Pond Breather

[Tula]

I'm going to try it this winter, since others have mentioned it. I bought mine this evening, with the 10 % off Dr. Foster's and Smith site.

 

[addy1]

Way to go, mine are sitting in the pond, ready to go. Once our house sitter sees ice on the ponds they will plug them in. The ponds are all turned off.
Since it will 77 tomorrow see no need for them yet.

 

[Tula]

I'm in FL right now, but fly home Sat....just in time for some cold weather I"m going to use the pond breather and my small aerator, pulling my big one for winter.

 

[addy1]

We head down to south Florida, friday for a few months. I had to shut down the pond, did not want to have a non pond person do it for me. Our house sitters get to do one thing, baby sit the house and house plants. Oh and fill the bird feeders.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

@addy1 have you used the pond breathers in the past or is this your first year?

I'm not exactly sure how they work

 

[addy1]

@addy1 have you used the pond breathers in the past or is this your first year?

I'm not exactly sure how they work

I bought them in the spring, this year, after someone here lost all of their fish using a aerator. Well all except two fish. Mitch in canada uses them with a ice covering of 3 feet on his pond, his fish do fine.

My understanding is the small pump circulates the water up the tube where it contacts air letting gases find a way out of the pond from under the ice. The small heater keeps the tubing open. Other than that, only what I have read.

I have them in the pond ready to go if we get any ice starting on the water. My house sitters will plug them in for me.

per the net:

he Pond Breather works by moving water from the bottom of the pond to above the ice where toxic gasses can escape and oxygenation can occur. Its split-chambered gas exchange chamber generates air flow past the water stream to sustain gas exchange at its highest efficiency. The water then returns to the same level of the pond with just enough heat added to replace that lost to the air.

What Pond Breather does:

• 
  Daily exposes more than 4000 times the water surface area to the atmosphere than the competition.
  
  
• 
  Adds only enough heat to keep the water flow open.
  
  
• 
  Creates a gentle current to move oxygen throughout the pond.
  
  
• 
  Extends above the ice to prevent "doming:'
  
  
• 
  Protects at ice depths up to 15 Inches.
  
  
• 
  Safe from power interruption-thaws itself and restarts in a very short time after a power outage.
  
  
• 
  Can be operated year-round to increase oxygenation.
  
  
• 
  Operates at an energy-efficient 40 watts.

 

[MitchM]

...

• Protects at ice depths up to 15 Inches.
  

It protects in much thicker ice than that. I wonder where they came up with that number.
Funny how ice forms on a pond - you would think that the ice layer forms on the surface of the pond then just freezes deeper into the pond.
The ice actually freezes up and down, on both sides of the original ice layer.

 

[dieselplower]

I am interested to see how these work for those using them. Please keep us updated

 

[MitchM]

Dp, did you see my documenting of them in my pond thread last winter?

 

[addy1]

I am interested to see how these work for those using them. Please keep us updated

The way I look at it if they kept Mitch's fish healthy in that cold snowy world he lives in, it will keep my fish healthy.

 

[dieselplower]

Dp, did you see my documenting of them in my pond thread last winter?

No I didnt I will check it out thanks!

 

[dieselplower]

The way I look at it if they kept Mitch's fish healthy in that cold snowy world he lives in, it will keep my fish healthy.

Seems reasonable! Im not going to lie... Im very cheap with some things and dont mind spending money on others. Electricity is one thing I am very cheap on. If I can get away with just running my 300 gallon per hour pump, that's what I'll do. It's worked the last 2 Winters. Hey, wait a minute, I have no idea how many watts my pump uses.... hmmmmm

Hmm well the Home Depot website says 1 amp, 1 volt, and 1 horsepower. I know that all cant be true!
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Total-Po...h-Filter-Kit-MF13015/202278961#specifications

 

[MitchM]

Here's where it starts on my thread Page 12, post 239 if the link I post doesn't work properly:

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/pond-in-the-foothills.10656/page-12

(you might have to scroll through a lot of banter to get to the good parts)

 

[addy1]

The box says 40 watts, i.e. a 40 watt light bulb on 24/7 when you need it for ice.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

thanks for the info, I am seriously considering getting one of these