winter coming soon Pond Advise Please-- Covers?

[iriscottage]

I have heard mention of making a cover with a pvc frame...anyone have photos of theirs? I know to sink the lilies, stop feeding fish, and use a deicer. But I'd like ideas on covering my above ground pond and my sunken 20 gallon barrel liner.

[marla]

I've not used a cover for my pond in the winter, but I have seen them built here and on other sites.  Where are you located and how cold and windy  do your winters get?  Did you want to cover them to keep the fish warmer/ice off the pond?  Is your above ground pond totaly above or some below, is it at all insulated?  What is in the barrel, maybe if just plants it would be safer to put them in the pond or the house for the winter, I would think that may freeze solid if your winters get very cold.  I know my post might not be to helpful but answers to the questions might help others help you figure it out.

[Esther]

Yup, where are you and why do you want to cover it? Are you keeping leaves out or what? I used PVC for a leaf net but wasn't happy with it. I have heard of people using 2 x 4s but that would be pretty heavy especially if your pond is big at all. Mine is only 10 x 13' and even the 10' side of the PVC frame sagged a bit. I don't think it is necessary to cover it for winter anyway. You end up with it getting frozen into the ice and sagging from snow if it is cold where you are. I like being able to keep an eye on the deicer and pick it up every so often and at night sometimes I see the fish moooooving around reeeeeeeeeal sloooooowly.

[CT]

I have an above ground pond and I use a diamond solar cover supported by 2x4's and bricks to hold the solar cover to the lumber. I pull it to almost 2 inches from the end for air circulation. I use a cattle tank heater (comes on at 40 degrees) and that keeps my pond open and the fish sluggish for the winter in zone 6B. I've not had a problem with it sinking, blowing off or freezing on to the water. You might not need it but since my pond isn't insulated it works for me.
Kay

[Vickie]

here is how I cover mine

[CT]

Yep, that's what mine looks like..I copied Vickie's ..works well
Kay

[reddad35]

Vickie I didn't know Missouri got cold enough for penguins.

[Esther]

Those who cover your pond, why do you do it? I can see that the ones that are above ground would be easy to cover but those of us who have rocks, waterfalls, and plantings around the edge find it difficult to lay stuff on the uneven surfaces around the pond and the irregular sides don't help either.

[CT]

Mine is not insulated under or around it done again it would be. The solar gain from the diamond cover brings it up from 38 to 45 and keeps it consistent. The cover keeps blown debris out and provides winter cover and security for my fish. At 45 degrees I've had some tropicals make it through the winter when sunk to the bottom of the pond, the hardies come back even quicker at that temp as well.
 I agree, those with heavy snow cover, rocks and irregular edges it's probably more work than it's worth.
Kay

[marla]

Now if I had the wealth I'd build a winter dome to cover my pond so I could go out and sit by the pond inside my dome and be able to watch the fish all winter instead of worrying about how they are doing all those months under the ice.

[SueSTx]

I'm zone 6 also.  I have 8' stock tanks above ground not insulated.  We have occasional icy spells where the tanks freeze over, but I run a pump with my older fish and haven't lost fish or frogs yet.     Usually the ice melts within a week and DH removes it like he does on the livestock tanks.  I just call it winter water changes.

I have considered a green house like structure for my main tank and fish...just not enough money and too much wind to really do it.  I did use a tank deicer one winter...couldn't really see a difference for the fish although I think the lilies did bloom sooner that spring.

[bunny56lbc]

I made a pvc frame for one of my pond's , tent form. I bought 6 mil plastic  from Lowes .
I did put some 2x4's & plastic over the other ponds but I liked the tent one made from pvc pipe better , because I could get under the plastic to look at my fish to see how they were doing and
it was warm in there when it was sunny out .

I had some pictures but I must have deleated it earlier this year when I was cleaning out my picture's file ...dang it !
It worked Great , the  ponds never froze all winter . I
I wanted to see if the plastic would keep my ponds from freezing & it did .

I plan on doing it again this year too .

bonnie

[iriscottage]

Sorry I have been away. Why do I want to cover it? Cause it's what I read on here and other places.
I am in Kentucky. The pond is above ground. I am going to take fish and plants from barrel liner pond and put in the above ground.
Leaves aren't a concern here. Just ~cold~
So should I or not? I even read to insulate around it but I'm not gong that far.

[iriscottage]

Also, anyone have a recommendation for a de-icer? Looking for a good price on a reliable brand.
I see a thermo pond brand on ebay for about $38 including shipping.

