What is your weather like ... today

[sissy]

I looked on tractor supply cattle panels are 19.99 each and if I added the wood and plastic and screws and staples and metal brackets which I have comes out to about a hundred dollars.I bet it could make a good shade cover over a pond also .Shade fabric in the summer and plastic in the winter if you wanted it covered

 

[j.w]

Now you have made one heck of a mess Colleen and in your own bathtub, whoa, I think I would wait till the weather warmed up so as to avoid that big cleanup

 

[CountryEscape]

I don't think Colleen had a choice but to clean her filters, and it was too cold to do them outside. If her filter is not kept cleaned out, the pump runs too slow, and ice forms more quickly.
I understand what you are saying about the water level in your top ponds staying constant, not going lower with loss of water, so I get that part, Colleen. Thanks for continuing to drill it into my head! My stream, which flows into the goldfish pond, has ice covering it, but water running below the ice. I shut off the heaters on both ponds, temps here got down to 9 this morning, and going lower in a day to single digits for two more nights in a row, then warmer, then colder again. Sooo tired of this see saw crap! I turned on the heater in the koi pond, but now the aerator hose is froze, I guess. But, I'm not concerned, temps going up to 40's on Sat. so it should thaw out. I want to see if the heater will melt a hole, then going to unplug it in the morning, or maybe tonight yet! Just wanted to see how long it took to melt a hole. I have a floating heater, is that what you use, Colleen? Remind me, too, is your heater in the bottom pond, where the pump pushes water to the top pond? And, how do you keep the water lines free of ice if they are outside of the ponds where the water circulates from bottom pond to top ponds? I know how you have your overflow from pond to pond, but I think you have water lines outside the ponds. My line that I buried only about 12" and that is above ground level, froze so I couldn't get the waterfall running last weekend, and it was so nice and warm, too. Ho hum .... Just going to have to be patient and wait for spring to arrive, I guess.

 

[CountryEscape]

Just checked the heater, and it opened a hole about 1' in diameter in 2 hours. Unplugged it for now. Will plug it in for couple of hours in the a.m. to open hole again, maybe the sun will keep that area open. I know the water trough for the horses had enough sunshine on it to melt the ice away from the edges. Just going to have to figure out something different with the koi pond bog this year (probably going to expand it dramatically) and get a larger pump pushing into it to keep it running freely. Then, maybe change the waterfall to more of a wrap around stream, keeping the water level lower and less likely to freeze up, but water running into that pond all winter. We shall see what I come up with. Will need pointers on how to add a liner to extend the pond, without replacing the whole liner, just adding larger bog. I'm leery of doing that, but thinking that is the answer to my problems. We shall see ...Come on Spring, only a few weeks away, and after week from Sunday, day light savings begins, so I'll really be ready for outside fun!

 

[callingcolleen1]

CE I am so sick of this cold weather that I am already going to flip the page and turn the calender over to March, sick to death of February and just want to see it go even if it is two days early.... like if I turn the page March will come quicker and so will spring! My filter was floating as it sucked up so much loose spring algae and if I left it, it could possibly freeze being that near the surface. I have in the past pushed it down and weighted the big filter with a rock, but it was "driving me" so I cleaned it. The tub was plugged, so I left it to dry, the sludge dries up and turns to powder and then the drain works again. Got the tub cleaned and ready for tomorrow. If I cleaned it outside my hands would freeze and then the water does not drain into the frozen solid ground, but forms into ice and then I have a ice rink, tired of ice and snow, tired of the cold.
If you add a liner and there is a level difference, then the top level could drop to the lower level, like my ponds, then the liner could overlap. My three ponds have each seperate liners and the liner has a "water drop" to the next lower level and that works for me good. I like my ponds with the three different levels, and the big Koi are in the top level pond that deices very quick. The heater is a floating green 1250 watt pond heater right now. I do have a bigger 1500 watt for below minus 30' that I can switch out and then the ice really melts quick, but it can make the extention cord warm, cause it really sucks the power quick! The heater is located by the water drop in the middle pond, and the one heater does the trick for all three ponds!

 

[Catfishnut]

Colleen,

I changed my calender to reflect the weather.

I now have four seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall and HIBERNATION!

 

[addy1]

I feel for you all, my honey retired in a perfect year to be able to escape what has become a miserable winter for most of the country. Down here it has been hotter than normal, normal coming today, i.e. 70, then back to 80's

 

[mtpond]

Gordy,
That sounds like a project. If that's something your going to try and it works let me know. Maybe it would be better to dig my pond deeper. I did some research when I dug my pond but I wish I would of found this site before I started my pond. I would of done things different.
Blizzard watch tomorrow! Calgon take me away!!!!!!! So tired of winter.

 

[Catfishnut]

MTpond,

Whatever I end up doing for my pond will be posted here with pictures and instructions. Currently I am off the grid and have no electrical power at the cabin so I have to rehook everything in that matter back up first. My neighbor has been a bit of a putz and he trimmed some trees a few years back which fell on my power line and pulled the pole down. I have been waiting for him to repair this vandalism but I guess he doesn't think it is his problem. Like I said, he is a -putz!

I have a lot of work to do out there, but I need electric service first. This sping that will hopefulluy be completed and I can move forward.

Gordy

 

[jmajid]

certainly didnt expect this morning to be this cold... its 35 out there at 6am.
I am not whining - but just didnt expect this after being in the 60s at night for the past week or so...

 

[sissy]

It has been a normal winter here except for the polar vortex .We usually get snow in Feb. and then it last 3 days or so and temps start going back up to 50's and 60's

 

[Catfishnut]

Do you know what I dislike most about winter?

Too much cold, too much snow, too much ice, too much wind, too little sun. If it were not for these five items I'd say it is pleasant.

Gordy

 

[callingcolleen1]

Right now I hate winter, turned the page on the calender and looking forward to summer... spring may be a "lost cause" cause I hear it will be colder than normal. Then I also heard that summer could be hotter than normal, just my luck, out of the freezer and into the fire. AT THIS POINT the fire sounds nice!
Yesterday down by the river, I walked across the frozen sandbar to the island and found lots of nice round rocks to look at and large lumps of coal that had washed down from last years flood. We have coal all over this area, should take some to burn in my bug free zone this spring. Will take a bucket and get me some today.

 

[Catfishnut]

Awesome!

 

[sissy]

Isn't that everything with winter gordy .I don't mind the snow but dislike the cold winds .But cold sure can kill off some of those darn bugs I would be happy .Lady bug invasion in the spring means lady bugs getting in the house and then you have stink bugs and flies .Lady bugs bite .