Hi from New Mexico

[mario]

Hi, my name is Mario.
I'm a Polish immigrant that lived in New York for many years (and will always consider himself a New Yorker), currently (since '96) living in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
Few years ago I built my wife and my daughter a fish pond.
Last year I bought Laura (wife) and Jessica (6 year old daughter) several koi.
Wife loves the pond and goes out daily (during non winter months) to sit by the pond and talk to the fish.

My pond freezes over, and first year (with few fish) this wasn't an issue, but this year it's a major problem.
I'm off to the Winter forum to read and seek advice on how to care for the pond so I don't loose anymore fish that I already did. :sad:


I hope this forum supports tapatalk (free plug for forum moderator), so that I can check in and contribute using my Android ICS phone.

That's all for now,
Mario

 

[sissy]

welcome mario and i think you came to the right place for help and hope you have fun learning things you would like to know.Oh by the way I would love those rocks .

 

[j.w]

mario
Nice huge pond and love how it's right near your bbq area close to house. Did you lose the fish cuz the water was all froze over the whole top?
If so you can add bubbling spout that sits on the bottom or ledge of your pond that will keep a hole in the ice for gases to escape. Or you can use an air tube that will bubble air up that will also keep a hole in the ice. If really super cold there then you can use a deicer that floats in your pond. Cost's about $30. or so and heats a spot in your pond to keep a hole open.

 

[mario]

mario
Nice huge pond and love how it's right near your bbq area close to house. Did you lose the fish cuz the water was all froze over the whole top?
If so you can add bubbling spout that sits on the bottom or ledge of your pond that will keep a hole in the ice for gases to escape. Or you can use an air tube that will bubble air up that will also keep a hole in the ice. If really super cold there then you can use a deicer that floats in your pond. Cost's about $30. or so and heats a spot in your pond to keep a hole open.

Yea, it looks like I lost about 6 koi (will take few pics and post later), where they froze in the ice. I guess the fish could have died and floated to the top and then froze.
The pond it about 4-4.5 feet in the deep end (by BBQ), and the ice is about 7-10 thick.
I used pick to poke few holes about once a week, but obviously I'll have to do more than that.
I just ordered this K&H 8001 Thermo-Pond 3.0 Floating Pond 100-Watt De-Icer , not sure if that's going to be enough or if I also need a bubbler.

 

[koiguy1969]

WELCOME MARIO...........MARK

 

[mario]

welcome mario and i think you came to the right place for help and hope you have fun learning things you would like to know.Oh by the way I would love those rocks .

Thanks, and as far as the rocks, they set me back about $500, but I like them too.

 

[sissy]

I bought a Kh heater for my pond 750 watt at petmountain .com for 29 dollars and my pond 8x14 and waterfall makes it up to 18 long and it is 4 ft. deep .I have an oxygen pump going also and 2 waterfalls ,1 of them still working as it has been staying above 40 degrees here .So far a mild winter.meant to say I have koi and seems they need plenty of oxygen to keep them happy and healthy

 

[mario]

What's a good place to pick up an oxygen pump and diffuser/bubbler? I did a quick search and came up with some basic looking kits for $200+ which to me seems very high, like this one for $290 http://www.westernpond.com/ap20aerator.html?gclid=CP6JmJrK5K0CFcUZQgodQiUmoA

 

[sissy]

thats really not to bad a price considering it comes with the tubing .Pond master is a great air diffuser if you google it you may come up with a better price than that .You can check out big als online or even az pond supplies they are in arizona .You may be able to find what you want locally by googling it .

 

[sissy]

try getting the100 or larger

 

[taherrmann4]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[adavisus]

Wow, that is a hard freeze, 7-10" ice, in New Mexico, phew. If you get caught short again without de icing bits and bobs, a pre electricity technique still works reliable...

Heat pan of water over fire, place on ice to melt a hole through, when the ice is about 3-4" thick

When hole is neat and through, drain half inch to one inch of water from below the ice plate, this creates an air gap between water and ice plate (call it double glazing insulation)

Place basket covered with cloth across hole to keep sub zero air, snow out of double glazed air space, this allows air to ventilate, carry off toxic gases evaporating from the pond, this will be an 'air vent'

The ice plate, in effect becomes a barrier to further loss of ground temperature, keeping pond surface from freezing, this can last as long as the ice plate stays in place...

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[j.w]

mario when you said you used a pick on the ice I would not pound on the ice w/ it as the pounding can cause a concussion in the water and kill the fish. The noise to them down there under the water is deafening and they can't take it. The hot water in the pan sitting on the ice and opening a hole should work til you get the heater and bubblers.

 

[Becky]

Hello and welcome to the forums Mario! :wave:

 

[addy1]

I am using a pondmaster 100 to aerate the pond. So far ice staying at bay, but our winter has been warmish.