On Sun, 09 Jan 2005 07:22:00 GMT, Mark wrote:

That bubbler method really works good. I put an aquarium air line,
connected to an old pump, in my pond. Not only does it keep a hole in
the ice, it is keeping a hole through three feet of snow.

Yes, same here although we do not have that much snow, yet.

Last year we had a very cold winter here in NH (really a normal winter
but the newcomers have been spoiled) and my pond had 18 inches of ice
in it with a nice hole in the middle.

I did have to replace the aquarium pump though. They are diaphragm
pumps and the diaphragm stiffens when it gets cold - then not able to
create enough pressure.

I rigged up my compressor to a bubbler this year and it is doing just
fine so far.

John