breeds can overwinter quietly at home if they are placed in an aquarium, barrel or bathroom, but it is very important to arrange aeration and maintain the water temperature (10-15 degrees). During the wintering period at home, the activity of fish will be suspended. Fish need to be fed in small quantities and only high-protein foods.

Moving fish from an aquarium to a pond is possible only after the reservoir has completely warmed up. Native plant species can survive the winter in a pond if placed at least one meter deep. However, plants of exotic origin (pothos, heat-loving water lilies) must be moved to an indoor water tank.

Ice observation

In measures to provide fish with oxygen in a frozen pond, reeds and cattails should be cut to a height of up to 20 cm above the water level. Also in the water it is worthwhile to vertically arrange bundles of straws through which carbon dioxide will be exchanged for oxygen. The water around the straw bundles freezes very slowly, and even after the ice completely freezes, oxygen will also flow to the fish (Figure 4). However, it is recommended to drill holes and add bundles of straw. It is forbidden to break the ice, and especially over the wintering pit, as the shock wave can cause an increase in pressure in wintering fish and cause damage to the swim bladder.

Under the formed ice in the most severe frosts, the temperature remains at +4 degrees. However, the violation of the ice surface of the reservoir over a relatively large area will cause the water to cool and thicken the ice. It is recommended to make air and spill it with boiling water, as this allows you to keep the movement of water under the ice without the formation of a shock wave.

In addition, to provide fish with oxygen under the ice surface, wells can be drilled and compact portable aerators can be installed in them.

As the temperature drops below 21 degrees, it is worth gradually reducing the amount of protein in the feed to make it easier for the fish to digest the feed.

Note: A decrease in temperature makes the process of digesting food difficult and during wintering it is necessary to prevent overfeeding of aquatic inhabitants. During the day they need to be fed 2-3 times, but the volume of one feeding should be eaten in five minutes, after which the remnants of food should be removed from the reservoir.

At a temperature of less than 15 degrees, the feeding ration should be filled with plant foods, which are based on wheat bacteria. However, it is worthwhile to gradually reduce the amount of feed given out, since when the temperature drops to 10 degrees, the fish cannot digest food and at this moment it is worth stopping feeding altogether. This will reduce the amount of organic waste in the pond, as they decompose very quickly.

With the onset of extreme temperatures, it is worth checking the water more often for an increase in the level of nitrates and ammonia in it so that the fish do not die from a lack of oxygen.

Peculiarities

In the cold season, aquatic inhabitants need rare feeding and portions of feed must be reduced. Such a decrease is associated with a decrease in the activity of fish, and food residues can cause pollution of the reservoir and provoke diseases.

During the cold months, there is a risk of fish becoming infected with various "winter" diseases (for example, Chilodonnel). Fish can become infected with the most dangerous infections at the end of the winter period, which is associated with a weakened body of aquatic inhabitants. You can protect the health and strengthen the immunity of fish by using special feeds during wintering periods, which will have a complex of useful substances in their composition. A well-prepared pond using the necessary winter equipment and a properly selected wintering ration will make the stay of fish in the winter cold truly comfortable.

Rules

In order for the wintering of fish in a country pond to be successful, and all individuals to remain healthy and viable, it is necessary to adhere to certain preparation rules.

Key features of this process include(picture 5):

• Removal of heat-loving fish from the reservoir and their transfer to aquariums or other self-contained containers. These types of fish include koi and several types of goldfish, which were brought from warm countries.
• Remove algae from the pond and other coastal plants. In the autumn, they will begin to die off, and decaying plants will be in the pond. After getting into the water, the remains of plants will begin the process of decay, thereby worsening the composition of the water. Rotting plants under ice forms an accumulation of gases in the water, which are very dangerous for fish and can lead to their death. Algae can be collected using improvised tools (rakes, nets), after which it is worth cutting the stems of aquatic plants and water lilies. It is also necessary to protect the reservoir from falling leaves from trees by stretching the net over the water surface. However, you can use a skimmer, which for its intended purpose is a water surface cleaner.
• Provide the pond with enough oxygen. After the formation of ice, small holes are made in its surface, into which aerators can later be inserted.
• Fish Immunity Support during winter is also an important condition for the preservation of livestock. To do this, before the onset of cold weather, biological preparations that stimulate the immune system are added to the water.

