I built my winter pond cover this morning...

[Tula]

@audioenvy , do you plan to run filtration through the winter? We're putting on the solar cover tomorrow, and will continue to run water fall and filters. I'll turn the water fall off sometime in Nov. and am hoping to run the filter until sometime in Dec., but will have to watch the weather.

 

[audioenvy]

@audioenvy , do you plan to run filtration through the winter? We're putting on the solar cover tomorrow, and will continue to run water fall and filters. I'll turn the water fall off sometime in Nov. and am hoping to run the filter until sometime in Dec., but will have to watch the weather.

Yes, that's the current plan. I just covered the waterfall section of the pond today. I'll watch the temperatures, though.

 

[sissy]

If it stays warm under there you may end up with lots of baby fish .

 

[Tula]

Yes, that's the current plan. I just covered the waterfall section of the pond today. I'll watch the temperatures, though.

I wish I could run my sand & gravel filter, year round....but if temps drop too low, pipes could freeze and the barrel crack.

 

[MoonShadows]

The sunbubble came in the other day...but, it is too early too erect it over the pond. Stay tuned for pics.

 

[Tula]

The sunbubble came in the other day...but, it is too early too erect it over the pond. Stay tuned for pics.

Really anxious to see it

We put our winter cover ( solar cover ) over the pond today. It's a dreadful view, but does the trick.

 

[audioenvy]

We put our winter cover ( solar cover ) over the pond today. It's a dreadful view, but does the trick.

Yeah my family is not enamored of the pond as it is so when I put the cover on it was ahem not well received. The general consensus was hey isn't the whole reason you made the pond bigger so that you didn't need to cover it?!

I guess the bar has been raised compared to last year. Back then it was just a hope that my Petsmart fish would survive. This year I'm trying to minimize negative impact as much as possible.

The thing that is both good and bad is that the combination of sunny days and the solar cover has meant that the pond water is the warmest it has been in a month! That's the quandary. The water is now warm enough with the cover on for the fish to move around and eat somewhat but I have to lift the cover back each day to enjoy it. Fortunately it's super easy to just pull it back (or climb inside!).

 

[Tula]

Yeah my family is not enamored of the pond as it is so when I put the cover on it was ahem not well received. The general consensus was hey isn't the whole reason you made the pond bigger so that you didn't need to cover it?!

I guess the bar has been raised compared to last year. Back then it was just a hope that my Petsmart fish would survive. This year I'm trying to minimize negative impact as much as possible.

The thing that is both good and bad is that the combination of sunny days and the solar cover has meant that the pond water is the warmest it has been in a month! That's the quandary. The water is now warm enough with the cover on for the fish to move around and eat somewhat but I have to lift the cover back each day to enjoy it. Fortunately it's super easy to just pull it back (or climb inside!).

Mine are too spooked to eat this evening. We're supposed to have some freezing temps this week and my water temp has dropped below 60.

 

[audioenvy]

Mine are too spooked to eat this evening. We're supposed to have some freezing temps this week and my water temp has dropped below 60.

My fish are new enough that they still are not comfortable eating with me close by. I'm actually using the winter cover as a training tool. I pull the cover off to feed them so they know when the cover gets pulled back it's time to eat. I've gotten gradually closer and closer to them--but they are still quite nervous in general. I'm hoping by the spring time if I follow this pattern that they will eventually eat with me right there (if not actually out of my hand).

 

[sissy]

pretty son they will be eating out of your hands like mine do .Company love it when the fish eat out of there hands .

 

[Gemma]

. One person (me!) can just set stuff in place and it takes 10 minutes.

Thanks for the inspiration

Mine are too spooked to eat this evening. .

I was thinking mine would probably stop coming to me if that cover goes up, cause that's how they reacted when I put a feeding ring in the water,...doesn't take much to spook my fish, they've been through too much in their short lives