Ponds first winter...how do I keep it running?

[sissy]

Reason I built my pond not far from my septic tank ,free heat in the winter .I read bout this long before I built my pond .

 

[flareyflan]

I worried about all the same things you worried about my first and even second year of having my pond. I had lots of babies by the second year and worried about whether or not they would survive. My pond is 2 1/2 feet deep but there’s a deeper reservoir where the pump is. They just all went down there and hibernated and I didn’t lose a single fish. Also I kept my filter pump running all last winter and no problems with ice or pipes breaking. I kept two bubblers going and only once or twice did my pond completely ice over them. Then I just used a shovel to break up the ice where the bubblers were. Everything was fine and survived the winter. So I would probably recommend just leaving your fish where they are.

 

[sissy]

Pumps should never be on the bottom of the pond and breaking ice can cause a shock wave for the fish if you hit it to hard and broken ice can be like a knife to fish .

 

[flareyflan]

I have no idea what you mean, Sissy. The kind of pump I have must rest on the bottom.

Also my fish have survived four years of me cracking the ice on occasion. so I’m not sure where you got that information but mine seem to handle it just fine.

 

[Tula]

I have no idea what you mean, Sissy. The kind of pump I have must rest on the bottom.

Also my fish have survived four years of me cracking the ice on occasion. so I’m not sure where you got that information but mine seem to handle it just fine.

Many of us place our pumps off the bottom of the pond, so if a hose cracks or loosens, the pond will not be drained completely. For example, my pump sits inside my skimmer, so I know if a plumbing disaster happens, the pond could only drop as low as the skimmer,leaving plenty of water for my fish to survive.

 

[audioenvy]

As a counter point, if the pump is not on the bottom then debris settles and cannot be removed by the pump.

 

[sissy]

No pump should be on the bottom ,if you ever get a hose leak you will drain the pond to the bottom .I used to tie mine on top of a crate until my big koi knocked it over and it drain the pond to a foot from the bottom ,the crate saved the fish .it was scary .No I have a pipe across the pond and tie my laguna pumps to the handle of the pump and then to the pipe .

 

[Lisak1]

I have no idea what you mean, Sissy. The kind of pump I have must rest on the bottom.

Some people have found that a submersible pump is better kept elevated off the bottom of the pump to avoid pumping all the water out of the pond if you should have a crack develop in your plumbing - if the pump is directly on the bottom you could find your pond pumped dry. If it's raised up - on a crate for example- your pump would run dry, but there would still be water left in the pond.

then debris settles and cannot be removed by the pump

I don't think you want to suck debris up with your pump - unless you have a pump designed to handle solids.