Should I be worried?

[ididntdoit99]

Okay, so this is the first year I have wintered my fish outside, last year I brought them in. I bought a stock tank heater for my pond, I DID NOT buy the guard to go on it. I have a couple of 2x4's across my pond, and the heater is tied up to one of them, so it can't float over to the side.

Every time I walk outside, my two biggest Koi are right under the heater (there is NO ice right now, it was 47 degrees today) I know those coils get hot, but when they are submerged they cant be that hot to the touch can they? I guess if they can melt a liner they have got to be pretty hot, are my fish burning themselves while trying to get warm?

If you have seen any of my other posts lately, i had a neighbors dog in my pond a couple of times, and now my fish wont come anywhere near the surface when i am standing there. But three of four times i've walked outside today, they were right there under the heater, if they weren't touching it, they were darn close, but they take off right away so i couldn't really tell.

 

[mrsclem]

I have used the heaters for years and have never had a fish get burned. They will hover close to them for the warmer water.

 

[DrCase]

Fish like people are smart enough to stand next to the fire , not jump in
They will be fine

 

[ididntdoit99]

Fish like people are smart enough to stand next to the fire , not jump in
They will be fine

Lol, I'm not sure how well that analogy works, I know some pretty dim people.

 

[sissy]

I bought the one from pet mountain and it has a cover but so far it has been a warm winter and has only gotten below 40 once and night temps in the 30's so may not need it but after last winter you never know .True I have seen some pretty dumb people in my lifetime and down here you never now what you will see next .

 

[j.w]

I think they will be ok and if they get a bit close they have fast reactions and will be outta the way in a flash w/o getting burnt. I bet it feels real nice and toasty warm and if they could they'd give you a big fat fishy kiss for putting that thing in there

 

[sissy]

does your pond heater have a thermostat on it .I guess you must be a lot colder and water must be chilly

 

[DrCase]

Lol, I'm not sure how well that analogy works, I know some pretty dim people.

Lol Yea thinking about it , i have some friends that get a little wobbly at times

 

[ididntdoit99]

It has a built in thermostat, it should only kick on and off at 40 degrees. And yes, they sure do have quick reflexes, they disappear before i can even look at them nowadays.
I can't wait til spring so i can feed them, and get them used to seeing me again, right now they are scared of anything that moves, damn DOG. Honestley that pisses me off more than anything... more than the hole in the liner, more than all the work i have to do to replace it, im angry that my fish are scared and wont come to the surface.

 

[sissy]

You should be thankfull that they have enough instict to hide from something that can harm them .At least you know that an animal will not kill them

 

[Waterbug]

If your finger is dry and you put it close to a heating element, like a stove top, you will feel the heat. If your finger is wet you will not feel any heat. If you touch the element really fast you won't get burned. Keep it there long enough for the water to evaporate, which is an instant, and you'll get burned. Wetting you fingers to snuff out a candle demonstrates the principle.

Underwater you could get extremely close to an element and not feel any uncomfortable heat. If you actually touched the element and held your skin there for a bit the water between your skin and element would boil and you'd be burned.

Hopefully the fish can't actually touch the element.

 

[addy1]

It has a built in thermostat, it should only kick on and off at 40 degrees. And yes, they sure do have quick reflexes, they disappear before i can even look at them nowadays.
I can't wait til spring so i can feed them, and get them used to seeing me again, right now they are scared of anything that moves, damn DOG. Honestley that pisses me off more than anything... more than the hole in the liner, more than all the work i have to do to replace it, im angry that my fish are scared and wont come to the surface.

It might be partly due to the lack of plant coverage, mine used to come to the surface as soon as they saw me. Now scurry away when I walk up, or hide under the floating piece of liner.

Their behavior changed with the change in the weather.

 

[CometKeith]

Ididnnt, You can try putting in a little pond colorant. It will make the fish harder to see and they might be a little more brave if they feel more safe.

 

[addy1]

Ididnnt, You can try putting in a little pond colorant. It will make the fish harder to see and they might be a little more brave if they feel more safe.

I seldom see the fish come out from under the liner, they do love the feeling of protection it gives them. I am going to leave it floating until the plants start to regrow. Now that the darn heron is back I am glad they have a place to hide.

 

[j.w]

Hey addy what is the long name for the PPL liner...............just wondering what other things out there in the world that it is used for? Is it polyethylene pond liner? Wondering if one could find it at some kind of company that uses it for some kind of huge jobs of some sort like sewage tx, drainage systems, roofing or whatever?