On frozen pond...

[mrsclem]

I've learned my lesson. When calling for extreme cold, shut things down and drain filters! Several years ago I had a stock tank crack during winter. It was elevated.

 

[sissy]

This was really extreme cold ,it was bitter cold .That is why I always expect the worst and hope for the best when it comes to weather .The you never know will happen

 

[Lisak1]

So much for open water! Back down to below freezing this morning and lows in the single digits all through next week. Argggghhhh! Time to hunker down and stay warm!

 

[Patfish]

 

[sissy]

We are stuck at 44 during the day but teens at night .Oh spring where are you and I will help find you

 

[Mike in Vermont]

With all the extreme cold weather many of us have been experiencing, I wonder how many of us are worried about our ponds?

I've been away from home for the last week, but my husband is home. He told me this morning he has no idea if the pump is even running. The ice is thick and everything is covered with 4 inches of snow. We've had temperatures this cold before, but none that have lasted quite this long since the pond has gone in. There's really nothing we can do about it at this juncture, but I worry nonetheless.

Anyone else worried about their frozen pond?

I was concerned about a week ago. For the first time, my drain froze completely over. Probably about 30 GMP of spring water feeding into the pond. It couldn't go down the frozen drain so, it was building up on top of the ice. I first noticed, when I saw steam rolling off my pond. I immediately knew that was not normal. All is good now, since the two days of warm weather and 2 inches of rain.

 

[Tula]

Lost two big koi. I'm still upset not sure what happened. Don't even want to throw these guys in the garbage there so big. Its raining now. I had a hole in the ice and filters off. it stinks. Can't find two more but still icy. agh

So sorry for the loss of your koi This winter has been pretty brutal.

 

[topofthehill1]

So sorry for the loss of your koi This winter has been pretty brutal.

Thanks, I had them for about 6 or 7 years. It was worse than I thought. Yesterday was raining so hard I could really deal with it other than pull the two dead koi out. Today I got out there and all the koi died (4 in total) a bullfrog and a goldfish. They would all eat from my hand so its pretty sad.

I'm a little mad at myself because I have this double walled paneling used in greenhouses that I normally put over the pond and it rarely even ices over. But this year I had flu or something that had me pretty sick and I didn't get to do my normal water change/ and cover. Also weather man didn't really mention that it would be freezing for 2 weeks straight when it happened or I would have called someone to help me get the cover on. My heater had died and the farm supply store only had one for a bucket but I put the heater in the bucket and the bucket in the pond and it appeared to keep a hole open around the buckets. Maybe it wasn't a big enough hole. A few days I heated an old fashioned pressure cooker up and melted a second hole in the ice. At that point I did see one of the koi near the top. Maybe I should have thought that unusual but I didn't think much about it. I thought they were just up for the sun. I tested the water today and it didn't test so bad considering the amount of dead fish in there. Some nitrates and some ammonia. But I have to assume its lack of oxygen because the readings weren't that bad. Times likes this you really question if its worth the trouble.

 

[Tula]

Thanks, I had them for about 6 or 7 years. It was worse than I thought. Yesterday was raining so hard I could really deal with it other than pull the two dead koi out. Today I got out there and all the koi died (4 in total) a bullfrog and a goldfish. They would all eat from my hand so its pretty sad.

I'm a little mad at myself because I have this double walled paneling used in greenhouses that I normally put over the pond and it rarely even ices over. But this year I had flu or something that had me pretty sick and I didn't get to do my normal water change/ and cover. Also weather man didn't really mention that it would be freezing for 2 weeks straight when it happened or I would have called someone to help me get the cover on. My heater had died and the farm supply store only had one for a bucket but I put the heater in the bucket and the bucket in the pond and it appeared to keep a hole open around the buckets. Maybe it wasn't a big enough hole. A few days I heated an old fashioned pressure cooker up and melted a second hole in the ice. At that point I did see one of the koi near the top. Maybe I should have thought that unusual but I didn't think much about it. I thought they were just up for the sun. I tested the water today and it didn't test so bad considering the amount of dead fish in there. Some nitrates and some ammonia. But I have to assume its lack of oxygen because the readings weren't that bad. Times likes this you really question if its worth the trouble.

