Pond UK London Winter advice

[Madbloke]

Hi I have a small pond about 700 litters with a Hozelock 3000 pump and a Lotus/Oasis 6000 uv 8w gravity fed filter. My question is what do I do in the coldest part of our English winter? Do I drain filter and remove pump? Or do I leave it all working??
Also any tips on freezing over any tips to prevent this from happening, as I understand that a frozen over pond can stop gases leaving the water and in worst case kill the fish.
I'm a newbie so any help would be great.
Thanks in advance

 

[sissy]

safer to turn everything off and drain your hoses .I left mine run a little to late last year and almost emptied my pond as the weather changed overnight and the water fall froze over and was pumping the water out of the pond over the ice that was forming .Our average winter temps are 50 degrees here and we really had a bad winter .If you have a pond heater or a in pond pump that can pump water up to keep an opening it would be better .An air pump will keep an opening too .Fish usually head for the deepest part of the pond to hibernate .

 

[adavisus]

Keeping a small hole unfrozen is sufficient for toxic gases to vent, preventing them from accumulating under a seal of ice.

If your pond has low density fish and very little decomp going on the risk of pollution is low. If the risk is high, methane and hydrogen sulphide can kill fish within a few days of a pond closing over


Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[Madbloke]

Hi
Thanks for you advice.
I have a low fish count, four atm but being given some fish this weekend ( a family member has to many) I estimate about 10 in total after this weekend.
So you recommend that I disconnect uv filter, do I leave a little water in it for bacteria in the bottom??
Leave fountain running via pump, which should stop pond freezing over.
Also when do I stop feeding the fish??
Btw my pond doesn't have any plants in it yet. Should I put some oxygenating plants in now for the winter??
Sorry about all the questions but I'm a complete novice
Thanks all

 

[Madbloke]

Also does algae stop growing totally in the winter?? I get that algae is coursed by the direct sun on the pond suface. Did I just answer my own question??

 

[adavisus]

In your situation, mild winters being usual, water fertile from fish, algae will go nuts. It luuuurves cool fertile water and no competition. It has some uses, green water, hiding fish from herons...

Heavy plantings of submerged aquatics will be effective at mopping up the fertility in the pond and will starve algae out

If your fountain draws water from the bottom of the pond and tosses it through cold air, don't be surprised if your fish are seen clamping their fins at the bottom of the pond, a day or two before dying of cold

Its a quirk of water that at 40°f warm water becomes heavier than cold water and sinks to the bottom. A still pond is a cosey safe place for dormant fish, a pond where water circulates from the bottom of the pond, is not

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.co...s/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.co

 

[Madbloke]

In your situation, mild winters being usual, water fertile from fish, algae will go nuts. It luuuurves cool fertile water and no competition. It has some uses, green water, hiding fish from herons...

Heavy plantings of submerged aquatics will be effective at mopping up the fertility in the pond and will starve algae out

If your fountain draws water from the bottom of the pond and tosses it through cold air, don't be surprised if your fish are seen clamping their fins at the bottom of the pond, a day or two before dying of cold

Its a quirk of water that at 40°f warm water becomes heavier than cold water and sinks to the bottom. A still pond is a cosey safe place for dormant fish, a pond where water circulates from the bottom of the pond, is not

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.co...s/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.co

Thanks Andy
My pump and filter are running atm and all the fish are mostly on the bottom, so should I turn the fountain off now??
I will go out and get some oxygenating plants this weekend.
Cheers mate

 

[adavisus]

Switch the fountain off when the overnight air temps are 40°f, not much point paying to cool a pond in winter.

At cooler temps water is more saturated with oxygen, fish are less active, they don't need pumps squishing water about.

Just about the only thing needed through Winter in a temperate climate with brief cold spells, is a saucepan.

To melt a hole in the ice once a day, to vent the water


Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[Madbloke]

That all makes complete sence thanks for all the advice

 

[sissy]

I broke down and bought the KH pond deicer from pet mountain for 30 dollars and it was 750 watt and has a thermostat built in and can float or sink .After last winter not taking any chances .

 

[Mayfly]

I live in Lincolnshire and haven't ever switched my pond pump off over winter - it's been running for 10 years plus. Even last winter my pond didn't totally freeze over. I always ensure I have a clear area at both ends of the pond. You need need to check frequently the condition of your filter and pipe work tho'.

 

[stroppy]

I live in Lincolnshire and haven't ever switched my pond pump off over winter - it's been running for 10 years plus. Even last winter my pond didn't totally freeze over. I always ensure I have a clear area at both ends of the pond. You need need to check frequently the condition of your filter and pipe work tho'.

i dont turn mine off either and mine have never frozen, but i think a fountain will cool the pond down a lot can you perhaps by pass the fountain

 

[Madbloke]

i dont turn mine off either and mine have never frozen, but i think a fountain will cool the pond down a lot can you perhaps by pass the fountain

Yes I can turn the fountain off. I have a small waterfall it's from the outlet pipe of the filter, hard to explain but the pipe is above a rock, so this will have a cooling affect on the water as well. What do you advise?

 

[stroppy]

Yes I can turn the fountain off. I have a small waterfall it's from the outlet pipe of the filter, hard to explain but the pipe is above a rock, so this will have a cooling affect on the water as well. What do you advise?

is there anyway you can run the pipe straight back into the pond and miss out the water fall ... i put a u bend on my pipe from the filter in the winter, kind of helps stop the water going straight down also would help leave a hole if it freezes ( if any of that makes sense) .. you could also build some kind of cover to keep water warmer there are lots of different ones on the forum