Pond Breather

[MitchM]

I would be interested to know what device you were selling at Suntech.

 

[Tula]

callingcollen1,
I'm not using the Pond Breather alone for my koi pond. I'm also using my smaller aerator, just like I did last winter. I was on the fence about using my newer, big aerator over the winter, but decided a combination of the pond breather and smaller aerator with four air stones would be ok. I'm quite concerned about winter these days, as my koi have grown big.

BTW, I got a message from Dr. Foster and Smith, that the pond breather is back ordered until Nov 26 now, so lots of folks must be trying it.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

BTW, I got a message from Dr. Foster and Smith, that the pond breather is back ordered until Nov 26 now, so lots of folks must be trying it.

Same thing here, I wondered if you got yours or not.

I ordered some nice big heavy duty air stones to use in the pond this winter too. I'm hoping to pull the filter and close up for winter this weekend. After all they are calling for some lake-effect snow! Heck I still have lot's of leaves to pick up and a few still hanging on the trees.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Mitch that device that we sold out of Suntec was made by Laguna and I cannot recall what the name was, but it had a big round grey floating Styrofoam piece that was attached to a little pump, that was supposed to keep the pond from freezing solid and keep the water circulating all winter. I never used it myself, cause I perfer to use a heater when very very cold.

I just don't get why anyone would want to shut off all their pumps during winter. I always keep the pond pumps and big filters going and think that it is vital to have clean water even in winter. I have never been concerned about the ice cold water and the ice cold water has never killed any of my fish over the last 24 years. I think it is important to keep ice down to a minimum as ponds with too thick of ice can trap lots of toxic gases, especially if you have koi.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Who is using that Pond Breather that has Koi? and where do they live? and are they also using a heater?

 

[callingcolleen1]

I just cannot see a little 40 watt pond breather doing a good enough job when the temperature is minus 40 below. Most people have smaller sized ponds that would most likely freeze almost solid with just that little low watt device. I am pretty darn sure it would never keep my three connecting ponds open all winter, and I am pretty darn sure that I would have way way too much ice and my fish would die. I am just not ever going risk the life of my 23 year old koi and use that little device in my harsh climate.

 

[MitchM]

Ok Colleen, I'll put you in the undecided group then.

There's a number of reviews online about the breather, and I think there were koi keepers in Wisconsin and Ontario that I came across who gave it positive reviews.

 

[dieselplower]

Im kinda surprised this is becoming a "big deal". I have 2 Koi and 25 goldfish in a 1600 gallon pond. I live in MI where obviously it doesn't get as cold as some parts of Canada, but here is the thing, it doesn't matter how cold it gets where you live, water will only get down to 32.1 degrees and then it becomes ice (unless you put salt in your water, then it will get colder before freezing). I do have ice on my pond 4 months a year. I keep a hole open in my pond all Winter using a 300 gph water pump. No heater. A layer of ice and snow on top of the water keeps the ground heat in the water. The warmest water will be at the bottom. The fish go down there to "sleep". They dont eat and they produce very little ammonia. Im glad some people like to keep their filters going all Winter etc but the truth is, those bacteria in the filter are not doing anything at that temperature anyway. Here is a link showing no activity occurs below 39 degrees. http://www.bioconlabs.com/nitribactfacts.html

 

[MitchM]

dp. change can be difficult to contemplate when you think that the lives of animals that you've been caring for for a long time could be at stake.
I think those floating heaters give a false sense of security.
In order to have any effect on heating our ponds, you have to be looking at those inline gas heaters that have an output near the strength of our home furnaces - 65,000 BTU's or more.

I'm only interested in gas exchange. My pond is below our frost line so it will never freeze.
If a pond does freeze solid, then it was not designed properly to be a year round pond in it's respective climate.

 

[Mmathis]

Do you think it could also function in a 300 gal. stock tank to help maintain a warmer temp. in that water? IOW, wondering if it would substitute as a heater in that smaller space? I'm afraid to put a heater in the stock tank for fear of cooking my fish.....

 

[callingcolleen1]

Mitch, I live in the city and have made good use of my space. My pond is only three feet deep and that is just the way it is. Even if my pond was 6 feet deep, that does not mean that you can just leave a heater in and all will be well. The Local Pond Guy in town has a really really big 6 foot deep pond and he lost lots of his fish last winter with just a heater and a bubbler.

I think the trick is to have running water in front of the heater, that way it will evenly heat the pond better. If you just use a heater, you will only have one small opening in the ice, and then the fish will hang out at the heater and things go bad then. But if you have running water in front of the heater, you will have more than one opening in the pond and the fish will not hang out at the warm heater.

Mitch I have seen many people's ponds fail over the many many years that I have been ponding it. Those who listened to me did much better over the winter, and those who listened to the so called "experts" have suffered and many have lost all their fish. I can tell you many stories over the many many years of things that have gone horribly wrong for many people....

Running water all year round is ideal for optimal fish health, and combined with a heater over the coldest days is ideal. Many people have high bills cause they leave the heater plugged in too long, Those heater draw a lot of electric power, when plugged in, even with their auto shut off. Keep a good pump running and big filter, use heater when needed and all should be well.

It is not that I cannot change or am not willing to change Mitch, it is only that I know all too well of how my pond operates best, and am not willing to risk the life of my very old koi on a 40 watt pond breather.

 

[MitchM]

Your pond is in a protected space, you're right. You have three 8 foot deep heated basements in close proximity to your pond. That will help it in the coldest weather.
I'm just not sure that you understand what the breather's function is. It facilitates pond water gas exchange by constantly mixing a lot of pond water with the outside air, that's it. No heating.
Your method of having a circulating pump with a floating heater accomplishes the same thing, but uses more electricity.
Your method didn't work for me. My fish died. I found a different method that works for me.
To achieve the same level of circulation and air exposure as you, I would need at least 3 surface heaters and at least1000 watts of pumps running. That would be 5500 watts. My floating heater froze over anyways.
With me having an open pond to wildlife and wide plant shelves, a breather is also less dangerous and only uses 40 watts per breather.
I think a breather is a better option in many cases.
I'm not trying to get you to convert.
-but you can't deny the benefits of the function of the pond breather unless you don't understand what it does.

 

[MitchM]

Do you think it could also function in a 300 gal. stock tank to help maintain a warmer temp. in that water? IOW, wondering if it would substitute as a heater in that smaller space? I'm afraid to put a heater in the stock tank for fear of cooking my fish.....

It doesn't heat anything, Mmathis.
I don't know how cold your winter is to say how to best set up your stock tank. Maybe just some insulation around the tank with a breather. It depends how deep your tank is, too.

 

[Tula]

Collen, I don't run my filter, as it's an above ground pressurized filter. We were late shutting it down one year and got caught in a cold snap and it froze and cracked I have two pumps, one to my filter and one to my water fall, so shut them down for the winter.

 

[addy1]

Mine is external so it has to be shut down and the bog super cools the pond water.

This winter the breathers are sitting in the pond waiting for ice to start to form, so far the pond is around 48-50 degrees. A slow dropping in temperature.