Oh man, I'm really sorry! I've never been able to get mine to hand feed, that must have been very special.

I don't think many of us expected such arctic weather for weeks on end I'm sure you're sad, but don't beat yourself up, you were sick. We warmed up for several days, now it's very cold again and expected to stay that way this week.

To make matters worse, our 11 year old Trane heat pump died We're running on auxiliary power and our new system will be installed Wed. and Th......during frigid weather !!

 

[cas]

11 year old Trane heat pump died

Oh no!

 

[sissy]

sorry to hear and my heater got destroyed by a cat and used my little propane torch until I got a new heater but most of the ones I would have liked were sold out and even farm stores here did not have any .But who expected the weather to really get this bad .I try to be prepared for the worst but this cat thing caught me off guard .This thing saved my fish and glad I had it in the basement

 

[Gemma]

Lost two big koi. I'm still upset not sure what happened. Don't even want to throw these guys in the garbage there so big. Its raining now. I had a hole in the ice and filters off. it stinks. Can't find two more but still icy. agh

I'm sorry for your loss!

 

[Gemma]

Thanks, I had them for about 6 or 7 years. It was worse than I thought. Yesterday was raining so hard I could really deal with it other than pull the two dead koi out. Today I got out there and all the koi died (4 in total) a bullfrog and a goldfish. They would all eat from my hand so its pretty sad.

I'm a little mad at myself because I have this double walled paneling used in greenhouses that I normally put over the pond and it rarely even ices over. But this year I had flu or something that had me pretty sick and I didn't get to do my normal water change/ and cover. Also weather man didn't really mention that it would be freezing for 2 weeks straight when it happened or I would have called someone to help me get the cover on. My heater had died and the farm supply store only had one for a bucket but I put the heater in the bucket and the bucket in the pond and it appeared to keep a hole open around the buckets. Maybe it wasn't a big enough hole. A few days I heated an old fashioned pressure cooker up and melted a second hole in the ice. At that point I did see one of the koi near the top. Maybe I should have thought that unusual but I didn't think much about it. I thought they were just up for the sun. I tested the water today and it didn't test so bad considering the amount of dead fish in there. Some nitrates and some ammonia. But I have to assume its lack of oxygen because the readings weren't that bad. Times likes this you really question if its worth the trouble.

It's not your fault!
I have a dead fish trapped in the ice block inside the skimmer box, it kills me that I can't even dispose of it, and at first I blamed myself but the truth is I don't know why it died
I can only wonder if I could have prevented its death by checking the skimmer box when the pump started to struggle, instead of just turning the pump off...maybe I could have saved it and maybe he was already dead when he got into the skimmer box, I don't know and I can't drawn myself in guilt if I want to buy another koi and keep enjoying my pond.....and neither should you!

 

[Tula]

It's not your fault!
I have a dead fish trapped in the ice block inside the skimmer box, it kills me that I can't even dispose of it, and at first I blamed myself but the truth is I don't know why it died
I can only wonder if I could have prevented its death by checking the skimmer box when the pump started to struggle, instead of just turning the pump off...maybe I could have saved it and maybe he was already dead when he got into the skimmer box, I don't know and I can't drawn myself in guilt if I want to buy another koi and keep enjoying my pond.....and neither should you!

Sorry about your koi, it's been so cold, I think lots of us are struggling with our ponds.

 

[haver79]

Well we drilled a hole in the ice just big enough to drop in the new heater. Its doing a good job of keeping a hole open. I still have the pond breather going as well. I think I have lost a few of my biggest goldfish. They are on the opposite end of the pond from where the open hole is. No way to get to them to get them out for awhile. Still have fish swimming around. I also seen a frog moving around down there. That surprised me thought for sure It would be dead. I too am figuring it must of been lack of oxygen. I will know more when we have some warmer temps and get some more melting. We have still been below zero overnight. No warm up till mid week.