Hi from Montana!

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I have a 3788 gallon pond which I started up on July 4th of last year. I only have 6 fish in the pond so far. I have 2 fantail goldfish and 4 koi. I was really worried about keeping the fish out in the pond over the winter, but so far they seem to be doing fine. This year we have had a mild winter which is not normal but I'm loving it! We still have a couple months to go so who knows what will happen.
 

addy1

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Welcome to our group! glad you joined.

We hit 65 today, way above normal. Weird winter.
 

sissy

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Welcome and not sure about how deep your pond is but i have 2 fantails and here they do fine .
 
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My pond is abourt 3 1/2 ft. deep. We usually have colder weather this time of year. I have a waterfall that I shut down and started using an air pump. At first I had the diffuser on the bottom of my pond and the temp got as low as 32 degrees. So I have a shelf that I moved the diffuser up to and now my temp at the bottom of the pond hasn't gotten below 36 degrees. Since this is my first winter I really didn't know what to expect. Next winter I will have one winter behind me and hopefully be more at ease with the coming winter.
 
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Hello Montana. I'm interested in your water temperature readings, you're the first I've read taking readings. With the air pump shallow the bottom temp was 36F, that was it at the surface? I've had the opinion that running an air pump at any depth would make the water the same temp at all depths.
 

addy1

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ok I braved the cold, when out and measured the water temperature.
air temp 31 f

Surface 36 f floating

5 feet down 45 f

pondmaster 100 (a lot of air flow) aerating the pond at the 3 foot level, around 15 feet from the 5 foot level, ice forms over the 5 foot level if we stay cold enough.

With the underwater camera I can see movement in the water at the 3 foot level at the deep end. (little floaters float by)
 
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No when I had my diffuser on the bottom the temp was 32 degrees on the bottom of the pond which is 3 1/2 ft deep. When I moved it up to about 2 ft. from the bottom the bottom warmed up to 36 degrees. I don't remember what the out side temp was but it was cold. Tonight the bottom of the pond is 37.9 degrees and its 36 degrees on the top using a floating thermometer. Outside temp is 30.
 

fishin4cars

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Mudbug, I saw when you posted that recently and it made sense. But in reality I've run air and or pumps even in shallow ponds and the bottom always seems to be ever slightly warmer if not OVERLY disturbed. Of course down here It's so rare to actually see ice on the surface that it doesn't leave much opportunity to experiment to see. I Enjoy reading, and learning and being prepared what to do if and when we do get ice. Water temp this afternoon reached 60 degrees again, so all the guys/gals got a eagerly eaten treat of wheat germ pellets again.
 
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I'm kind of scratching my head trying to understand the numbers. Like Addy's numbers 36F at surface and 45F at the bottom. 39F is the heaviest water is so I can't really undstand how it could be 45F at the bottom and colder at the surface.

mtpond's reading of 36F to 37.9F is more what I would expect.
 

addy1

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We had a real warm spell, 65 degrees. The thermometer I used was reading the correct outside temperature, I just tied it to a rock and piece of rope so it would sink. I surprised at the numbers too. This is under the liner I have floating which may have warmed up more due to the sun, but again it was read in the am, no sun at night. If I feel ambitious will measure it again today, we are heading back up into the 50's again. yo yo temperature.
 
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I see. But 36F to 45F means the heaviest water is suspended somewhere in the middle. So I kind of suspect getting a good reading isn't too easy. Like for a regular thermometer pulling it out would change the reading I assume. I don't know. Anyone with a digital cooking thermometer?
41DppVFaqzL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

That would provide a reading while the sensor was still at the target depth and you could see the changes as it was lowered.

I don't know why this stuff fascinates me.
 

addy1

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I don't think it would change much as I pulled it out, took maybe a second, yank out..........
 

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