Need some advise on pond

[brandonsdad02]

So Im trying to figure out what to do with my pond this winter. I wasn't thinking ahead when I built it this spring and didn't make it deep enough for our harsh Iowa winters. Little late now to fix it. Will take care of that this next spring. What do most people in the Midwest do in the winter with there ponds? Do you take the fish out and bring them inside for the winter and turn it off for the winter. Do you heat it or not have to worry about it because you planned ahead when building the pond?

Next question. For those of you that have do deal with the fall leaves: do you spend a half hour every night like I do getting the leaves out that you can with a net or do you just not worry about it until spring? This is my first year for everything with the pond and I'm just wanting to know what would be the best for my pond and the fish. I know a pond takes a lot of work to keep it nice and ill do what ever it takes, just want to know what the rest of you do for your pond.

 

[addy1]

What kind of fish? Goldfish might be ok, they are pretty tough, I have read that koi are touchier about the cold.

You might want to set up some sort of air or a trough heater to keep a hole in the ice if you leave your fish in.

A lot of people net their pond. I let the leaves drop then net them out, but I don't get a ton of leaves in my pond. If you keep the fish in the pond over winter, you don't want a ton of leaves rotting in the bottom of the pond.

 

[brandonsdad02]

They are gold fish, shumbimkins, rosey reds for our turtle and koi. The pond is 18" deep.

 

[addy1]

That is pretty shallow, you would be best to set up a tank for them for the winter. I got a 8 inch layer of ice last winter, but the pond is 5 feet deep. We don't go below zero very often, if we do it is a bounce.

 

[CometKeith]

Hi brandonsdad, I don't think your fish will make it in an 18" pond without a heater. I would take the fish in and plan to go deeper next spring before you put them back. If you are by trees taking the leaves out is a daily chore. They eventually stop falling!

 

[brandonsdad02]

That's the thing, I've been looking around at heaters and they are around 1500 watts. That would kill my electric bill. I have 3 massive maple trees in backyard. One is mine and others are on each side of me. I have a friend that will let my turtle winter in her pond but the fish will have to come inside.

 

[addy1]

Get your shovel sharpened up for the summer! your plans made, when the dirt defrost start digging.

 

[sissy]

pet mountain has 1 that is a 150 watts .

 

[brandonsdad02]

Will that be enough to keep it from freezing solid? I would like to leave the pump running and my air pump running too.

 

[sissy]

that depends on what your temps get down too .I bought a 750 watt one .

 

[brandonsdad02]

I live in Iowa so anything is possible. Most of the time our low temps are teens to twenties, but there is a few days here and there that it gets below zero.

 

[sissy]

how deep and how big again is it most of the type heaters I anm talking about have a thermostat on them and only come on when the water hits a certain temp

 

[brandonsdad02]

It's around 8 ft long, 6 ft wide and 18 inches deep

 

[sissy]

mine is around 8 x12 and goes from 2ft down to 4ft deep and with the pump going in there and a 750 watt heater and being on the southside of VA near NC border mine should be more than enough and has a thermostat so will only come on when water temps get low enough .I was told i could go with a 50 watt but after last winter and knowing it has a thermostat I do not worry about it over heating the water

 

[sissy]

I tested it this past summer with a cooler of ice water and a thermometer to see how warm the water would get and what temp it needs to come on andd the water had to hit around 30 degrees or so to come on sometimes even 35 degrees .The cooler I put it in was one of those giant size deep ones ,