Barrel bog filter, winter

[dinm]

I've almost finished my bog filter, but now comes the question of winter and freezing. I've been told that when it does freeze it might end up cracking. Last year it was quite a mild winter, and only in February the top of the pond froze but this year might yet be different.

Even now, it seems mild, temperatures are fluctuating, but 13c in a few days which is not usual in December. I am wondering how much of a chance is there that it will end up freezing given its buried? I am not sure how much of a chance there is at it cracking or whether the water flowing up from the bottom would help prevent it.

I would have used liner to be honest, but where I wanted to place it was sort of perfect for barrel and ended up using a different spot. Maybe if it does up cracking I'll do that, but hope it does not.

Barrel's 140g, 2 feet deep, so it is not a small one.

 

[Hound Heaven]

I had an above ground 100 gallon stock tank that recirculated into a 4x9x2 bog also above ground for 2 years before the pond got dug. I think we're in roughly the same zone. I did have some ice - but the water continued to move between them and the fish in the stock tank did fine along with lotus planted in the bottom. Once the pond got completed we had very cold temps and got up to 4 inches of ice, but the water continued to move in all 3 but the pvc coming out of the stock tank did crack and leak. I replaced the stock tank with a smaller one with a bulkhead water spout that returns to the pond and is fed by a corrugated line above ground. The water moves constantly and no freezing obstructions have occurred. Fingers and paws crossed that it all continues happily this year too.
Perhaps I should have wrapped the pvc with insulation, dunno. Good luck, don't get an ulcer

 

[WaterGardener]

Can you cover the top of the barrel with heavy plastic?

 

[Nia Roo Studio]

I've almost finished my bog filter, but now comes the question of winter and freezing. I've been told that when it does freeze it might end up cracking. Last year it was quite a mild winter, and only in February the top of the pond froze but this year might yet be different.

Even now, it seems mild, temperatures are fluctuating, but 13c in a few days which is not usual in December. I am wondering how much of a chance is there that it will end up freezing given its buried? I am not sure how much of a chance there is at it cracking or whether the water flowing up from the bottom would help prevent it.

I would have used liner to be honest, but where I wanted to place it was sort of perfect for barrel and ended up using a different spot. Maybe if it does up cracking I'll do that, but hope it does not.

Barrel's 140g, 2 feet deep, so it is not a small one.

Why not keep a roll of pond liner repair tape handy, only a couple of pounds, and you don’t need to empty any water/earth plug it up from outside. I swear by it to do any repairs on my raised pond it can be used under water too, sticks perfectly and still going strong.