Waking back up

[Crimedog]

most of the way through the freeze my waterfall kept a hole in the ice - if I can remember the advice when I am 150, I will keep it in mind. My tip for y'all, when it gets to 120 degrees in the shade, sit around wondering why you still live in Texas (that is what I do every summer)

 

[poconojoe]

Nice pictures!

 

[Mmathis]

@brokensword LOL, I am in that every 100 year cycle as well as @Crimedog, approx. same latitude, but 200 miles east.

 

[brokensword]

I would have, but due to insurance requirements I have this gate/fence around my pond and the gate was stuck closed and i had no other access...by that time the pond had likely been frozen for some hours, at least overnight due to no power and close to 8degF temperatures.
I'd like to prevent something from happening and not have to correct it once it's happened...
I have indoor fish and have taught my daughter not to tap on the glass for this very reason.

fish can easily survive having the pond freeze over, even for weeks, unless you're overstocked. To prevent this in the future, if I were you, I'd get a pond breather and just put it out in the fall, unplugged but ready. This will do the job and give you peace of mind. Or you could get a pond deicer; same idea but without the small motor and heat tape.

 

[jmajid]

fish can easily survive having the pond freeze over, even for weeks, unless you're overstocked. To prevent this in the future, if I were you, I'd get a pond breather and just put it out in the fall, unplugged but ready. This will do the job and give you peace of mind. Or you could get a pond deicer; same idea but without the small motor and heat tape.

Those are fine - if i had power
My options are now to look into grid independence when we lose power the next time for extended periods... like i said, solar DIY or other small USB powered pumps.

 

[reefsr]

where are you at that your parrot's feather comes back? Here in Mi, seems I have to overwinter it if I want easy access next spring. And how much water is over your parrot's feather? I used to have mine in the pond proper on the marginal edge but the fish and turtles liked it too much. I grow it in it's own pot now and let it crawl down to the pond and attempt to make its way across the surface. I have too many fish for that to be successful, though.

Just a heads up, parrot feather is prohibited in Michigan.

Parrot Feather

(Myriophyllum aquaticum - synonyms: Myriophyllum brasiliensis, Myriophyllum brasiliense, Myriophyllum proserpinacoides and Enydria aquatica).

www.michigan.gov

I was going to get some but didn't because of it.

 

[brokensword]

Just a heads up, parrot feather is prohibited in Michigan.

Parrot Feather

(Myriophyllum aquaticum - synonyms: Myriophyllum brasiliensis, Myriophyllum brasiliense, Myriophyllum proserpinacoides and Enydria aquatica).

www.michigan.gov

I was going to get some but didn't because of it.

that's why I've been keeping my herd of parrot's feather in the basement over winter; I don't want to not be able to get it!

 

[Lisak1]

Just a heads up, parrot feather is prohibited in Michigan.

Parrot Feather

(Myriophyllum aquaticum - synonyms: Myriophyllum brasiliensis, Myriophyllum brasiliense, Myriophyllum proserpinacoides and Enydria aquatica).

www.michigan.gov

I was going to get some but didn't because of it.

Most of these "invasive" plant bans are goofy. We can't buy water hyacinth in IL, but I can drive a few miles north and get all I want. Same with parrot's feather. The idea that these plants will take over the waterways here like they do in more temperate zones? Crazy. My water hyacinths start to rot when the temp falls below 50 degrees, let alone below zero.