How to winterize my pond in freezing Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[Rickybooboo]

I live in Edmonton,Alberta. Can anyone give me tips how to winterize my pond. My pond is a about 7 feet across and the deepest in the middle is 2 feet. I am thinking of putting koi in this pond. Thanks.

Ricky

 

[Bev12]

hi
I live in Austria and we get a very cold and long winter.

I think that 2 feet deep is not enough. My pond is 4 feet something and i keep goldfish. They all came through this winter.
You would have to make sure that the pond dosent freez over, you can make or buy - i think its made of plactic - it floats on the surface and keeps it free of ice.
I turn my filter off so that the water temp. at the botton of the pond stays about +4C
Hope that helped a bit

 

[Dave 54]

Ricky I have a friend who removes to indoor vats all her koi through extreme cold in St John Canada I'm sorry but if your going to keep koi then you'll need to get digging as the minimum depth for koi is 4ft deep the Maximun 5 ft deep.
I live in the UK mine is 4ft deep and insultated and heated , we only get around -10c at its worst but it is a worrying time for all as your koi will need Polycarbonate sheeting as well and even then you cant get a decent look at them .
You have the summer months to plan out a new pond s long as its built before late Autumn has the required depth then you'd be good to go .

rgrds

Dave

 

[sissy]

Colleen lives in Canada and she has been doing it for years and there are several others from Canada also .

 

[HTH]

Ricky I have a friend who removes to indoor vats all her koi through extreme cold in St John Canada I'm sorry but if your going to keep koi then you'll need to get digging as the minimum depth for koi is 4ft deep the Maximun 5 ft deep.
...
rgrds

Dave

What is the logic behind the 5 foot limit, I would think that in Canada having the extra depth would be a good thing even if the koi don't normally use it.

 

[Bev12]

the deeper the better and the warmer the water will be at the bottom

 

[sissy]

I know colleen uses a heater and I have one and put it above where my pump is and tie it off there .But average temps here are 50 degrees and we do get down to around 10 degrees at night some times .

 

[Rickybooboo]

Thanks guys , for the different ideas thus giving me different options to winterise my pond. I guess I have to go deeper than my current 2 feet deep pond, sadly close to bird bath. My another question is the water in the ground. Will I get ground water flooding into my pond if I go say 5ft ( or even 8 feet, Edmonton frost line is 8 feet I believe ) I used pond liners.

Ricky ( the bird bath pond owner of Edmonton , Alberta)

 

[Dave 54]

What is the logic behind the 5 foot limit, I would think that in Canada having the extra depth would be a good thing even if the koi don't normally use it.

There isnt really a 5ft limit but from what I have learned over the years its just wasted water to go deeper as its proven the koi wont use it hense the limit .
I think that was from the great man himself author of koi kichi. Mr P Waddington on his forum or I read it in one of the koi magazines

rgrds

Dave

 

[Dave 54]

Thanks guys , for the different ideas thus giving me different options to winterise my pond. I guess I have to go deeper than my current 2 feet deep pond, sadly close to bird bath. My another question is the water in the ground. Will I get ground water flooding into my pond if I go say 5ft ( or even 8 feet, Edmonton frost line is 8 feet I believe ) I used pond liners.

Ricky ( the bird bath pond owner of Edmonton , Alberta)

you have to dig a drainage trench alongside of the pond according to most books I've read however you have another option which is the one we took if you cant go down build upwards we have a 4ft deep free standing pond of 1,000 gallons imperial.
(Now there isnt heavy insulation bellow but you could fit that by usinging 22mm polystyrene sheets cut to shape using two layers).
We then boxed everything and isulated the pond with 22mm polystyrene sheets wrapped and secured around it.
We also added silversided bubblewrap and a roll of recycled plastic loft insulation, everything else is boxed and insulated again with 22mm polystyrene including the filter housing .
We then used Polycarbonate sheets to cover the pond during the winter and did the same for the filter housing as its cover and is a permanent fixture whe can open and shut to allow cooler air in the summer months so you could say weve double glazed everything as well.
Looking at your pond it looks as though you already have built upwards a tad .
A quick way of building a pond would be to use railway sleepers staked through into the ground then add insulation then your liner .
With the filter I would extend it as koi as they grow larger can be quite productive in the toilet department .
We have a vortex two filters with Jap matting and other filter materials and a bio-filter with K1 and aquaone bio balls plus other bio balls and chips powered by two airtec 4e airpumps one direct to the pond to power the bottom drain cover the other to power three airstones in the 2nd and 3rd filter and six to the bio-filter .
weve also put a heating unit in the filterhousing a small oil heated radiator that kept our temperature up at 14c throughout the winter ,
Hope this helps



rgrds



Dave

 

[HTH]

There isnt really a 5ft limit but from what I have learned over the years its just wasted water to go deeper as its proven the koi wont use it hense the limit .
I think that was from the great man himself author of koi kichi. Mr P Waddington on his forum or I read it in one of the koi magazines
rgrds

Dave

I do not think we should look at the extra gallons as wasted water. I would rather have my with the extra gallons even if it was due to depth. Sure you do not get the benefit of more surface area but it should be more stable. But by all means if you have the space go 5ft deep and as much surface area as you can afford. But if you are maxed out in surface area I would rather go a bit deeper then cut excess off the liner.

But I want to point out I am not advocating 20ft deep ponds 5ft is a faily decent depth to dig to.

 

[Dave 54]

Not only that I suppose after 5ft it could get very dangerous due to collapse of the sides , Val my long term partners Dad was the superintendant for the local cemetary and from what she was telling me that 6ft down starts to get very dodgy unless shored .
Dont want to turn your pond into a grave do we now :biggrinangelA:

rgrds

Dave

 

[Bev12]

dont think the walls will collapse water is heavy and will press against the side walls. dont think that is a problem

 

[HTH]

Also graves are dug with sides straight up and down.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Hello!! Anyone here? Sorry I missed this thead! Must have been busy all spring . I live here in Canada (Medicine Hat) how is your pond?