10 replies to this topic

[frito]

Living in Texas, I would usually not think to get a heater for the pond. However, I am using an above ground steel stock tank and am concerned it might get a little to frigid even for comets!

It is semi-protected from the North wind in a screened in porch, near walls of the house.

Thoughts? If I got a heater, any recommend a brand? The tank is about 425 gallons.

[taherrmann4]

You can get a stock tank heater. They sell them at Tractor Supply.

[sissy]

you can get them anywhere I know a small is cheaper than the 750 watt one I bought at pet mountain for 30 dollars but do you know what your temps drop down too as some have automatic thermostats as I found out .I thought my first did not work and addy told me to put it in ice water and sure enough it came on .So if your temps don't get cold enough it may not come on .If it does not have a protector around it could burn your fish or your liner I had one of the stock tank heaters with out a surrond and it burned the trough I keep out for ny deer to get a drink .

[Catfishnut]

As Sissy stated, most stock tank heaters are controlled by a thermostat. So, they won't turn on until the water temp that they sense gets down to about 36°-38° F.

For my system, I would like to get a stock tank heater and install it in the bio-converter filter barrel that I made. I read that the bacteria cultures (Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter) go dormant or die if the water temp is too far below 50°F. Not sure how cold they will withstand, but it would be good if I could at least keep the temp of the bio-converter tank at or above 54°F. I would like to install this heater in the inlet for the bio-converter or at least in the sediment filtration tank just upstream from it. This way the water coming into the bio-tank is tepid right from the start.

I have some FUJI temperature controllers that I salvaged from work and could set up my own thermostatically controlled heater system very easily. But, I would have to defeat the thermostat of the stock tank heater or buy one without a thermostat. Most of the stock tank heaters I have looked at use a thermostat and therefore, they wouldn't turn on at a higher temp than what they were originally designed for. That is usually just sufficient to prevent the tank from freezing. I would want it a little warmer than that.

My better idea was the solar heater array. No ongoing utility bill for that, but it also takes more desinging to set up properly and it takes up space. I am still trying to brainstorm on these ideas for my system. I will come up with something good eventually.

Catfishnut (Gordy)

[addy1]

How cold do you get there? my pond in arizona never got below 45, but we don't have many cold days there.

[Catfishnut]

How cold do you get there? my pond in arizona never got below 45, but we don't have many cold days there.

Hi Addy,

Well, we can get as cold as -25°F, but that would be rare. That is one really cold day! Somewhere between -5°F to +5°F is fairly typical for a few of the really cold spells, but that doesn't last too long either, maybe a few days or a week at most. Generally, a temp between +10°F to +20°F for low temps and +20°F to +30°F for highs is quite normal throughout the winter.

Then again, there was a time, when I was a kid in sixth grade when it was 78-85°F during our Christmas vacation. My buddy and I were wading in the ditches outside of town catching crawdads and snapping turtles! I even managed to get sunburned on that occasion because I had taken my shirt off. It was that warm.

The saying here in Nebraska is "If you don't like the weather, just wait around five minutes, it'll change". Ha Ha!

Gordy

[Waterbug]

I'd guess it would take some serious juice to make any kind of difference in an above ground metal stock tank. Maybe a couple hundred bucks a month type juice. Your temps sound like western NY where I'm from and we had in ground 3' deep ponds freeze solid some years.

You might consider checking out some local pond clubs to get a better idea of how the tank will perform. Or farmers for that matter since they have to keep their tanks clear of ice.

[sissy]

after last winter do you think it will be as bad or worse be prepared old man winter is coming and he can be cranky .

[frito]

For those replying about temperatures posted in Catfishhuts reply/posting here, I was the original poster and my temps here in Texas usually never get below 20 degrees. And not very often. We may see 5-10 freeze days a winter. I am just concerned the Comets may not like it in the stock tank above ground. It isn't unheard of for us to be 90 degrees Christmas Day!
Just wanted to clear up any confusion to my post.

[addy1]

For those replying about temperatures posted in Catfishhuts reply/posting here, I was the original poster and my temps here in Texas usually never get below 20 degrees. And not very often. We may see 5-10 freeze days a winter. I am just concerned the Comets may not like it in the stock tank above ground. It isn't unheard of for us to be 90 degrees Christmas Day!
Just wanted to clear up any confusion to my post.

That is around 20 degrees lower than we hit in arizona. My pond water there stayed around 45.
If your stock tank pond does not freeze solid your comets should be ok. My fish here live in 32 degree water for months. (well 32 at the surface, no clue deeper)

[Catfishnut]

Frito,

If you placed some hay or straw bales around your tank, that would help insulate it during the low temp months. Another idea (a little more pleasent appearance wise) would be some 4" styrofoam panels or blocks. Then it won't cost so much to operate a stock tank deicer / heater if you wanted one. It shouldn't kick on all that often (if it is a thermostatically controlled unit). Since you generally don't get below 20°, that's not too bad.

However, I am wondering if an aerator alone would be sufficient to keep the water open. Do you currently have an aeration system in your tank? If you do, that might be all you need. The fish might slow down, but they won't freeze. The aerator, placed appropriately, will also help circulate the water for you.

Out in western Nebraska sandhills country, my uncle had a cattle ranch. It gets COLD out there in winter. He had a metal stock tank out in the middle of a pasture, miles from any electrical lines. It wasn't insulated in any way, nor heated. But, he did have a windmill that pumped ground water into it as long as the wind blew. It never froze because the wind always blew out there and therefore, 54°F water was always being pumped into the tank. He just let it overflow and run down the hill.

Gordy