During the winter cold, it is necessary, if possible, to carefully observe the behavior of the fish and, if any anomalies are found, isolate the suspicious individual and begin its treatment.

The main stages of preparing the pond for winter are shown in the video.

Pond burning in winter

If the fish stays in the pond for the winter, and there are severe frosts in your climatic region, it is necessary to provide heating to the pond.

Note: It is undesirable to walk on ice in winter, so it is better to provide a small bridge in advance or put a board on the ice to remove snow.

To heat the pond, it will be enough to cover it with straw, burlap or any other insulation. But this must be done for a while, as both fish and aquatic plants require light. If severe frosts begin, a hole is drilled in the surface of the ice and part of the water is pumped out of it. This creates an air cushion that prevents additional ice from freezing and provides the fish with the necessary amount of oxygen.

Heating Features

Since wells are drilled in the ice thickness or polynyas are cut through to provide fish with oxygen, care must be taken to heat this zone. For this, special heaters are used, which provide a constant small flow of moderately warm water, which does not allow the ice hole to freeze (Figure 6).

Temperature

The optimum temperature is one of the key indicators of a comfortable wintering of fish. For example, heat-loving species will feel good only if the water temperature is at least 5-8 degrees above zero.

For other types of fish, a temperature of +3 degrees will be enough. To maintain this indicator at a stable level, it is necessary to cover the ice surface with special insulation or install heaters.

Now life is in full swing in country ponds, but winter is inevitable, and with it all the delights of wintering - perhaps the most difficult stage in amateur fish farming. To avoid winter frost, certain rules must be observed.

Most fish, which are usually bred by amateurs in country ponds, accumulate enough fat over the summer and are able to do without food in winter. These fish include carp and silver carp. If your fish enters the winter strong and well-fed, and you create the minimum necessary conditions for it, it will cope with the winter. The main thing is to do everything right.

Carps. Wintering in the pond. Training.

The ability to spend the winter in a reservoir is explained by the relationship between metabolic processes in the body of fish and the temperature of the water in the reservoir - in winter, the fish ceases to be active, practically goes into hibernation.

Many species of fish go to the bottom until spring and doze in the so-called "wintering pits", in the deepest places of the pond. The water temperature (about +5 degrees) in such pits would allow the fish to survive this long winter without problems, but they may not have enough oxygen, and the layer of ice does not allow gases to go out - these two circumstances often cause death.

During wintering, the need for oxygen in fish decreases.

Stasyan FORUMHOUSE User

Most fish need a minimum of oxygen to hibernate.

So, for all types of carp, 3 cubic centimeters of oxygen per liter of water is enough, but it is better if there are 4-5 cm3 per liter.

In general, the reason for the departure of fish is most often not a lack of oxygen, but an excess of carbon dioxide, as well as the presence of iron oxide and hydrogen sulfide in the water. A normal alkaline reaction is also important.

By monitoring the situation in the pond in the country with a thermometer, an oximeter and a pH meter, you can adjust the indicators towards the technological standard, or at least keep them within acceptable limits.

In farms professionally engaged in fish breeding, wintering is carried out in special wintering ponds. Their peculiarity is a small area at a great depth (a non-freezing layer of water from 120 to 200 centimeters should remain under the ice). On the eve of winter, the wintering pond is cleared of plants and quicklime is added to the water. At home, instead of a wintering pond, some people use a wintering well.

Sun FORUMHOUSE User,
Moscow.

I place decorative and rearing fish in a concrete well with a diameter of 70 cm, a depth of 2.5 m until the end of March next year.

