Zone 7 a/b Richmond Virginia. The cover has had about 1 foot of snow
covering it, or ice covering it, but inside, it is like a sauna. The fish
are fed twice a day during the winter and four times a day during the
summer. It is nice to go out and close the door behind you and spend time
with the fish. I have canna bloom all year, taro growing so big that I have
to divide it twice a year, and except for this winter, have been able to
keep hyacinths and lettuce all winter.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
"MC" wrote in message
om...
70 degrees in the winter? You must be in a fairly warm climate. That
seems a little warm.


"RichToyBox" wrote in message
news:IQrzc.36242$eu.27831@attbi_s02...
I use the Quick Plug QP20T from Aquatic Eco. I have two of them in my
4000
gallon pond and one in my 2500 gallon pond and am able to keep my ponds
near
70 degrees. They really don't start doing any heating to speak of until
January and by the first of March, the sun is high enough to provide
pretty
good solar heat. If the only purpose is to keep the pond from freezing
over, I don't know if you would need a heater at all, as long as it is
covered with a lean-to or igloo structure to keep the cold, chilling
wind
away from the water, and allow the natural heat of the soil to be
captured
without evaporative losses.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
"MC" wrote in message
om...
What kind of heater are you using? I've heard of people using trough
heaters and there seems to be several kinds of pond heaters. I only
have 500 gallons in Chicago.

It is early, but my first year I lost all my Koi (used a bubbler to
keep hole open). Last winter, I brought them inside. They are now kind
of big to bring inside. I am trying to plan ahead. If I need to bring
them inside this winter, I need to buy a kiddie pool and you can't
find them in the winter in Chicago.

wrote in message
...
I am in Milwaukee, zone 5 and I cover my pond with plain dispo
plastic
altho I too
make a lean too above the pond.
http://puregold.aquaria.net/mypond/winters/winter.htm
this last year I put in a 500 watt heater for 1600 gallons and it
kept
the water 50o
or better for all but one month. meaning I could feed the fish
lightly
and their
immune system was down only about a month. I have a big 12"
airstone
blowing air
into the pond all winter. the air pump is in my garage.
Ingrid

"RichToyBox" wrote:

My pond is covered and heated during the winter. The cover is a
lean-to
with 3 layers of poly sheeting and one layer of the pool solar
cover.
I do
not leave a venting area around the perimeter, but do enter the
enclosure 2
times a day for feeding the fish. I do not think it would be
necessary
to
provide any ventilation if the cover is mounted above the pond. If
it
is
layed on the surface of the water, then I would leave at least an
inch
all
the way around and install airstones. The water will not be able
to
have
gas exchange under the cover, and will get fouled.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.