First of all, according to various people, you may want to reconsider keeping your catfish and pond fish together. I posted a link below - or you can do a search yourself on the subject. In our pond in Upstate NY (similar in zone to you), I remove all my tropical plants in early October. We cut back our hardy water lilies which are planted directly in the pond and drop to the bottom the other hardy plants. Our pond is 3 feet deep and approx. 3,000 gallons so the fish overwinter in the pond. I don't know what you should do with a pond that small. We purchased a plastic 100 gallon tub at Country Max for our tropical plants, and I think that would work well for your fish if you decide to bring them indoors. You would have to add a pump or air stone for aeration and something for filtration. My husband altered the "plug" with a faucet and we can drain it pretty easily with a garden hose into our basement sewer come spring. Here is a link that might be useful: catfish in a pond

Congrats on your clear water! Now watch out for that toddler by the pond! Just my own experience, but I have had goldfish and comets that stay dark for a year or more and then change color dramatically within a month, and a few that never change. There are others more experienced on this, but I've read that nutrition can play a part in color. That said, I have one 3" goldie/comet that is still gray (I only feed my fish sparingly). Goldfish and comets can and do grow even with neglect providing they have food (bugs and algae) and shelter (in the lack of plants, algae filled water). While not optimal, they do survive and reproduce. Now, start finding homes for the extras! Though with that pump/filter you'll be ok for a while with 10....but what about 20? :o) Good Luck, S

Koi do not hibernate. When an animal hibernates, they are unaware of their surroundings. It takes a lot to wake an animal from a hibernated state. Hibernating bears are often pulled from their dens to do studies on them, and they don't even wake up. They are dead asleep. That is true hibernation. Koi are cold blooded creatures and in the winter, they slow way down to conserve their energy (a degree of stasis). They are sluggish, but very much aware of what's going on around them and can easily take off and swim normally if they feel threatened.

Hello Everyone, Thanks for the notes. Well we are just finishing day 17 (Friday October 7) of all this. My little guy is still alive and seems to be on a very slow recovery. Although just how far he will come is still a mystery. I did the full 7 day cycle of Melafix and Pimafix that ended last weekend. I did a 60% water change on Sunday night,as suggested with the medication. Up till this point he had spent most of his time on his side and slowly moving the odd time. Breathing had varied between slow and rythmic to gasping and full body lunges. As the water emptied suddenly my guy flipped over and started swimming around upright like nothing was wrong. I replaced about 70 percent of the removed water as I had talked to a store earlier who had mentioned a last ditch effort would be to lower 80% of the water in case the weight of the water above was to much for him right now.But since I use an undergravel filter and a HOB filter if the water was that low I would have no filtration at all. So I filled the water up to the intake of my HOB filter only to help him at least a bit. Over the last week he has moved around quite a bit. But when he is resting he is fully upside down. He will swim both right side up and upside down then rest for a while. I am hoping this is a good sign. He skin is fully healed now and his fins are fine. All I can do is wait and watch. Unfortunately sometime in the next week I will have to move him again as I am going into my new place now. Hope everyone has a great weekend and for those Canuks out there, Happy Thanksgiving. Scott P.s. Shadegodess... I have known many teenagers who were smarter and more with it then those who were much older then themselves.