First winter question

[Dosry5]

I’m in Iowa. First winter with the pond. I’m thinking I want to shut the pond down. I plan to pull the pump from the skimmer box and store it in a bucket of water inside for the season.

Obviously I can’t empty the skimmer box, but should I pump the water out of the biofalls/waterfall box and pvc lines? Should I pull the media out of the biofalls box?

Thanks in advance!

 

[sissy]

If it can freeze I would as it will have to be cleaned come spring anyways .Do you use a deicer or aerator in your pond to keep an opening in the ice

 

[Dosry5]

If it can freeze I would as it will have to be cleaned come spring anyways .Do you use a deicer or aerator in your pond to keep an opening in the ice

I bought an API Pond Breather to use this winter. Should I also run my airstone all winter too or is the breather enough?

 

[RobAmy]

I’m in Iowa. First winter with the pond. I’m thinking I want to shut the pond down. I plan to pull the pump from the skimmer box and store it in a bucket of water inside for the season.

Obviously I can’t empty the skimmer box, but should I pump the water out of the biofalls/waterfall box and pvc lines? Should I pull the media out of the biofalls box?

Thanks in advance!

You can't empty the skimmer but I put a bunch of cut up pool noodles about 18" to 2ft long. Has a little give that way instead of being completely solid. I do suck out my waterfall filter, everything else is gravity drained as far as the lines go. If your lines can't drain them empty them for sure.

 

[addy1]

I can’t empty the skimmer box

I stuff mine with bubble wrap in a bag with some rocks to keep it weighted down.

 

[Dosry5]

I stuff mine with bubble wrap in a bag with some rocks to keep it weighted down.

Pool noodles and now bubble wrap. This sounds like it’d make a good topic by itself! What do you stuff your skimmer with?

 

[EricV]

Going to reply to a few parts of different messages:

Obviously I can’t empty the skimmer box, but should I pump the water out of the biofalls/waterfall box and pvc lines? Should I pull the media out of the biofalls box?

Pump the waterfall dry and drain or blow as much water as you can out of the lines. Expanding ice could crack them.

I bought an API Pond Breather to use this winter. Should I also run my airstone all winter too or is the breather enough?

The breather is enough, but no harm in running the aerator too. I like to have a "real" hole in the ice that I can actually see through.

 

[sissy]

I don't have a skimmer ,so that is new to me .I like a real hole also that breather scares me .Is it working or not and makes you wonder why dr foster and smith put it on clearance

 

[Dosry5]

I don't have a skimmer ,so that is new to me .I like a real hole also that breather scares me .Is it working or not and makes you wonder why dr foster and smith put it on clearance

Yep, I bought it on clearance and it does make me wonder why it was so cheap....but as a first year ponder I’m a bit obsessive about checking the pond and it’s mechanicals and inner workings anyway so I’m sure this winter I’ll be making 3 trips a day to check the thing....

 

[sissy]

I bought security cameras off ebay and have 2 on the pond and when my son installed the electric he ran switch's to my master bedroom closet so I could turn on or off from the safety of indoors .He did not want me falling down steps and now with the security cameras it is so easy to keep an eye on the pond from the tv that is mounted on the wall between the kitchen and living room on a swivel .It was well worth the 89 dollars I paid

 

[EricV]

I don't have a skimmer ,so that is new to me .I like a real hole also that breather scares me .Is it working or not and makes you wonder why dr foster and smith put it on clearance

You can see if they are working. You'll see water moving in the column and mine, at least, tends to build up ice on the surface of the pond.

 

[addy1]

You can see if they are working. You'll see water moving in the column and mine, at least, tends to build up ice on the surface of the pond.

All I had running for a few winters now, and breathers, in the big pond and the 1000 gallon pond. It has kept the pond going even with total ice coverage. This year I am going to try and remember to put in my small tiny pump to keep a hole for the birds.

We have not needed it for a few years except briefly, always water along the edges of the pond.

 

[EricV]

Last winter was harsh here. I had a business trip so I didn't get to "finish" winterizing (pull filter material, get a pump in there for a hole when it's not too cold, etc). It never thawed enough for me to do those things.

 

[sissy]

Here one day it can be spring and the next day winter .We have had Christmas day outside because it was 70 degrees .Had company come from NJ with winter clothes and they had to go find shorts to wear