The well was dug in non-freezing soil, covered with a shield of boards, and, if necessary, with snow, so the temperature remains above zero until March. During the winter, the water level in such a well drops to about 1.7 meters: an air gap forms between the surface of the water and the wooden “lid” of the well, which allows oxygen to enter the water; in this way, the fish manage to successfully overwinter, avoiding a kill.

How do carp winter in a pond

Wintering wells have their own fat disadvantages, including the stress that fish experience when changing their habitual habitat. Wintering "at home" will be a preferable option for them, and if the possibilities of the pond allow, then it is better to organize it there. But for this, the pond must be deep enough, deeper than one and a half meters.

autobyd FORUMHOUSE User

I have a pond with a wintering hole 1.5 by 1.5, depth 4.5 meters, and in winter the fish felt great there.

Special equipment, low-voltage heaters and aerators will help the fish survive the winter, which will maintain the parameters necessary for fish life support, namely, oxygen supply and water temperature. But you should always take into account the characteristics of the pond and the fish that you leave for the winter. So, a concrete pond of small volume without a bottom pit leaves no chance even for crucian carp.

Borovichok FORUMHOUSE User

The crucian carp burrows into the bottom silt and sleeps. It will not burrow into concrete. It may not burrow and winter in the bottom pits (sleeping), but the pits must be below the freezing level by a meter, and they must have oxygen for the fish to breathe.

At the dacha of the user of our portal trvld fish have been wintering well for five years in a plastic carp pond under a thin (0.5 cm) foam cover. The foam plastic repeats the shape of the pond, but its area is slightly larger - there is an overlap on the edges of about 10 cm from all sides. In autumn, the cover is covered with a pile of leaves, and there is a hole in the foam plastic with a diameter of 55 mm, into which a plastic pipe is inserted.

trvld FORUMHOUSE User

Air enters through this tube, and once every 2-3 weeks I fall asleep a little food.

As FORUMHOUSE participant Stasyan says, “if half of the ice is removed”, the water in the pond will become supercooled, which will significantly worsen wintering conditions. Therefore, the area of ​​the polynya relative to the area of ​​the pond should be small.

Stasyan FORUMHOUSE User

In order for the gases to have a free exit, there are freezes precisely because everything is sealed.

One of the methods to prevent freezing is to pump water through a small hole (this is done to form the already mentioned air gap, which will enrich the water with oxygen). So that the hole is not covered with ice, it is closed and insulated, including with snow. Also, special heaters for country ponds will help organize gas exchange in the pond, which will maintain a temperature that is comfortable for heat-loving fish species, and

In the warm season, a decorative pond on a personal plot does not require special care. Only on very hot days do you have to deal with the flowering of water. However, with the onset of cold weather, a lot of effort must be made so that the reservoir and its inhabitants safely winter and, with the advent of spring, are again the center of attention in the country.

Prepare the pond for winter long before the cold weather. Before the start of leaf fall, cover it with a net so that foliage does not fall into the water. If this is not done, then in the spring the leaves will begin to rot under water, and all beauty will be spoiled. But with the onset of the first night frosts, it must be removed so that it does not freeze into ice.

If leaves do get into the pond, catch them with a net or with a water vacuum cleaner (skimmer - surface suction pump).

We clean the bottom

bottom cleaning- this is a mandatory procedure, regardless of whether your pond is wintering or not. Everything that accumulates at the bottom - silt, garbage, fish food - decomposes and forms pathogenic gases that can poison the inhabitants of the reservoir. Therefore, cleaning should not be ignored. This can be done with a rake.

Remember that the wintering pond must remain clean.

We remove the equipment

From the beginning of autumn, start constantly monitoring night air temperatures. At the moment when the night temperature approaches 5°C, turn off the supply pumps (if any) and disconnect them from the filter. If the equipment is equipped with special frost protection, it can be safely left in the pond for the winter. But if there is no such protection, then all auxiliary elements are removed from the water, washed with a weak saline solution, dried and transferred to a warm and dry place, where they are stored until spring. Store pumps and hoses rolled up in a container of water.

