trying to keep an opening in a frozen pond

[Freddie Peepers]

Now that we are in winters grasp I'm having second thoughts on where to try and keep an opening. I thought it would be best in front of the skimmer to keep the water flowing to the pump. After this weekend, with temps below zero and wind chill ridiculously low (-30) I'm no longer sure. The heater I got(floating de-icer) seemed to be doing the job, but now there is only about a 2 inch opening. We decided to keep the water fall running (bad idea) and I'm wondering if the heater should be moved to below the falls. After Sunday night the waterfall was completely iced over except for right where it enters the pond. Any thoughts would be appreciated 

[karen J]

I have to get out there and take some pics, but I'm still not ready for Christmas yet.

We left our falls running too. Not the big falls, just the skimmer falls, which is about 1700 gph. My little stream didn't get iced over until these below zero temps. I need to get out there and check if the pump is still running.

We made a "Bickal" deicer that does a good job keeping a hole in the ice, and I have that right near the skimmer. It's basically an inverted rubbermaid tub attached to a pvc base with two light fixtures in it.

There saying we're supposed to get another 4-12" of snow tomorrow. Are you in the north or the south of Illinois?

[karen J]

I just looked up your town and I'm about an hour & a half north of you, so you'll probably escape the snow. 

[Freddie Peepers]

We are supposed to get some snow tomorrow. The last "snow" here came down as ice. There was almost an inch of ice covering everything. I almost would rather have snow than that. It broke some tree limbs and made the streets like skating rinks. After the holidays.... I'm ready for spring

[Esther]

Why bother paying the electric bill for the pump? Why run the risk of the water being diverted in the waterfall and pumping the water out of the pond? Our pump has been out maybe 6 weeks. Our Bickal deicer is working fine.

Speaking of Bickal, anybody know what Greg is up to and how he is doing?

[perplexed ponder]

I had a floating heater that failed me last year. It just coulnd't keep up with the severe cold temps and I lost ALL my big koi.
While ona pond tour this summer I asked everyone with big ponds how they handled the winter.Every one of them told me they take thier pupmp out, shut down the falls and run a LARGE aerator. They said a heater will eventually fail (I ran mine 3 years, without trouble, but it did eventually fail me) but an aerator will not.

I got a pondmaster 60, I have about 3000 gallons. I have about 6 air stones around different spots in the pond. I have 3-4 openeings all the time now, even with 18 inches of snow and absolutely freezing temps, I am a believer. Another plus, its cheaper to runt han the heater too!

[Master Pond Builder]

Aeration systems are the best and cost the least ammount to operate, pennies per day. We maintain over 50 of our customers ponds throughout the year. Aeration is what I would recommend.

[crazyfishlady]

Where do you put the pump? How far do you run the tubing? I tried that the first year and it froze-up.

[Esther]

But where it is REALLY cold, you can run into two problems. Like Crazy fish lady said, the tubing freezes up at times and at times the bubbling, mist, splashing that may occur at the surface, a covering of ice forms above the aereator.

Here is my deicer right now and you can see how deep the snow is around it. I took the picture through the dining room window so I guess you can't see as well as I thought. LOL. I'm not saying it cannot fail as the light bulb of course can go out. But when it fails, it is real obvious. If the deicer freezes in the ice, I just take a blow torch and melt the ice around it and replace the bulb.  This is my 6th winter with a DIY deicer and have no complaints.   

[perplexed ponder]

I used a styrafoam cooler to house my aerator pump.  Upside down, and poke holes around the top edge, not on the top. This way air still circulates if the snow piles up. We only had to clear the snow awy from the holes when we got a total of 18 inches in 2 days. Tubing comes through holes at the bottom and run about 1-2 feet into the pond. It hasn't frozen up and it's beex extremely cold here, in the teens and 20's most days.

[rdrboone]

This is my second winter of using an aerator to keep an opening in the ice in my ponds.  It works really well.  I made a container for my pump out of a small rubbermaid container, drilling holes for the air lines (I feed air to 4 ponds with it) and air holes for the pump to receive air, up under the rim of the container.  This keeps the pump dry.  I run the air lines to the ponds and suspend the airstone about 1/3 of the way down into the water.
I live in the coldest part of zone 6.  Last week it was 0 degrees F. with a wind chill 0f -30 degrees.  Everything is OK with the ponds. 

Good luck.

Ruth

[Kirby]

Here in SW Michigan I use an aquarium air pump that is large enough to supply lots of movement.  I was told not to put it in the deep end of the pond so the bubbling will not stir up the warmer, deep water.  I also used larger tubing so the condensate would not freeze in the tubing.  The hole in the ice is about 12" with 3" of ice else were.

Kirby

[Bonnie]

I have two brand new deicers that are still in the box! 

I just use a small submersible pump and have it right at the water level so it provides extra oxygen plus helps keep a hole open.

[reddad35]

I waited on this topic because it is my first winter pond. The ice on my pond is now 1 inch thick but I have a 3 foot hole due to my pondmaster 50 aerator. I have it in a 32 gallon insulated tube with a hole cut for the power cord and another for the tube. I have not had a problem with condensation/freezing. I shut down my falls upon other posters recommendations.

[pondlady]

 ;)I have a pondmaster 60 and it is keeping the ice of from 2 ponds. Never had such a great air pump. no stones just the defuser that came with it. Got my moneys worth with this one. Oh and Hello everyone.