What a strange winter this has turned out to be

[Dave 54]

The UK this last month and a bit has been beset by major storms barreling in over the atlantic which I reported the after effects of in a previous thread .
Weve then seen temperatures plumet to -3c dropping our Pond down to its lowest temperature of 10c .
Yet within a few days our remote pond thermometer has started to go on the up and is now 11c which is an amazing raise .
However even though we are now at feedig temperature for our koi , I will not be temped to feed them until spring .
Checking on them they are in remarkable condition and we are pleased our insulation of the pond its pipes and decking plus the polycarbonate roofing have really worked as well as we had hoped it would do .
There is alot to be said for insulation of ponds perhaps anyone on this site if planning a new pond could factor inslation in then build this into their ponds when they build them.
The way some of our winters are going nowadays especially in the US it would help in keeping our fish safe and sound .

Dave

 

[sissy]

I put foam insulation around my filters under the liner that I put under my filters .It has been a mild winter here as today another 50 degree day .I also built my pond not to far from my septic tank so it stays warmer because of the ground heat from the tank .

 

[Dave 54]

Very good idea that sissy putting it next to your septic tank ours is protected by our very own concrete tree ;D
I kid you not the trunk is a concrete washing line post with he tree bit being an outgrowth of Ivy on the top like a tree it covers half the post ad has bushed out like a tree .
We wanted to chop it down but then we noticed its a mecca for wildlife from small birds up o wood pidgeons and in the summer it is crawling with bees wasps red admiral butterflys moths you nam it s its a regular haven .
Our neighbour thinks the weight of the Ivy wil snap hthe post in two but as I pointed iut to him there are metal rebars runningbthe length of it , so it stays B)

Dave

 

[sissy]

My passion flower vine is a hideout for everything also .Seems everyday there are butterfly and hummingbirds fighting over the flowers and the bees just fend for them selves .Problem is that the passion flowers are taking over the side of the house no matter how much of them I pull out

 

[addy1]

One of my ponds is sitting right by the septic tank, a stream pond, it always has green growth and open water during the winter, no fish, but a haven for frogs, tads, snails and who knows what else

 

[sissy]

so far the only ice on my pond was during the solar vortex and supposed to get another cold front mid week .

 

[Dave 54]

humming bids h that is so very cool , yes its nice to help mother nature along many people nowadays loose the grden and either make it into car port or just gravel over it .
So they are grateful for the gardens that are still green , there i another more serious reason for our concrete tree .
Year on year we have seen the wood pidgeons loose their young to flights to magpies that attack their nests in other trees .

Dave

 

[Dave 54]

Would you believe it went out this mornin t do partial water change and had to devide against it why ?
The layer of ice I fund sitting on top of the polycarbonate sheeting gives you a big clue ....
So for only the second time this winter I've decided its far too cold to do a maintenance and water chainge period add t that the .4c of a drop in pond temperature.
A shame really because differing from the torrential rain ewe had yesterday we have bue sky no cloud and brillliant subnshine that sadly this time of year will notdefrost our back garden until late if at all .


Dave

 

[sissy]

Supposed to be near 60 today and tomorrow so out to do yard work .I wish the mulch yard was open on sundays but not here .I could finish mulching .I get comments all the time from my neighbors ,since I am always working in the yard .Been 11 years now ,started with dirt and a house
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[addy1]

7-11 inches of snow coming, we have had more snow this year then we have had since the winter of 09

 

[Mmathis]

Not bad weather for us here in Northwest LA, but I feel for the folks who are about to get hit with more snow & cold! Wishes & prayers for everyone to stay dry, warm, and most of all, SAFE!

This past week [give or take a few days] we've had temps in the high 50's - 60's. Sunshine. Beautiful. Windy. Perfect weather for MARCH! Right now we are at our high [40-something] and it's supposed to drop throughout the day.

Having this very unseasonably nice weather was unexpected and very welcomed, and it's given me good days to do some MAJOR work on the pond, and make lots of progress on the new "turtle bog." The pond-work is at the point where I need dry weather -- cold is OK, but I need dry! But now, with the temps dropping and the potential for rain soon, the clock is ticking.

Nice pics, Sissy!

 

[tenchi]

Getting an arctic blast this week here in Ohio, but at least the lows won't be subzero. When I was constructing my pond I considered styrofoam insulation, but decided on submersible heaters.
So far so good, still using the filter. Hoping for an early spring.

 

[sissy]

40 degrees out and really sunny out and they have a winter storm advisory up and only supposed to be in the mid to high 30's the next 3 days and then back up again

 

[callingcolleen1]

I never insulated my flexable black pond hoses, they never freeze no matter how cold, like -40 cold! The pumps run year round and the water in the hose should not freeze as long as the water is moving fast enough threw the hose. I have thin ice on pond today, but never had pond heater plugged in for over a week now. Tomorrow supposed to get cold and well below freezing for a day, then we should be back up above freezing by the weekend!

Can't complain about our weather, as long as the minus 40 does not come back this year, then I will be happy!!

 

[sissy]

all my hoses are insulated ,this way one less thing to worry about since they are sump pump hose .For a 6 ft section of foam insulation here it is only 94 cents .So why not .I even insulated all the house flexible water lines in the house .There is insulation around them but figure more can't hurt .My neighbor just put there house up for sale 2057 sq. ft. 4 .6 acres for 199 thousand and they are not going to get it ,that is for sure .Upstairs is 1440 sq. ft. and they finished some of the basement off .Realtor should never have listed it as 2057 sq. ft. because here you are not supposed to include any finished basement space unless you say that is where sq. ft. comes from .