Preparing the pond for wintering

To prepare the pond for winter, initially it is necessary to assess the scale of the forthcoming actions. It largely depends on its size. Let's figure it out.

Small reservoirs are generally not left for the winter. A pond with an area of ​​up to 20 square meters and a depth of up to 0.8 m will freeze to the very bottom in winter, regardless of its origin (artificially created or natural). Therefore, you need to extract everything from it plants and living creatures. Then the water is pumped out and the walls and bottom are manually cleaned.

After that, the pond is half or 2/3 filled with clean water so that in winter it does not accumulate a lot of snow, which will then melt for a very long time.

If the winter is very cold, do not be lazy - make a small hole in the pond. By creating a kind of air cushion under the ice, you will significantly speed up the process of melting and warming up the pond in the spring.

reservoirs with an area of ​​more than 20 sq.m and a depth of more than 1 m can be left to winter in a filled form. However, before that, they also clean the bottom and remove all equipment (filters, pumps, etc.).

Wintering of aquatic plants

Before the cold comes, you need to take care of aquatic plants.

marsh and shallow water plants cut almost to the root. Those that are not frost-resistant are covered with burlap or leaves. And if possible, it is better to get such plants and send them for wintering to a room where there will always be a small (about 5 ° C) plus temperature and a minimum amount of light.

Only reeds are left to winter in their place. It will become a source of oxygen for wintering fish.

Water lily, yellow capsule, elodea, swamp, water paint, duckweed, calamus, marigold, host, equilegia, rush left for the winter in the pond. However, it is advisable to cut off a few buds and keep warm. If the plants for some reason do not survive the winter, they can be grown from the abandoned buds.

And heat-loving plants ( water hyacinth, pistia, Nile papyrus, pontederia, marsh iris, tropical water lilies) are taken out of the reservoir and placed for wintering in containers with water, the temperature of which should not be lower than 10-15˚С. The water in the containers is changed every 2-3 weeks, while the lighting in the storage area should not be intense and bright.

The wintering pond should contain the maximum possible number of plants. This will help maintain the biological balance in it.

wintering fish

For fish, a change of habitat is stressful. And the best option for them would be to spend the winter in their native, already familiar reservoir. But this is not always possible. In the case when the pond is less than 1.5 m deep, the fish will freeze.

The main step in preparing fish for winter is a change in diet. In autumn, feed can be given less than, for example, in summer. And with the onset of cold weather, the fish stop feeding altogether. Because in winter they should get used to foraging on their own.

To leave the fish to winter in their permanent place, you can purchase special equipment (pond heaters and aerators) that will help maintain the water temperature within normal limits.

If it is not possible to use all this equipment, you can make a small hole and spill it with boiling water. But remember, you can’t make a hole with an ax, because the shock wave can harm the health and physical condition of the inhabitants of the reservoir.

Heat-loving ornamental fish ( cold water trout, carp koi, golden small fish, verkhovka, minnow) are not left to winter in the pond. For them, a large aquarium is usually prepared in advance. The conditions in it should be comfortable enough for the fish so that they do not hibernate, but at the same time a little harsh so that in the spring, when they enter the open pond, they do not die.

The wintering place should be spacious enough. For each fish up to 10 cm long, at least 10 liters of water are needed. The aquarium must be equipped with a water filter and an oxygen saturation system. The water temperature should be at the level of 10-12˚С.

If there is no aquarium, for the winter the fish can be moved to a large barrel with a water temperature of 15 ° C, in which a recirculating filter is installed. Under such conditions, the fish can be left until spring in a room with a little light.

