"O3raledale" wrote in message
...
Hello all,
How does one find out what the frost line is in their area of the country?
I
live in Philadelphia, PA. and my pond is only about 18" deep. Will my
goldies
be safe in there over the winter with just a couple of air stones going?

I live in Zone 5b, where we can get several degrees below zero and have
plenty of snowfall, and my pond is only about 18" deep at its center. I
have 3 sarasa comets and a goldfish. I have NEVER in three years brought my
fish in, and they have wintered over just fine. Here is what I do:

1. DO NOT run the falls or pump. I have a Pondsweep Skimmer system, and I
pull the pump out for the winter.

2. DO aerate. I do this with a cheapo walmart aquarium bubbler with two
air outlets. I use the plastic tubing and regular airstones.

3. DO sink something in the pond to provide cover. I use a large opening
(4 or 5 in.) PVC "y" connector which lies in the bottom and allows all four
fish to hide.

4. DO NOT allow the pond to freeze over completely. If the airstones do not
provide a continual small opening, get a floating heater. They are
electric, donut-shaped, and have a thermostat that kicks on at like 34F.

5. DO NOT feed your fish once there are sustained periods of temps below
55F.

This has worked for me for three winters.

NJ

NJ,
Thanks for the info. I'll get the y pipe for the fish to hide in. Maybe two of
them. When do you remove your pump? And how or do you cover your air pump to
keep the weather out?
Again thanks for the tips.
-Pat


"O3raledale" wrote in message
...
Hello all,
How does one find out what the frost line is in their area of the country?
I
live in Philadelphia, PA. and my pond is only about 18" deep. Will my
goldies
be safe in there over the winter with just a couple of air stones going?

I live in Zone 5b, where we can get several degrees below zero and have
plenty of snowfall, and my pond is only about 18" deep at its center. I
have 3 sarasa comets and a goldfish. I have NEVER in three years brought my
fish in, and they have wintered over just fine. Here is what I do:

1. DO NOT run the falls or pump. I have a Pondsweep Skimmer system, and I
pull the pump out for the winter.

2. DO aerate. I do this with a cheapo walmart aquarium bubbler with two
air outlets. I use the plastic tubing and regular airstones.

3. DO sink something in the pond to provide cover. I use a large opening
(4 or 5 in.) PVC "y" connector which lies in the bottom and allows all four
fish to hide.

4. DO NOT allow the pond to freeze over completely. If the airstones do not
provide a continual small opening, get a floating heater. They are
electric, donut-shaped, and have a thermostat that kicks on at like 34F.

5. DO NOT feed your fish once there are sustained periods of temps below
55F.

This has worked for me for three winters.

NJ

"O3raledale" wrote in message
...

NJ,
Thanks for the info. I'll get the y pipe for the fish to hide in. Maybe
two of
them. When do you remove your pump? And how or do you cover your air pump
to
keep the weather out?

I remove the pump once we have had a few threats of frost. Once the fish
are in an environment of sustained cool temperatures, like 50F or so, they
stop moving around much and don't eat, so I put the pond to sleep for the
season. As far as covering the air pump, we place ours up against the
garage, so it is usually covered by the overhang and by the lower boughs of
a hemlock tree. Some folks here just put a box or bucket over it.

I wish I could be more specific about when exactly I turn off the falls and
pump, but it varies from year to year, depending upon the weather. I know
that this year, pond season started a lot sooner for us...we were running
the pump and falls on April 1, and it was late October/early November when
we shut it down in 2002.

NJ
Zone5b

NJ,
Thanks, I get the general idea now about when to shut the falls and pump down
for the winter. Thanks again for the helpfull info.
-Pat