most ponds are in the ground, and the temp is pretty constant. mine is 1600 gallons,
partially above ground (1.5 feet out of the 4 feet), and that portion is insulated
with foam board inside the frame.
the major way to save heat and energy is putting plastic over the top to trap warmer
water vapor and keep it inside. loss of heat by evaporation really cools the pond
down, the colder the more "steam" is seen leaving and taking heat energy with it.
55oF is temp of immune system AND temp I can continue to feed my fish, altho lightly.
apparently my in pond bucket filter works OK at that temp too, I did drop the heater
into the bucket filter. continuing to feed means they dont have to live off their
fat for sooooo long. It is a major stress and one of the major reasons so many fish
succumb to disease early in spring.

(MC) wrote:
There are several things that come into play:
-Outside temperature
-How protected the pond is (some people build plastic frames to
protect)
-The size of the pond
Out of curiosity, why did you pick 55 degrees? Isn't 40 degrees safe?
At 55 degrees I would imagine their immune system is more intact.



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