The final stage of preparing the pond for wintering

To complete pond preparation at their summer cottage you need one important event. To prevent freezing water from damaging the walls of the pond in winter, several logs or rubber balls are lowered into it. During severe frosts, the reservoir is additionally covered with straw, boards or burlap. However, if fish winter in it, it is not recommended to leave such a shelter for a long time (fish need light to maintain life). Also in winter, you need to constantly clean the surface of the pond from snow and do not forget to control the presence of ice holes.

If you take good care of a decorative pond in the fall, then it will survive the winter without much trouble and loss. And next year, it will once again please you with a picturesque view and coolness.

Wintering fish.

The success of winter maintenance of fish seed depends on the following factors:
physiological preparedness of the fish organism for winter starvation;
conditions for catching underyearlings from nursery ponds and their transfer to wintering areas;
environmental conditions of wintering ponds.
In the northern zones of pond fish farming (I-III), the wintering period is 6-7, in the southern - 1-2 months. in a year. During the wintering period under the ice, especially in its second half, a sharp deterioration in the gas regime of water bodies is possible, mainly due to the rich content of organic matter in bottom sediments. During the winter period, when the fish does not feed, it consumes its nutrient reserves, especially in the northern zones of fish farming.
With the traditional technology of pond fish farming, special measures are taken in fish farms to ensure the survival of fish in winter:
for winter keeping of the yearlings, carp are transplanted into special wintering ponds;
wintering is carried out in special wintering complexes;
fingerlings of carp and other fish are kept in winter in cages or pools on waste warm waters of energy facilities.
In many farms, due to the lack of wintering ponds or untimely renewal of rearing ponds, wintering of underyearlings in nursery ponds, where they were reared, is practiced, as well as stocking feeding ponds in autumn. A technology has been developed for continuous rearing of fish in ponds, which provides for growing fish in the same feeding pond from fry to marketable mass without transplanting for wintering.
The area of ​​wintering ponds on average usually does not exceed 0.5-1 ha, therefore, water exchange should be carefully maintained in them at the rate of complete water renewal in 15-20 days. The depth of wintering ponds should ensure the preservation of a non-freezing layer of water with a thickness of at least 1.2 m.
In heavily overgrown, water-flooded wintering ponds, where the conditions for wintering fish are unfavorable, along with traditional methods of their preparation, keeping in the summer period under water vapor is used, i.e. all summer the pond is with water. Ordinary winterers dry out.

Table 35. Main indicators of control over the state of wintering fish stock (carp)

Wintering of carp fingerlings in wintering complexes. In farms located in zones I-III of fish farming, where the wintering of fish is long and the conditions are unfavorable, waste of underyearlings is large. In hatcheries that grow a large amount of fish stock, it is advisable to build wintering complexes. They consist of wintering pools located in closed unheated premises, a water supply system, a compressor unit for water aeration, devices for loading and unloading fish.
The source of water supply for the wintering complex can be an artesian well or a river. Pools are arranged in one or two rows. The area occupied by the complex, designed for the wintering of 2-5 million yearlings, ranges from 600 to 1200 m 2 . Aeration of water is carried out by supplying air through air atomizers from filter plates or pipes. An incubation shop can be converted into a wintering complex. The advantage of wintering carp fingerlings in complexes before wintering them in ponds is that it increases the possibility of monitoring the condition of the fish, carrying out preventive and therapeutic treatment, and improving wintering conditions (Table 37).
Preparation of wintering complexes (ponds) for the season. Wintering ponds should be prepared from spring immediately after they are unloaded to ensure maximum decomposition of organic accumulations in the soil and good condition of the ponds.

Table 36

Table 37. Content of fish in wintering complexes.

