First Year Pond Running All Winter Zone 7a
- Thread starter pecan
- Start date
Update
Over the last week we have had some very cold temps getting down to 3 degrees F at night.
The large pond has been doing fine. With the pumps running and all the water moving under the ice.
But we had an issue with the small pond when we woke up Saturday morning. It had been so cold over night, so much ice formed around the large pots that the water ran over the ice and completely out of the water feature.
We woke up in time to stop the pumps from burning up and to stop the pond from running completely dry. One pump to the tall skinny pot was pulling both air and water the water was so low.
So I quickly broke up the ice where it created the leak and added water to the feature. Then I bought some plastic sheeting and tented the bog until temps warm a little more.
The tent has worked and reduce the ice build up.
Next year if I want to keep it running Ill need to figure out some sort of temp shelter or bi-pass the pots.
Over the last week we have had some very cold temps getting down to 3 degrees F at night.
The large pond has been doing fine. With the pumps running and all the water moving under the ice.
But we had an issue with the small pond when we woke up Saturday morning. It had been so cold over night, so much ice formed around the large pots that the water ran over the ice and completely out of the water feature.
We woke up in time to stop the pumps from burning up and to stop the pond from running completely dry. One pump to the tall skinny pot was pulling both air and water the water was so low.
So I quickly broke up the ice where it created the leak and added water to the feature. Then I bought some plastic sheeting and tented the bog until temps warm a little more.
The tent has worked and reduce the ice build up.
Next year if I want to keep it running Ill need to figure out some sort of temp shelter or bi-pass the pots.
Here are some pictures.
This was the pot that caused the ice slide draining the water out of the feature.
And here are some pictures of the tent. I hooked it to the rain gutter.
And this is looking out a bedroom window inside the tent.
This was the pot that caused the ice slide draining the water out of the feature.
And here are some pictures of the tent. I hooked it to the rain gutter.
And this is looking out a bedroom window inside the tent.
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2015
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- Location
- Doncaster south Yorkshire
- Hardiness Zone
- 9a
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Sorry to say this but last night after arriving back from work I tested the air and water temp, here in good old blighty south Yorkshire the air temp was 11*c and my pond water temp was 21.5*c and no I don't have flashy pond heaters, and the koi are still very much topping and eating
Temps have warmed in the last week. High's in the 30's and low's in the 20's. The waterfall has thawed and is no longer covered in ice. The hole from the air stones is getting bigger. The pots in the bog (inside the tent) have completely thawed the little pond attached to the bog is almost completely ice free.
Temps for the next 10 days will be high's in the 30's and lows in the 20's so I think we have made it past the real cold single digit temps. I may take the plastic tent down this weekend if the 10 day still looks the same. At this point we are working our way up as far as temps go and working our way out of winter.
Temps for the next 10 days will be high's in the 30's and lows in the 20's so I think we have made it past the real cold single digit temps. I may take the plastic tent down this weekend if the 10 day still looks the same. At this point we are working our way up as far as temps go and working our way out of winter.
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Update: Hubby and I took the tent down yesterday. It was only up for a week but got us past the real cold stretch.
Temps are right at our average high and average lows for the month of January with an average amount of snow fall. This winter couldn't be more average for us.
With the forecast we should see very slow thawing of the pond.
I beleive we wont have any more single digit temps at this point.
Here are some pictures taken today.
The big ponds waterfall has thawed completely and where the water meets the pond is beginning to thaw.
The small pond in front of the bog is almost completely thawed along with the pots.
We are officially past the historically coldest part of winter here so temps should be slowly rising from here on out! Yay! I do beleive everything should be fine with the ponds after letting them run through the winter.
Temps are right at our average high and average lows for the month of January with an average amount of snow fall. This winter couldn't be more average for us.
With the forecast we should see very slow thawing of the pond.
I beleive we wont have any more single digit temps at this point.
Here are some pictures taken today.
The big ponds waterfall has thawed completely and where the water meets the pond is beginning to thaw.
The small pond in front of the bog is almost completely thawed along with the pots.
We are officially past the historically coldest part of winter here so temps should be slowly rising from here on out! Yay! I do beleive everything should be fine with the ponds after letting them run through the winter.