leaving filter in the pond over winter months

[bettasngoldfish]

I am going to be leaving my fish outside for the first time during the winter months and I have some questions on how to do this hopefully without too many issues

I currently have a very basic pondmaster adjustable fountain filter in my pond. I was wondering if it would be possible to leave it in the pond and running all through the winter months. I live in North East Ohio, zone 5.

Anybody have experience with these? Or have any tips or ideas? We are planning to dig our curent pond deeper so that it is atleast three feet deep (currently its only a foot and a half) I'm unfamiliar with any other type of filters for ponds and don't have a ton of money to spend.

Kinda scared to leave the fish outdoors all year as I have had them for three years now and I don't really want to lose any of them.

thanks

 

[Fishylove]

I'm in zone 6b and I don't run my filter in the winter. Goldie's are very hardy fish and since you don't have koi in the mix, 3 to 31/2 feet should be good. I have koi, so my deep end goes to 5feet. You will just need an aerator to keep water moving incase the surface freezes over.

 

[dieselplower]

If you want to keep it running I would take the fountain attachment off and just have the water come out of the open ended tube just a bit under the surface if the water. That would also keep a hole open, probably.

 

[Sunshine]

You don't want that fountain attachment on it in the winter. The water will freeze around the tube and the fountain will pump all your water out. We did the same thing the first year with our pond. Almost drained the pond before we realized it was pumping the water out and it was freezing on top the ice. If you want to run it, do as dieselplower said.

 

[sissy]

anything coming out of the fountain head may freeze over night .In the 2010 winter 65 degrees during the day in December and had a fountain head that I just took the spray part off the top and around 10 pm weather changed and blizzard and really cold temps came in .I was asleep and about 1 am woke up and went out to check pond as I saw the weather had gotten bad and fountain head was side ways and squirting water out of the pond and only had a little over a foot of water left under the ice that had formed .Panic mode set in and had to run water from basement and house to refill and all this time in my jammies and bare feet .I was frozen and wet by the time I came in .Will never ever have a fountain head spitting water up again .Scarey and lucky for me I did not loose 1 fish and water was dirty because It could not get clean enough running that much from the well that fast .I was just glad our electric was not off because of the storm .Not sure what I would have done and never going to take chances like that again .I live 15 minutes from the NC border so it does not get that cold here but I bought a pond heater that year .My worst nightmare ever .Learn from my lesson because I sure did ,don't take risks .My pond was 3 feet deep back then and now just over 4 feet deep after a dog destroyed my liner and had to move fish and redo the pond with a new liner .I have been there don't risk your fish or your sanity . :bye2:

 

[addy1]

I just run air to keep the pond surface open.

 

[sissy]

yep and we are all warmer than Ohio .I run a pump inside a bucket of lava rock and put the pond heater right above it .I did keep my filters running all winter last year but it was a mild winter for most ,

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Thanks for your thoughts and tips.

Sissy, Can you explain a bit more in detail about the bucket with lava rock and pump?

Also, I know how to hook up an airpump for an aquarium but I'm a bit confused on how you use one in a pond . Anybody want to point me in the right direction? Mainly I'm not sure how to place it outside the pond. Does it need to be protected from the weather and if so how have you done that? Whats the best type of airstone to use in a pond?

 

[sissy]

just drill holes in cheap dollar store bucket and put pump in and lava rock on top .I also have used a flower pot and a file tote and put the lava rock inside dollar store laundry bags .
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[sissy]

the air pumps are made by airmax and they work great and come with every thing .I use an extra hose just pumping water across the surface to add extra air to the water also

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Thanks for the info, I placed my order for the airpump : )

 

[sissy]

I went to there store in Graham NC and they have ponds there to see how they work .I love the ones they had with the mats but out of my budget and they also have you tube video's of them working .I figure it was only little over an hour from my house so airmax it was .I like it and my neighbor bout one also .For the price it works great as long as you soak the air balls that come with it first .The energy savings sold me but sure wish I could get a windmill one that way it would be free air

 

[sissy]

this is what I really want to do.pond filter.com has them and then you have to buy the aerator kit for 139.00

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Wow, That would be cool to have a yard windmill. What happens if there is no breeze though?

 

[sissy]

no air but I am up on a hill top and it always seems to be breezy here .I was more worried about how it would stand up to the winds i get up here .