30 " is a little light. It will freeze, keep a 3" hole open with a water
flow from a hose and pump. I let mine run all winter long . It gives oxygen
and leaves out gases. Mine is going on it's fifth year.
Mother nature will tell the fish to bulk up for the winter and they will
hibernate well.

Good Luck



"K30a" wrote in message
...
Hi Randy,

Yes, you should be by the pond with a glass of wine.
50 lashes with a limp reed. ;-)

I'll post my winter check list and hopefully we'll have some windy city
ponders
check in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Winter Pond Check List

Tropicals should be removed and wintered over indoors or discarded.

After the first good frost trim up as much dead foligage as you can.

Remove leaves as they blow into the pond or spread nets over the pond to
catch
them (anchor securely). Do not let netted leaves dip into the pond.

Stop feeding fish when the water temperature reaches about 55 degrees

Choose a method to keep a hole open in the ice.
This allows for gases from decomposing plant and fish waste to escape and
oxygen to enter the pond.

A luft pump with an airstone works well and seems to be the most energy
efficient method.

De-icers float on the surface and switch on when the water gets cold
enough to
form ice.

The pump can be raised off the bottom and the flow directed up to the
surface
of the water.

If the pump is turned off remove the pump, clean it and store it for the
winter.

Turn off the filter at about 40 degree water temperature, clean it and
have it
ready to go in the spring. Never turn on a filter that has been sitting
over
the winter without cleaning it first - noxious dead bio bugs will enter
the
pond

Ponders in the really frozen zones bring in their fish (the depth of your
pond
is an important factor).
A large stock tank is a wise investment. Add oxygen with a bubbler and net
the
tank to prevent fish from jumping out. Do not feed the fish if the water
temperature is below 55 degrees. If the water is warmer a filter will be
needed
for fish that are fed over the winter.
(A stock tank is also handy for quarantining new fish before adding them
to
your pond.)

A winter pond can be very pretty and enjoyable if you are prepared.

Fussing around the pond in 2 degree weather is *not* fun, been there, done
that.


k30a
and the watergardening labradors
http://www.geocities.com/watergarden...dors/home.html