I am zone 7a/7b. Richmond VA. Temperatures don't fall enough before
Christmas to stop feeding if you don't heat or cover. The ice forms on
others ponds for a couple of days to a week at a time, during late January
and February. The ponds are back up to about 50 by early April. The covers
give me enough solar heating to keep the pond above 50, or I think it would.
I may be trying a reduced heating cycle this year, and let the pond go to 50
degrees after the temperatures get cold enough for the pond to go down once
and stay down. I don't like the cycling up and down.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
"Heather" wrote in message
...
Hi Rich:
What is the coldest you get and for how long? We are considering covering
the pond this year. Partly to keep it warmer but mostly to keep six
months
of dust, dirt etc out. Should make spring cleaning easier even if it's
not
so pretty in the winter.
Heather
"RichToyBox" wrote in message
news:2yH6d.47864$He1.25742@attbi_s01...
Having the cover suspended, but fully enclosing the pond area, creates a
dead air space above the pond. Still air is a good insulator. The solar
blanket is a good solar collector and does not have to be in contact with
the water to work. I use the solar blanket with two layers of poly
sheeting
stretched over a lean-to of 2X4's and with heaters in the skimmer, I
maintain a temperature of 70 degrees most of the winter with a
temperature
of about 62 as the low. Fish are fed every day, at least once. Filters
are
functional year round.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
"MC" wrote in message
om...
I thought the cover floating on the surface would help reatin heat at
night and add a lot of heat during the day as the pond gets almost
full sun. My concern is that if there is a big snow, it could take my
cover down to the bottom of the pond.
wrote in message
...
Yes. put something around the heater to keep it from touching the pond
liner. or,
suspend it from something over the pond.
I wouldnt recommend leaving the bubble wrap floating on the water.
find
some way of
suspending it 4-5 inches over the top. and strong enough to hold
snow.
you need an air pump and airstones to put oxygen into the water.
If you seal the bubble wrap up and over teh pond, then do use a bucket
filter with a
pump to keep moving the water and cleaning up the water during the
winter.
in your small pond the temp could stay well above 55oF most of the
winter. my 1600
gallon did all but one month. and I fed them a little bit every few
days
all winter
too. Ingrid
(MC) wrote:
After much research, I've decided to use solar bubble wrap pool cover
floated on the top of my pond and a titanium tube-style heater. The
pool cover will have a border of about an inch to allow gases to
escape. My questions a
1) How do you use one of these acquarium-type heaters? I would
imagine
it would burn the pond liner if I just throw it in there. If I
suspend
it, I would be concerned of it getting knocked loose. Do I need a
wire/mesh case to keep the fish from burning themselves?
2) I've read bio filters are useless below 50 degree. So I won't run
it. Is it better to remove it from the pond, or just leave it? I
anticipate the heater will keep my pond around 40. I don't intend on
"heating" it, just keeping it from freezing solid.
FYI: I am in zone 5, 500 gallons, 30" deep, 6 Koi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.