About to attempt to rebuild our deck pond myself, with helpers. Intimidated!

[Lump]

I added outlets and boy hiding wires can be a job ,but lucky I have steps and could hide the wiring under them and the front porch supports.My son kept saying add more and I did not listen when he did the electric .But putting the switches inside the house has saved me from falls down the steps when the weather is bad .He put all the switch's inside my master bedroom closet .It looks a 1000 percent better then that tangled mess of wires .

Sounds like a very smart idea, Sissy. Thanks for that.

 

[Lisak1]

Where there's a will there's a way @Lump - and you are certainly showing you have the will! Your project is moving along - when it's all done, you'll forget all these annoying steps along the way and just be proud of your accomplishments!

 

[GBBUDD]

Never used one, sorry. I shut my ponds off during winter. Everything is run by a external pump

what is there to shut down I thought your pond was run by the external pump during the year

 

[sissy]

external pumps will freeze up and the cost of damage would not be worth it .I have internal pumps because our weather is so weird we have had Christmas here and been in the mid 70's and then last year was the worst only got up to 40 degrees

 

[addy1]

what is there to shut down I thought your pond was run by the external pump during the year

I turn it off in November, back up and running around March April. The bog is has a lot of surface area it cools down the pond water quickly.

I turn it off, pull and put into a shed until spring. If we loss power, it would freeze up. Also the pond water would get really cold due to the surface area of the bog. Also a ice dam in the bog would divert water and empty the pond.

One less thing to worry about over winter.

 

[GBBUDD]

external pumps will freeze up and the cost of damage would not be worth it .I have internal pumps because our weather is so weird we have had Christmas here and been in the mid 70's and then last year was the worst only got up to 40 degrees

I have a very hard time seeing a external pump pushing 12,000 gallons an hour freezing up

 

[GBBUDD]

I turn it off in November, back up and running around March April. The bog is has a lot of surface area it cools down the pond water quickly.

I turn it off, pull and put into a shed until spring. If we loss power, it would freeze up. Also the pond water would get really cold due to the surface area of the bog. Also a ice dam in the bog would divert water and empty the pond.

One less thing to worry about over winter.

you must use a air stone or a surface heater ?

 

[addy1]

you must use a air stone or a surface heater ?

I use one pond breather in the big pond, one in the 1000 gallon stock tank pond.

I used to use a aerator until a friend killed off his entire pond using a aerator. His was pushing too much air. Every fish died. I changed then to a pond breather. I have not loss a single fish.

 

[Lump]

We have left our pond running all year long every year for 20 years or so. Here in southern Ohio, we do get some heavy freeze weather. In fact, the 250 acre lake often freezes to well over a foot thick. But my 2 foot deep pond has never frozen all the way to the bottom, and we have not lost fish over the winter to date. (All we ever put in there is common goldfish 4 to 6 inches long, and an occasional bluegill). Usually, the flowing water freezes at the surface, but just keeps flowing out underneath the heavy crust of ice in the waterfall. However, the pipes have frozen shut once or twice over the years, and we had to unplug the pump for about 5 days then.

 

[Lump]

I don't plan to turn off the rebuilt pond system this year either. However, I have learned that the manufacturer of the pressure filter does state emphatically that it must not be allowed to freeze.

 

[GBBUDD]

His was pushing too much air

how does too much air become a problem water will only hold so much air you can throw 20 air stones the water will only absorb so much

 

[addy1]

how does too much air become a problem water will only hold so much air you can throw 20 air stones the water will only absorb so much

He was using a real powerful aerator, way to much turbulence turning over the water. Maybe I stated it wrong, to much water movement, keeping 3/4 of pond ice free.
The only thing we could come up with and the people on the forum, was super chilling the water. In February, one of our colder winters, the fish started floating. Until none were left. It was a big pond, low stocking levels, no koi. 4ish years ago.

 

[sissy]

But risking a pump burning out is not worth it .They are not cheap and to me it is not worth it .I don't get severe weather most winters but I will not risk my pump or possibly draining my pond because a hose bursts and drains my pond and kills my fish .I could not forgive my self

 

[Lisak1]

But risking a pump burning out is not worth it .They are not cheap and to me it is not worth it .I don't get severe weather most winters but I will not risk my pump or possibly draining my pond because a hose bursts and drains my pond and kills my fish .I could not forgive my self

Again - know your system. If I had exposed hoses or a pump that could empty my pond, I would be concerned about those things, too. Our winter concern is water evaporation, so we keep an eye on the pond and have a hose available for top ups as needed.

 

[sissy]

my filters are inside the liner and flow back to my pond, but when a hose breaks or gets a crack in it .You can't predict sudden weather changes .We can be up in the 50's , 60's and 70's until Christmas .That is why now my pumps are tied to metal pipes across my pond .I used to have them tied down to a crate and as the koi got bigger they could knock intro things and it can turn into a horror show .I have had a pond since 2005 and grew up with a pond and things can happen .A hose can freeze up out side but I had indoor taps put in my basement .I am lucky I have well water but if I had city water I would be more concerned.You can't know a system well enough for every thing .I have had 2 dogs destroy liners and a mole chew my liner and could not ever to have expected that to happen