winterizing ''savio'' pond

[2vetts]

our pond has savio equipment [skimmer , waterfall bucket , pump] and i'd like suggestions on winterizing in zone 5 . what i really want to know is this : do i leave skimmer barrel full or empty it which would mean lowering water level . i thought of putting a baffle over skimmer opening so i could maintain pond depth . i know to drain lines and remove pump just puzzled over best procedure for skimmer barrel .. .peace

[Mackey]

I placed a small 45watt spot light bulb in my skimmer last winter. I left it run until the waterfall frooze completly over. I then just cut the pump off (Jan. 5th) and let the bulb burn 24/7. my goal was not to let the water inside the skimmer freeze. it worked great. It keep the throat of the skimmer thawed out as well which vented the pond. I,m in central Virginia. I may put something in front of the skimmer intake hole to keep a little larger opening thawed out, I would drain a waterfall filter before it gets to cold.

[Lori]

I am in zone 4/5 and have always removed my pumps and left water in my skimmers and not had a problem.  The skimmer is less likely to heave during freezes and thaws throughout the winter with water in it.  I have never had trouble with damage in my 3 ponds (both Savio and Pond Sweep and an ancient Oase skimmers) for many years.  That is my experience. Hope it helps.

[Kris]

I'm zone 5 & the first year I shut everything down & pulled all the pumps out through the winter.  Of course I had to let them sit in buckets of water so the seals wouldn't dry out.  From the second year on (this is my fourth winter now) I've put a little stock tank heater in front of the skimmer for my little pumps.  I pull my big pump up off the bottom to make sure I have a good 12" of undesturbed water on the bottom so the fish can remain in the "warm" layer & I let everything run - I just check for ice dams daily out my windows.  It's so neat to see the various ice formations you get as it freezes & then thaws & then freezes a different way.  I also know that after 2 very harsh winters here in Chicago when people have been loosing fish left & right I haven't had a single casualty.  My pond is 4 1/2 feet deep however.

[miguynmkoi]

I pull my big pump up off the bottom to make sure I have a good 12" of undesturbed water on the bottom so the fish can remain in the "warm" layer

Great idea!  Even though I do not have freeze here the water does get pretty cold and I see my babies in the deeper lily pond all lined up at the bottom trying to keep warm.  So putting the pump higher would probably keep them a bit warmer.   

[OldMarine]

I'm in zone 8, and we get a freeze now and again. So I opted to put a 300 watt submersible heater in my skimmer/pre-filter reservor. Last winter the heater kept the water temps just above freezing even on those rare nights when the temps dropped into the teens. The water hyacinths even survived on into the winter until we had one foot of snow on the ground.

Happy pnding,