winter areation

[houseparent]

I have a 40 inch deep pond in spokane WA. I don't want to spend money on areato or heater. I think I read that a floating piece of stirafoam (sp) with a piece of pipe through it will give enough ventilation to keep me fish health. My pond will freeze over for at least 2 months but it wont freeze more than a foot thick.

 

[addy1]

Neat idea! I would put more than one pipe in it, maybe even drill some holes in the piping below water for more water flow though it.

That would work well with a air stone below it. The pipe would keep a hole open for those that had their pond freeze over with an air stone running.

 

[sissy]

wow a foot thick it freezes and I complained last year because mine froze 3 inches thick and I just use a pump and a hose to aerate mine in the winter

But after last winter the 30 dollar investment in a 750 watt heater is worth the piece of mind.The hose I have it higher than it usually is for the pic to show what happens down deeper

 

[addy1]

Our ice got to 8 inches sissy, I didn't do anything but at the time was not worried about fish, did not think there were any.

 

[fishin4cars]

Watch closely on ebay and you can get a 1500 watt deicer for under $30, I bought one last year for $23 on ebay, It pretty much just sat in the pond, I thought it would heat the water, it really doesn't heat much, all it does is keep a hole in the surface. LOL, My airstones do that much good. LOL

 

[sissy]

Our ice got to 8 inches sissy, I didn't do anything but at the time was not worried about fish, did not think there were any.

boy addy your going to really have to prepare more this winter .I think you better start now thinking about it .Just think next year your going to have to come up with fish birth control LOL .That or your going to have to convince neighbors and friends toput in ponds because you have the fish to fill them .Oh by the way the reason I chose that deicer is because a friend has one bigger and it keeps a big section of her pond clear in the winter .She has a bigger pond with a bigger deicer but her opening last winter was huge

 

[j.w]

Hi houseparent, Guess I should be happy I live on the west side of the mountains in Washington for ponding anyways. We only have a bit of ice freeze over just an inch or so maybe once or twice per winter or not at all. I've heard that just floating a piece of wood or a ball can keep the ice open. Never tried it but do have a ball in there right now that I'm gonna leave in there just to see what happens. Might end up w/ just a ball frozen in one spot stuck in the pond...............who knows

 

[sissy]

I tried the ball thing and if it's a blow up kind it losses it's air .I used the giant plastic christmas ornaments last year and kept them in there for the summer the fish like to push them around like a toy Two winters ago it was so nice my pond never got ice on it and on christmas day it was in the 70's and New years it was the same .We barely got below the 40's all winter .I hope this winter is not as bad as last winter

 

[j.w]

It's one of those plastic large balls that come already filled w/ air. Not like a beach ball, harder than that, about the size of a basketball. I don't think it can be blown up. Never looked to see if it had one of those little hole things where you could use a basketball pin blow up pump thingy. I too hoped our winters tame down some compared to the last two.

 

[sissy]

I bought a whole bag of the giant ornaments last year on clearance for 25 cents my fish love them .You will see them pushing them across the pond

 

[addy1]

We floated two pieces of wood they froze in solid, had some Styrofoam floating it froze in solid, this winter we will do the air.

 

[j.w]

I do air and bubbling water too and I know they work. Bet the ball doesn't work tho but maybe in thin ice?

 

[addy1]

I do air and bubbling water too and I know they work. Bet the ball doesn't work tho but maybe in thin ice?

Yep that is the plan air and bubbling, going to try the Styrofoam with a piece of pipe sticking out, 4 or 6 inch.