I'm certainly no expert on this subject, coming from a warmer climate than yours, but since no one has answered, I thought I'd try to offer some moral support. I would say that there's always a chance that they will have survived, so we can hope for the best. Take heart in the fact that you're not the first person to do this.

We don't have ice on our ponds yet, and in fact few ponds here freeze over completely, but we all do make mistakes. I'll keep my fingers crossed that your babies all made it through.

Thank you so much for the reply. I keep hoping that because the ice was only about 1" thick that the "shock waves" will not be so severe. My husband came home with a pond heater today. I was so upset, I called him at work.

Also there are several baby goldfish. Some are 1" and some are 3", I am really worried about them. I have to believe that they made it through the winter last year as we always brought the fish in and there were never any babies in the tank. Thanks again for your kind reply.

Karen, take a deep breath - there now!(patting you on the back) All is not lost, goldfish are surprisingly resistant to our mistakes. Don't get too upset over something that might, with a little luck, never happen! I think three shock waves is probably not enough to kill them.

When the heater arrives home, if you need to make an opening for it, a safe method is to pour boiling water directly onto the ice, or place a pan or kettle with boiling water on the ice (do tie a piece of string to the handle in case it melts a hole fast and sinks through!).

Good luck, girl. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

:) Mary

I just have an intuitive sense that if there was an opening in the ice that that would not have been as bad as if the ice had been frozen shut and youd been pounding away and really whaling on it... in that case the shock waves would have no where to go whereas with an opening the noise/vibration would dissipate somewhat?? And somehow 3 chops with a shovel does not seem nearly as harmful as continued hard pounding with a hammer and chisel. Do what you can to get the ice off and then see what the situation is - don't panic just yet!

I know how it feels. My one stupidity (worse than yours I think because I should've known better) was forgetting and leaving the hose running when I was refilling the pond once when I first started--my babies suffered chlorine poisoning but fortunately did survive & recovered. I felt just horrible- they are living creatures and you do get attached. The good news is... we learn, and things get better.

Relax, your fish are most likely alright. A small fish load frozen completely over can survive quite a while. If the stream is running, the water is circulating anyway.

I think you'll be ok too, I have struck the edge of my ice several times before remembering the shock theory. By the way, does anyone know why pounding on the ice may kill fish exactly? (the short version please :) Just curious.

Good luck!

I believe fish die from not "breathing" after the stun. I suspect 3 taps on the ice are not enough to take them out. And ditto water circulation = O2/gases ok. My first 100 gal pond was a learning experience, including don't walk away from a running hose - I too flushed the starter pond and killed 'em all. Now with 2,000 gallons I set a timer minimum and don't answer the phone until the water is off.

Karen

I too once chopped at the ice to make an opening in the pond, mine froze over completely. All my fish survived that, so I am sure that your fish will have survived also.

Oh the problems I have caused myself and the fishies due to ignorance. There have been some casualties that I have never figured out. Of course the raccoons have been the most enjoyable problem. I suspect they will cause you more casualties than the shockwave but we will all hope that you are remarkably weak when it comes to pounding the ice with a shovel. Sandy

bluebirdbabe, what's the news, has it thawed any so you can check the fish?

The pond is frozen over, but the floating heater is in place. I will have to wait until spring to see if I killed them.

Did they make it?

When I was a kid, we're talking late WWII here, old farmers would toss surplus carp in the cow tank for later eating. Some would toss in a goldfish or two when available to amuse vexatious kids like myself.

The tanks would often freeze, several inches deep, and, for the cows, they would hack a hole through the ice with an ax. I don't remember any dead fish attributable to the blows but then it has been 65 years.

They grew hartier fish back then albert! Fish like kids these days....