Disinfection is carried out immediately after the descent of the winterers along the wet bed with quicklime or bleach at the rate of 25 and 5 centners/ha, respectively (with an active chlorine content of at least 25%) or calcium hypochlorite - 3.0-2.5 centners/ha (with an active chlorine content of at least 25%). chlorine 50% or more). If during the winter there were diseases and a large waste of fish, then the amount of lime should be doubled. The introduction of lime on a dry bed is ineffective.
Before disinfection, fish collecting ditches along the pond bed and drainage channels behind the outlet should be cleared of silt and various sediments. Disinfection of the fishing net is carried out with a 10% bleach solution.
After the lime mortar has dried, the pond bed must be plowed with a cultivator to a depth of 7-17 cm, and in autumn, 3-4 weeks before flooding, harrowed and rolled with a roller. Harrowing should be at a depth of 3-5 cm.
The slopes of the pond dams in summer should be mowed at least 2 times during the period of the greatest herbage and before flooding the pond for the winter, and the cut vegetation should be removed.
During the summer, it is necessary to repair the dams, the water supply system, and compact the soil at the spillways. In autumn, 2-3 weeks before filling the wintering with water, they should be disinfected again at the rate of 25-30 centners/ha of quicklime or 5 centners/ha of bleach. If, after flooding the ponds, the content of free chlorine in the water exceeds 0.1-0.2 mg/l or the pH value is more than 8.5-9, the ponds should be washed out. Overwintering ponds should be flooded 10-15 days before the transplantation of underyearlings, so that a relatively stable hydrochemical regime is established in the pond, having previously carried out a complete hydrochemical analysis of the pond water and the water supply source.
Optimal weight of underyearlings in wintering ponds (winterers). According to fish breeding and biological standards, standard carp fingerlings in zones 1-11 should have a weight of at least 25 g, in zone III - 27 g, in IV - 30 g. are more depleted and die during winter starvation than large ones. On average, the approximate values ​​of the yield of yearlings after wintering, depending on the weight of underyearlings planted in wintering, fluctuate within the following limits: with a weight of more than 25 g, the yield is 96-80%, with 25-20 g - 80-70, with 20-15 g - 70-60, with 15-10 g - 60-30, and with a mass of less than 10 g - 50-20%.
Winter maintenance of carp fingerlings in cages and pools on waste warm waters. The maintenance of carp fingerlings in winter is practiced in fish farms of I-III fish farming zones. At the same time, underyearlings are fed in winter, due to which their weight increases by an average of 50-60%, and the yield increases compared to that from wintering ponds. Thanks to this, carp reaches marketable mass in a two-year cycle, while increasing the yield of fish products from feeding ponds.
During the entire wintering period, reaching 7 months. per year, it is necessary to regulate the water exchange in the pools daily, control the gas regime, remove dead fish, clean the bottom of the pools every 10 days, and, if necessary, carry out preventive and therapeutic treatment of wintering fingerlings.
In spring and summer, you can use the pools for rearing larvae, rearing carp fry.
Maintaining a fish pond (pool) in winter. Depending on the origin of the reservoir and the intended purpose, it can be preserved in winter from destruction during freezing in various ways:
1) do not leave water for the winter (it is drained from small pools, pumped out or scooped out);
2) if it is difficult to drain the water, in this case, as it freezes, the ice is broken, and pieces of it are selected until the bottom appears;
3) if the reservoir is located on a site in a concrete or wooden formwork and freezing can destroy (break) the walls of the formwork, it can be covered, insulated with mats, old blankets, etc. Such a reservoir freezes at a temperature of minus 10 ° C, covered with thin ice. It is possible to build a "well" over the reservoir with heating by electric lamps (Fig. 14). In severe frosts, the pool can be closed with boards, covered with a film on top and covered with sawdust or fine-grained peat (milling cutter) 20 cm thick, this will warm the water at a temperature of minus 15-18 ° C. At lower temperatures, the layer of sawdust or peat should be thicker. Water with a salinity of 18-20 g/l (Black Sea) freezes at minus 0.4°C, oceanic (salinity 36 g/l) - at minus 2.4°C;

Hello, dear visitors of the site about fishing. Everyone knows that everyone endures the winter season in different ways. The activity of aquatic life in winter is sharply reduced. This is due to the fact that living conditions are changing: the amount of light is almost halved, the temperature of the water is decreasing, and the amount of oxygen is also decreasing. That is why, in order to make fishing as effective as possible, it is worth knowing all the features of the wintering of fish of different species. This is the information we have provided in this article.

