How to close my pond

[GinoLicious]

I have a lot of Shubunkin/ Koi mix in my pond. One fish laid eggs and I have about 15 small guys no bigger than 4 inches long.

Don't want to take them all out. I took my fish out last year for the winter. Rather not this year.

What do I need to do?

Do I need to run my filter and pump in the winter?

Should I just let the pond freeze over and my guys will be fine?

Pond is about 5 feet by 4 feet and about 1.5 feet deep.

I ask now because my pond store as a huge sale one for the next few weeks so if I need a deicer or something I rather get it now on sale.

 

[DutchMuch]

Should I just let the pond freeze over and my guys will be fine?

NO, if it freezes completely over, they might die due to no gas exchange.

Run the filter, and the pump. Have a defroster in the water (optional) Don't run the pump or filter if you have below freezing temps.

 

[GinoLicious]

Our winters out here go below freezing temperatures. So I do not want to run the pond equipment in those harsh temps.

 

[Tula]

You'll need an open area of the pond, for gas exchange. There are several ways you can do this...pond de-icers, air stones and some of us use Pond Breathers.

If you have frigid temps, you risk your filter and hoses / pipes, freezing, if you run them.

 

[Angel]

need to keep and air hole vie water fall/spout to break up water to not freeze or a floating heater or a air bubbler.

you need a hole in ice to keep the fish alive. figure out a by pass or pick up a pump and hose for winter uses. I have as a main a 3200gph pump as main, my winter pump in junction with floating heater is 1,200gph .

for winter more or less set up is not important on looks. its function as snow willl cover your temp fix. Thats how i look at winter time temp fix as when its time to " open the pond" the equipment is stored for 9 months

 

[GinoLicious]

What would use the least amount of electricity? I always thought pond breathers never took any.

 

[DutchMuch]

What would use the least amount of electricity? I always thought pond breathers never took any.

you dont need any of those things.
You just need to break the ice with your hand, and if it refreezes within 3 days, break it again.

 

[Magzire]

Winter talk already

 

[MitchM]

I have a lot of Shubunkin/ Koi mix in my pond. One fish laid eggs and I have about 15 small guys no bigger than 4 inches long.

Don't want to take them all out. I took my fish out last year for the winter. Rather not this year.

What do I need to do?

Do I need to run my filter and pump in the winter?

Should I just let the pond freeze over and my guys will be fine?

Pond is about 5 feet by 4 feet and about 1.5 feet deep.

I ask now because my pond store as a huge sale one for the next few weeks so if I need a deicer or something I rather get it now on sale.

At 225 gallons, your pond is way too small for koi to start with.
At 18 inches deep, unless you're covering the pond and going to either keep pumps running or provide some aeration, you need to bring the fish in.

 

[MitchM]

you dont need any of those things.
You just need to break the ice with your hand, and if it refreezes within 3 days, break it again.

Says the guy from Arkansas....
Our ice here gets too thick too fast to try that, plus I don't recommend breaking ice - it can startle and stress the fish.

 

[Lisak1]

"you dont need any of those things.
You just need to break the ice with your hand, and if it refreezes within 3 days, break it again."

 

[addy1]

I use a pond breather. Very little electricity used works great.

To early for winter talk as we head to over 100 heat index again.

 

[Lisak1]

There is not one correct answer to this question. Some ponds can be run all winter. Some ponds need to be shut down. The correct answer for any pond depends entirely on how your pond is constructed. Some fish can stay out all winter - even in a pond that is shut down - some need to be brought inside. Depth is obviously important - but only as it applies to your climate. (And the same goes for heat - a pond in the hotter climates needs to be deeper to keep fish cool when temperatures get high.) Total pond volume and fish load also come into the equation.

Whether or not your pond CAN run all winter also depends on construction - how deep is your plumbing? How is your waterfall constructed? Can it handle icing over without causing all your water to be re-directed out of the pond?

We run our pond all winter long. We're in zone 5B near Chicago, so you may be familiar with the winters we have. We do not have a visible "hole" in our pond for much of the winter, but we do have a waterfall which is constantly flowing which allows for gas exchange. Our plumbing is deep enough to keep it from freezing and our waterfall is wide enough to keep ice dams from forming and emptying the pond. Our pump is submerged, so there's no concern about it being exposed to the cold. All things that are important when deciding how to handle your pond over winter.

On a side note: @DutchMuch - I would suggest you not give advice about things you have not experienced. It's not helpful. This comment "Run the filter, and the pump. Have a defroster in the water (optional) Don't run the pump or filter if you have below freezing temps" tells me you've never experienced winter. You say "run the pump" then - "don't run the pump". Have a defroster (whatever the heck that is) but you don't need it. You're just confusing the issue. And this:

you dont need any of those things.
You just need to break the ice with your hand, and if it refreezes within 3 days, break it again.

That's just crazy talk. In a cold climate, a pond can freeze so fast OVERNIGHT that you'd never be able to break the ice with your hand. And in three days? You'd be able to walk on water at that point. If you lived where it got cold you'd understand why you aren't going to be turning your pond on and off depending on the temperature. The last thing you want to do when it's frigid is to be outside fooling with your pond. And since when is it ever good advice to turn a pond on and off repeatedly? Our temperatures can fluctuate from freezing to above freezing to freezing again in a matter of hours - you'd make yourself crazy. Stick to what you know is my advice to you.

 

[Nyboy]

Newbie from the North, what is a pond breather ?

 

[cas]

Here is a thread on the pond breather:
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/pond-breather.15976/

Some notes about the pond breather:
Pulls water to the surface and exchanges it with freshly oxygenated water. Creates a gentle current to move oxygen throughout the pond.
The black tube inside the glass tube is a 25 watt heating strip that helps prevent the clear tube from freezing up.
Low flow pump (145 GPH) uses 40 watts.
Protects at ice depths up to 15 inches.
Reliable performance range from minus 10°F to minus 20°F.
Safe from power interruptions - thaws itself and restarts in a very short time after a power outage.
The breather will freeze solid in the pond, but in the tube you can see a trickle of water going up the tube and back down the tube, and you can hear a slight trickle sound like a fountain.
A pond breather allows for a solid ice cover, so no evaporation, but maintains a healthy level of aeration.
The pump sits 30” deep and is incased in a round cage.

Here is a picture of @MitchM 's pond breathers during the winter in Canada.