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CorporalJones · 30-01-2010, 06:07 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 30/01/2010 15:14, Charlie Pridham wrote:
In a.com,
says...
On 30/01/2010 13:10, David WE Roberts wrote:

wrote in message
om...
Was it in this NG that I read that with ponds it was no longer
required to clear a hole in the ice to protect wildlife.
Followed that recommendation and ended up with multiple floating frogs
and goldfish.
So much for the experts!!!

I recall some discussion on one of the NGs.

However as suggested already this probably applies to well constructed
and healthy ponds i.e. those with a part which is deep enough to have a
good reserve of unfrozen water when the surface freezes and which do not
have heavy organic deposits at the bottom which encourage anaerobic
activity which depletes the oxygen levels.

One simple way is to get an electric pond heater - just a small heating
element inserted into a float so that most of it is below water.

This provides just enough heat to keep a small area unfrozen.

It is only a smallish raised patio pond, depth about 4' home to about 8
resident frogs and up to around a further 20 during spawning season.
Several newts, some toads during spawn and 4, now 3 goldfish.
The cold spell this year has seen it permanently frozen for longer than
normal, in the first week I did use the pan method but having read
somewhere that the "experts" had decided that it was not necessary to
melt the ice I followed that track.
As for debris there is about 6" of silt in the bottom which I strain out
in the early spring before the spawn arrives.
The pond is quite healthy, the water clears very quickly in the spring
although I have a constant battle with chickweed
Will look for a small pond heater as I have an adjacent power supply

You can also drill or bore a smallish hole, syphon or pump a bit of water
out so there is a gap between ice and water, you will then find the water
surface under the ice sheet will remain unfrozen for several days
allowing the exchange of oxygen etc. having said that I have never
noticed any dead fish or frogs following cold weather here and I no
longer do anything about ice on the ponds (not because of the radio -
just because I am lazy)

I have drained a couple of inches from underneath the ice in the past
which has worked well.
For the last couple of days I have covered the pond in bubble wrap which
has reduced the ice forming.
Coincidently over the last month I have had to vacate an extra piece of
land (approx 30' from the bottom of my garden to an old railway line
that will be turned into a bus way over the next couple of years)
clearing the space and the earthworks to re-align my boundary fence has
turned up numerous frogs, frog-lets and newts, all these have been
safely ensconced into my greenhouse so they should be OK until I release
them outside in the spring

--
Corporal Jones
"I don't like it up me"