After reading this article, you will be aware of the peculiarities of the behavior of aquatic inhabitants and learn various wintering options for ordinary, as well as predatory representatives of the aquatic environment. We will also tell you what wintering pits are and what their main purpose is. Learn more new and useful information to please yourself and your loved ones with a wonderful catch!

What should you know about wintering?

Residents of the reservoir begin to prepare for a long wintering since autumn. This process is different for everyone, since the way of living in the winter season is different for representatives of different species. For example, there are some types of fish (carp, miniature dallium fish, etc.), which, together with amphibians, fall into the so-called hibernation. They burrow into the silt at the bottom of the reservoir and live in this way all winter. The processes of their vital activity are suspended until spring. After that, they "come to life", continue to feed, multiply and accumulate fat for the next cold pore.

• wintering pits (inhabitants of the aquatic environment gather in flocks and lead a sedentary existence);
• winter spawning;
• migration;
• active life at dusk (observed in predatory species), etc.

Inhabitants of reservoirs can favorably endure the harsh conditions of winter due to the physical properties of the water, the temperature of which usually does not drop to critical points.

What are winter pits?

Since aquatic vegetation and plankton do not multiply in winter, the food supply is significantly reduced for many fish. Because of this, their activity is significantly reduced, they stray into flocks and begin to look for the most suitable places where they can spend the winter.

Wintering pits are places where fish of the same age and the same size hibernate. They cluster very tightly in flocks and secrete special mucus on the surface of the scales. It is this slime allows them to:

• withstand low temperatures;
• minimize energy costs;
• scare away predators.

Mostly heat-loving species of the inhabitants of the aquatic environment, such as tench, bream, carp, whose fat reserve allows them not to take care of their food for a long time, go to wintering pits. They begin to form pits already in the middle of autumn, then being in an immobilized state for 3-4 months.

As a hole, they choose the deepest shelter in the reservoir. This is due to the fact that in the winter season at great depths the water temperature is slightly higher than in the upper layers.

Near such flocks, but a little higher, catfish are attached. This is explained by the fact that after an ice cover forms in the reservoir, oxygen in such pits becomes much less. It is important for catfish to get enough oxygen, so they are located nearby, but not in the wintering pits themselves.

Features of wintering of predatory fish

Predators (pikes, pike perches, perches, etc.) do not spend the winter in wintering pits. But at the same time, they do not touch those individuals who prefer to spend the winter in such shelters. They open the hunting season for those fish that are not afraid of the ice cover and do not leave their usual habitat anywhere (such aquatic inhabitants include roach, skygazer, bleak, ruff, as well as the predators themselves, which have not yet reached large sizes). And since half darkness forms under the ice, it becomes even easier for predators to hunt.

The behavior of predators is determined, depending on the relationship to the light. So, predatory fish are divided into twilight (for example, pike), deep twilight (for example, pike perch) and twilight-day (a bright representative is perch). Thanks to the availability of food, predatory fish hibernate without the need to hide and slow down their vital processes. In the first days after the onset of cold weather, they are very active in their hunting. Fishermen call this behavior "first ice".

There is one species of fish representatives for which the winter season is a rather favorable time. It's about burbot. This fish does not tolerate warm water temperatures, so it feels great in a chilled pond. Burbot hides in holes at the bottom of the reservoir when the water temperature reaches 15-16 degrees Celsius.

As you have noticed, the wintering process is different for each representative of the aquatic environment and is characterized by its own characteristics. Some species migrate (for example, anchovy) to places with higher water temperatures, others hide in wintering pits. Predators continue to lead the same way of life, and for some species of fish, the winter season is considered the most suitable for life.