Temperatures into the 40s kill off evasive species

ZEROPILOT

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I lost over 70 baby Midas Cichlids two days ago when the temps hit the mid 40s.
This was a pretty regular thing in the past...A few nights in the 40s that killed off most of our evasive species. Fish, reptiles, etc. Every Winter.
Three nights in a row pretty much killed 90% of everything.
But this hasn't happened in over ten years. So it was a surprise to me and a lot of our non native animals. Including the 300 and something Midas Cichlids living in one of my fish ponds.
These are the babies of some adults that I caught in Kendall, south Miami.
They are native to central and south America.
The last photo shows the beautiful adult coloration.

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Yvonne G

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Well that's a bummer. You might have been able to trade them at a pet store for supplies. . . like an aquarium heater!!?
 

wellington

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Wow that stinks.
With the way the weather has been so different the last couple years and places getting colder then they ever have in past years, I would for sure invest in a heater.
 

mark1

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do you cover the top ? an infrared heat lamp close to the water surface may allow them to survive cold snaps ……… they can see it and will associate with warm ………. did any survive it ?
 

ZEROPILOT

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Well that's a bummer. You might have been able to trade them at a pet store for supplies. . . like an aquarium heater!!?
The ponds are about 2,000 gallons each.
I made a heater out of a 100 foot long black garden hose coil that returns the water into the pond from the filters. But without sunlight, the hose coil doesn't get heated.
It was an unusual and unfortunate set of circumstances.
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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do you cover the top ? an infrared heat lamp close to the water surface may allow them to survive cold snaps ……… they can see it and will associate with warm ………. did any survive it ?
I can't tell if any survived. Even my one remaining adult female died last night and it was just 59.
I tossed the dead fish into a Hibiscus plant in the corner of the yard...And every one of them disappeared.
The canals are now also full of dead fish. Mostly Knife fish and Talapia. With the odd Oscar and Midas or Red Devil mixed in there.
Today, my heater is working very well. Because the sun is out.
The temperature is 73 and the pond is 80.
 

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