No gunk or some gunk?

[PondFish]

     Hi, I'm new to the forum and have about six hundred or so questions to ask, but I'll start with just one.  I have an approx. 250 gallon pond in Zone 6, deepest section is 25".  I have 2 fantails and 3 comets, a couple of water lillies and a marginal plant, also some 'aquarium plants'.  For the winter, I am planning on putting a large - maybe 10" - PVC Y-shaped tubing on the bottom of the pond for the fish to winter over.  I have just read that a small amount of accumulated pond gunk should be left on the bottom for the fish to nest in.  I had planned on removing every shread of debris from the bottom, but now I'm not sure.
     Does this sound like a good idea?  Makes sense to me, but this is my first winter with a pond so what do I know? I already love these five little fishies and want them to make it to Spring.  I am looking forward to all the help, support and info from seasoned ponders that I can get.  Thanks!

[miguynmkoi]

Welcome Pondfish!  I'm not sure if zone 6 freezes or not but at my pond I keep the bottom as clean as possible of debris because of the bad gases that can build up (nitrates or nitrites?) from rotting materials. 

We all love our fishies here and do almost anything to keep them healthy.  I've even named mine including the "feeder" fish I have in my lily ponds 

Other than that I'm sure there are others here who can help a lot better and know your zone. 

[Ky Kim]

I agree with Annette.  Along with keeping it clean for this winter, your in zone 6 so you will have some freezing .  Depending on the wacky weather.  You will also neet to fix a pump so that it will work like a bubbler, that will keep a hole in the ice where the gases can be released.  You will want it just bubbleing at the surface.  This normally works fine, although last year it got so cold for so long I ended up with a deicer for my big pond.  I've had a pond or puddles for about 7 years, first time I ever had to use one.  Then it was only for about a week.  I'm sure others will explain this better. 


Kim

[Pa Nancy]

Ditto. Gotta make is as clean as possible. Not removing good algae, just the crap on the bottom.

You will have some freezing on the top. You must have a hole at the top for gas exchange. That's done with the small pump running water just to break the top of the surface. Or if it gets too cold a DIY deicer is the next best thing.

[Esther]

The fish do not nest, ever. The don't actually hybernate but do slow way down as the water cools and you stop feeding them at 50degrees. My pond is 25" at it's shallowest and 30" at it's deepest. I use a deicer, no bubbler and have never lost a fish over the winter. Depending on the size of your fish, you might find that wintering them in the house in an aquarium is more fun and easier. I did that when my fish were smaller.

[Kittyzee]

I don't use a bubbler either, but keep my pump runnign all year round.  You don't have to for GF, but I do.  I DO however, have a stock tank heater when the pond freezes over.  I sit it on the ice and melt a hole in it for gas exchange.  I don't leave it on all the time, the water heats up too hot.  Just enough to keep a hole in it...I've never lost a fish.   

[PondFish]

Thanks for the help.  I guess gunk is out, clean is in.  I will use the bubbler, set for a "hard ripple" hopefully in a location that does not disturb fish on bottom of pond.  I will also toss some tennis balls in the water.  Heard this keeps ice from forming and couldn't hurt I don't think.

[Sandye]

PondFish, you can also use an aquarium bubbler with a large airstone on it to keep a hole in the ice during the winter.  I tie mine to a couple of milk crates so that it bubbles just under the surface.

Because my DH had major surgery last year, I didn't get a lot of things done for the winter, including putting the bubbler in the pond.  I lost seven or eight GF last winter.   

[Esther]

Tennis balls will not keep ice from forming. It is possible the ice will form deeper than the thickness of the tennis balls and all you've accomplished is to have the balls frozen into the ice. The ice will of course freeze up to the sides of the tennis balls. The gases in the water need a place to escape and it cannot leave the pond through the tennis balls. You either have to keep a bubbler going at the surface and keep an eye on it because if it gets cold enough, you could end up with a cover of ice over the bubbling water. Or your other option is to use a deicer to keep the ice open. I didn't notice where you were located but you said you were in zone 6 and so am I. I get a pretty good cover of ice in Michigan. I do not leave my waterfall pump going for a couple of reasons. I don't want the water to be moved that much and keep the it super cooled. And I don't dare run the risk that ice will form on the waterfall and divert the flow out of the stream.

[SueSTx]

Welcome

One of my stock tanks is a 160 gallon above ground in zone 6.  I ran my pump just under the surface and used a 100 watt deicer last winter.  Three times I dipped out about 4" of ice when it got soft enough to break up and refilled the tanks...water change.

I have a 90 gallon oval tank
a 160 gallon round tank and
a 750 gallon round tank.
Last winter the ice was the same thickness on all three tanks after a cold spell.

I've never lost a fish to winter weather YET.  One winter I used a stock tank heater on a timer from around 10 at night to 6 in the morning during really cold spells.  The advantage was loads of lily blooms early in May.

[SueSTx]

Welcome

One of my stock tanks is a 160 gallon above ground in zone 6.  I ran my pump just under the surface and used a 100 watt deicer last winter.  Three times I dipped out about 4" of ice when it got soft enough to break up and refilled the tanks...water change.

I have a 90 gallon oval tank
a 160 gallon round tank and
a 750 gallon round tank.
Last winter the ice was the same thickness on all three tanks after a cold spell.



I've never lost a fish to winter weather YET.  One winter I used a stock tank heater on a timer from around 10 at night to 6 in the morning during really cold spells.  The advantage was loads of lily blooms early in May.

[miguynmkoi]

Hey Sue,  I like the design your bubbler made in the ice.  Pretty chilling sight 

[bunny56lbc]

I use aquarium pump's & air stone's in all the pond's with fish in them. I've made little house's from some board's I had to protect the pump's from the weather. I've done this for 12 year's now & haven't lost a fish yet.
bonnie

[PondFish]

A question to Esther or anyone who has experience with them: is the basic difference between a deicer and a heater the wattage and the amount - cost! - of electricity used?  I am hoping the bubbler/pump (haven't decided which to use yet) will be sufficient.   And how common is it to have to change water in the winter? I have one word for that : Brrrrrrrr.

[SueSTx]

The wattage and electrical cost is the differance in the deicer and the heater.  I have both but use the 100 watt from the first cold snap til about the first of April.  If it freezes before I get the deicers in the tanks I use the heater to melt a hole in the ice first.

In my pic it is my regular pump bubbling just under the surface .

I don't do normal water changes during the winter unless I remove ice.  I do top it off about twice a month or so.  Ground water here is about 52* so it doesn't cause a problem with temperature swing if added slowly.

[happyoutsidegirl]

Hi Pondfish, and welcome. It's kind of trial and error tell ya find what ya like and what works for you. As for the pvc pipe. that would depend on how big your fish are? Fish still kind of slowly turn about on the bottom during the winter. That may not give them enough room. Also if you have or can get a big thick piece of styrafoam and drill a large hole in the middle and just let it float works if the freezinf isn't to hard?

[PondFish]

Hi, Happyoutsidegirl, nice to meet you.

About the pvc pipe.  My largest fish (twice the size of the other four) is about 6" or 7". I had planned on using a y-shaped pvc pipe of 12".  Is this large enough, do you think?  I will use the pipe because I am assuming it helps keep the water at a more constant and maybe slightly warmer temperature for the fish in the winter.  Do you think this is true? Anyone have experience with this?  I'm by the shore in southern Connecticut, zone 6. 

I will try and find the styrafoam.  Thanks