[RichardK]

IRISCOTTAGE.
Try making the Greg Bickal Deicer, its cheap, works great, only uses two light bulbs and one can add an air hose if needed.
Depending on the size of your pond you can make it in various sizes.
First a Floating platform, usualy 2 ' PVC. Then a Container(from wal mart etc" inside mount two light fixtures on the Roof(inside) not too close to the plastic, then if U wish the air hose.
I have been using them for about 6 years. Low on watts, and has never failed me, even at way below Zero. I can send pictures if U want.
RichardK.

[Vickie]

Why do I cover my ponds? Well first off I cover them before the leaves fall, it keeps a lot of stuff from falling into my pond. Second it keeps herons from bothering my fish with no plant cover they are setting ducks. Third it helps insulate the pond. It is kind of like a zone higher than my zone. Forth I have shallow ponds. Fifth because I want to. I don't care if anyone covers their ponds or not, but I cover mine.


Yes I have Penguins in Missouri. LOL And I have also put straw bales around my big raised pond but some nice size koi in it. Plus cover it too.

I also have deicers but I only use them a few days a winter. The ones I have cost a lot to run.

[karen J]

IRISCOTTAGE.
Try making the Greg Bickal Deicer, its cheap, works great, only uses two light bulbs and one can add an air hose if needed.
Depending on the size of your pond you can make it in various sizes.
First a Floating platform, usualy 2 ' PVC. Then a Container(from wal mart etc" inside mount two light fixtures on the Roof(inside) not too close to the plastic, then if U wish the air hose.
I have been using them for about 6 years. Low on watts, and has never failed me, even at way below Zero. I can send pictures if U want.
RichardK.

I have a couple of Bickal Deicers, one for the upper and one for the lower. This year it looks like we'll need to rebuild them as they've been in service for a good many years.
I've made domes-



That one collapsed with 4" snow-



Inside:



We made a better one in following years. But gave it up because it was too hard on the surrounding landscape. I broke (crushed) several dwarf conifers while hiking around the thing trying to scrape off 4-6" of snow at a time (that can be a couple times a day around here), and the fish seemed the same in the spring.

A couple of positive differences here in zone 5 is that the biofilters cycled earlier in the season, and I had pads on the hardy waterlilies much earlier. I don't think it made a difference in when they started blooming.

I'll try and dig up pics of the heavier-duty one we made. Still had to broom off the snow, but the ends were vertical instead of sloped, so it was much stronger.

[karen J]

Frame w/ Bickal deicer in pond-



Partial collapse of heavier-duty dome-



Snow-
 

[karen J]

Anyway,  , to beat a dead rhino, for the past couple years I have ditched the whole idea of a dome/greenhouse/cover thing, and just run a small pump through the skimmer into the TT. Both years saw zero "supercooling", water ran all winter, and the same fish survival (99.5%). Unless you need your lilies to sprout two weeks earlier, a cover is unnecessary. Unless you have Koi. Different story.
Good luck.

PS, It was really cool to go into that thing in January and see a teeeensy bit of green stuff when the rest of the world was covered in several inches of white! 

[RichardK]

There is just No way I could build a Cover for mine, too big, at 22x23' and 4ft deep its just too big an area. Dont get me wrong, it could be done but the cost would be prohibitive.
I now have 2 Bickal deIcers and they work well with the Heat and air pump, plus they do not overly disturbe the layers that the fish need in Winter to survive. they cost very little to run, unlike the store bought cattle deicers that run 1200 watts.
I could cover my small Pond but will not this year as i plan on replacing the preform in the spring.

I still have the Plans if anyone wants them, please contact me, glad to help.
RichardK

[bunny56lbc]

Look's very nice , karen 

What I like about useing a cover is what if the electric goes off . The one I used on my ponds
(6 mil clear plastic much like karens)  kept the water from freezing . We had a bad winter last
yea too ...snow ...ice ..high wind's .

bonnie

[lorraine1960]

the pics are incredible and as usual great ideas to steal...it doesn't snow here but would be good to put my plants under around the pond and on my porch and to keep leaves out....just awesome....i love this site....lorraine

[Esther]

Here's the picture from our DIY subforum here and Louis's too.  http://www.americanponders.com/forum/index.php?topic=975.0    Well pew, the pictures are all gone on Louis's.  http://www.americanponders.com/forum/index.php?topic=993.0

Don't forget to check out the sub forums folks. There's some good stuff there.