I'm so upset! Two dead Koi! l

[addy1]

I just let mine freeze, we are 6b so no where as cold as your 4, with the pond breather they sleep during the winter. All running water off, I love the break. My pond would be problematic to even think of covering, size shape, and multiple ponds.

I did have a few small shubunkins in one of the loop ponds, it froze and stayed frozen longer than any of the other ponds. Just spotted the fish swimming along. But it is a very low fish load. Took a ride down the garden hose to get there.

 

[AngelaM]

Yup - the water appears to be clear, just stained. That's not a problem. But I bet you did get a significant amount of dirt in the pond from your unfinished edges. Are you planning for an overhang with your slate edge?

You'll get there - spring is coming!

I was going to over hang them a little to help hide the liner. Is that good or bad?

 

[MitchM]

Being new to ponds make me have to question the use of a solar POOL cover . As adding O2 to the water is crucial in the winter so is providing a means of gas exchange. isn't a solar cover plastic and not designed to allow for air exchange?

That plastic is not gas permeable.
People use solar covers to drape over a frame of some sort.
Do not lay plastic, bubble wrap or anything else directly on the water surface.

 

[Lisak1]

I was going to over hang them a little to help hide the liner. Is that good or bad?

Oh I think it's fine! I was just curious what your edging plans were. I alway wonder how people get those to stay put - do you have to brace them from the underside? It seems like if someone stepped on the edge it could tip the balance. But I guess if the majority of the slate is on firm ground that wouldn't happen. Never mind... I think I just explained it to myself! Haha!

 

[AngelaM]

Oh I think it's fine! I was just curious what your edging plans were. I alway wonder how people get those to stay put - do you have to brace them from the underside? It seems like if someone stepped on the edge it could tip the balance. But I guess if the majority of the slate is on firm ground that wouldn't happen. Never mind... I think I just explained it to myself! Haha!

Yes! The slate is so thick and heavy, overhanging it a few inches would be okay.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Pond breathers now 75 % off.... Lots of unhappy people and read lots of comments online again today about how it failed for some people. It should have a rating for cold weather so people can be more aware. I suspect the unhappy people had longer or colder weather. Should have a warning on that device about failure in extreme cold.

 

[MitchM]

Pond breathers now 75 % off.... ...

Where? I need a couple more.

.

 

[mrsclem]

I checked too- can't find them on sale anywhere.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Where? I need a couple more.

.

Stuccu 70% off. If they work 4 you they are now cheap

 

[MitchM]

They're not 70% off there and that looks like a scam website.

 

[addy1]

I love my pond breathers, we had lots of ice this year, zero dead fish.

 

[mrsclem]

We had our worst winter here, frozen , broken pvc drains. I didn't get my 1500 watt heaters in, just breathers & 100 watt heaters to protect cables for lights and cameras. All fishes alive and doing well!

 

[addy1]

The ice was deep! I have not checked for broken pipes, yet. The pond(s) water is stable, so no leaks. When we get back I want to get the pump running.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Some people with small fish and large pond in milder climates can get away with that breather but just remember Koi need lots of oxygen and i would never trust that device to provide enough oxygen for large fish.
Lots and lots of very unhappy people with that pond breather on Amazon comments. Sure some people were happy and their fish were ok but what about all those people that lost all their koi using that device. You really should go read the comments and be careful who you recommend it to. .
The air pumps/bubblier are just as bad as they freeze shut and quit working after about -20 C.
Its cheaper and safer to recommend to people that they run a spare pump with filter as top pond experts with big companies are now recomending you leave the pumps running all winter.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I love my pond breathers, we had lots of ice this year, zero dead fish.

your fish would most likely have survived without them as well. as you never used to use them and your one top pond that froze with no circulation your fish your said were fine there too. Goldfish can do well with less oxygen and they are much smaller and move much slower compared to koi. If you have a goldfish and a koi, the same size, in your pond, like I do, you can see how the koi move twice as fast as the goldfish and they also jump twice as high.

Your weather is also not severe very often and not for very long periods of time either. I don't think that your ground freezes hard either...