Question about releasing the gas build up under ice

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In past winters I have left air stones in the pond to keep a hole in the ice allowing deadly gases to escape the ice cover.

Last year I left the pond running including falls and all. The entire waterfall and pond iced over but the water continued to run under the ice sheet. It was interesting, you could hear the waterfall but couldn't see it.

My question is, with the water moving under the ice are the gasses being release at some point in the water flow? Like some small open water spots in the covered skippy filters?

Or should I still keep a hole in the ice of the pond with air stones, even if I leave the pumps running.
 

Meyer Jordan

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In past winters I have left air stones in the pond to keep a hole in the ice allowing deadly gases to escape the ice cover.

Last year I left the pond running including falls and all. The entire waterfall and pond iced over but the water continued to run under the ice sheet. It was interesting, you could hear the waterfall but couldn't see it.

My question is, with the water moving under the ice are the gasses being release at some point in the water flow? Like some small open water spots in the covered skippy filters?

Or should I still keep a hole in the ice of the pond with air stones, even if I leave the pumps running.

The only scenario where "deadly gases" will accumulate under ice in a Garden pond is if there is a large accumulation of sediment/muck on the bottom. Even many large natural ponds that experience complete ice-over with no real accumulation of these "deadly gases".
 
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The only scenario where "deadly gases" will accumulate under ice in a Garden pond is if there is a large accumulation of sediment/muck on the bottom. Even many large natural ponds that experience complete ice-over with no real accumulation of these "deadly gases".

I net the bottom out each fall and do a water change before going into winter, but what if leaves fall and the pond freezes over before they can be scooped out (this happened last year). I suspect the decomposing leaves may cause an issue with gas correct? If so does the water moving under the ice with a small amount of open water in the skippy tanks remove the gas? or are holes still needed in the ice of the pond?
 

Meyer Jordan

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I net the bottom out each fall and do a water change before going into winter, but what if leaves fall and the pond freezes over before they can be scooped out (this happened last year). I suspect the decomposing leaves may cause an issue with gas correct? If so does the water moving under the ice with a small amount of open water in the skippy tanks remove the gas? or are holes still needed in the ice of the pond?
It would take a lot of leaves in a poorly maintained pond to cause an issue with gases. The only reason to leave a hole open in the ice cover is to allow some oxygenation of the water, but even this is not really needed if snow is not allowed to accumulate on the ice cover blocking the sunlight from reaching the water. Algae are functioning even at very low water temperatures so Oxygen is still being provided to the water column through photosynthesis. In fact, algae provide more Oxygen to the water than natural aeration.
This is another reason that natural ponds sustain complete ice-over in the winter with no ill effects. Nature provides.
 
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We've run our falls all winter for the last four years and have had the same results - complete ice over, but fish do just fine. I read once that rocks and plants near the edges of the ice keep the "ice cap" from sealing the pond completely. Maybe another reason why natural ponds can survive complete ice cover perhaps?
 
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As my koi have grown, I worry more about their O2 in the winter. I tried running our falls one winter, but ice formed over the rocks and ran out of the pond and one of my lines froze :( I shut off my falls and run an aerator, Pond Breather and for good measure, a pond de-icer. See.....I told you I worry about them - LOL !
 
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You definitely need to watch how your waterfall freezes and make sure the water will stay in the pond. I can't imagine a worse scenario than realizing you've emptied your pond accidentally and its freezing cold out!
 

callingcolleen1

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Most waterfalls are not suited to run all winter as they displace too much water from main pond as they ice up too much.
If your fish have grown very large and your winters are harsh, I would not rely on that little pond de-icer to save your fish. The trouble with them is that they can plug up and then the water slows down too much. Also one teeny tiny hole in the ice will most likely not "cut it" for large koi.
It is best to design your pond to run all winter and have all filters and pumps below the ice, where they will not freeze. The trouble with external filters is that they loose water pressure inside the box, and then the water slows too much and ice builds up inside the box.
Companies making pond equipment really need to design a good winter filter that can run all winter under the ice without clogging up.

I run a hose from the underwater pumps and filters, right to the top of the pond. Never insulated the hoses in all my many years of running a pond {ran my pond all winter since 1991} and the hoses do not freeze up cause they do not loose pressure like a big external filter box. The only trouble would be if the power went out, but then I have a generator on stand by, and extra hose in case the other hoses freeze up if power goes out. I can always get to my filter boxes that are under water, even in winter, as they are only about two and a half feet down.
One time the power did go out and I had to break a hole in the ice to get my hose out and defrost it in bath tub and then reattached and got pumps going again. That was many many years ago, pump was too small and lost too much pressure as it had tiny filter that clogged up.

I have had great success running my ponds all winter, even during exteme cold wiith temperatures well bellow minus 40! I never had any fish die off due to winter kill, because I run my ponds all winter like the river, with a slight reduced rate of water flow as in nature.

In the very early spring, I get all the extra pumps up and running, to simulate an early spring run off, and that cleans the winter build up away quite nicely.
 

callingcolleen1

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here is another video of my ponds running all winter, shot during the day, so you can get an idea of how my ponds run when below minus 20 Celsius and one floating red 1500 watt cattle heater, which keeps all four ponds from freezing solid. Ponds are now in excess of 5000 US imperial gallons of water now...
 

callingcolleen1

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In past winters I have left air stones in the pond to keep a hole in the ice allowing deadly gases to escape the ice cover.

Last year I left the pond running including falls and all. The entire waterfall and pond iced over but the water continued to run under the ice sheet. It was interesting, you could hear the waterfall but couldn't see it.

My question is, with the water moving under the ice are the gasses being release at some point in the water flow? Like some small open water spots in the covered skippy filters?

Or should I still keep a hole in the ice of the pond with air stones, even if I leave the pumps running.
Pecan How cold can you expect to get during the winter?
It is always best to keep pumps running {if possible} as you water quality will be so much better come spring.
 

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