What is a good pond heater?

[agapanthus]

O.K. I would never eat dog meat! LOL I would love to get the plecos out of my pond, but I don't know how to catch them! I can only see 1 at a time if it is sitting on my pump, as soon as there is any action, they dissappear.

 

[agapanthus]

sorry for the double post

 

[crsublette]

From what I have read folk share about their Pleco catching experiences, they are incredibly tough to catch due to how easy they are to spook. You almost have to completely drain the pond to catch the fella.

 

[dieselplower]

Well anyway... Sorry for being grumpy about this. I imagine it would be hard to catch a pleco in a large pond with lots of hiding spaces. I had a hard time in a 250 gallon. Good luck with whatever u end up doing.

 

[agapanthus]

I caught the Plecos!! I found one just starting to float and the other one was on a shallow ledge and real slow. They are now in the house, safe for the winter. So all I need now is something to keep an open place in the pond when it freezes.

 

[waynefrcan]

Why yes it does. I proved that last winter, bottom heater kept the bottom 39F all winter. Without it entire pond was 33.5 F I think. Does use lotts of power. Now whether the fish needed 39F I don't know but I did see them hang around the heater.

I don't want to beat a dead horse but it doesn't look like anyone has mentioned putting the heater in the bottom won't make the bottom water warmer. The colder, more dense water from the top will sink to the bottom, displacing the warm water. It will stir the pond gently but my point is that you will still be trying to heat the entire pond.

 

[dieselplower]

Why yes it does. I proved that last winter, bottom heater kept the bottom 39F all winter. Without it entire pond was 33.5 F I think. Does use lotts of power. Now whether the fish needed 39F I don't know but I did see them hang around the heater.

I do agree with your post but I also don't know if the OP pond is deep enough for that to happen. I believe the term is stratification.

 

[crsublette]

I do agree with your post but I also don't know if the OP pond is deep enough for that to happen. I believe the term is stratification.

Actually, stratification can happen at any depth, but, when the water is more shallow, then it is more likely others variables will prevent the stratification to occur.

Here's why I think this...

When the water is more shallow, then specifically wind or anything else that causes disturbance of the water's surface area creates a domino effect of water disturbance that breaks the stratification in the shallows unless there is an obstruction that reduces this distrubance. This is also why generally shallow ponds do not need as much aeration as a deeper pond.

Depending on the pollution, regardless of depth, water at 39*F is heavier than water that is 33.5*F and water at 39*F is lighter than water at 41*F, but, as mentioned above, the more shallow waters are impacted by more disturbance and this disturbance breaks the stratification.

So, I bet there will be stratification in my shallow 15" deep pond if I were to keep my heater in the pond, turn off aeration and turn off pumps and completely covered the pond with a thick, stiff "lid". This "lid" would remove, or significantly reduce, the disturbance that breaks stratification in shallow ponds. I would not recommend placing a thick, stiff and sturdy, solid lid on top of the pond.

 

[crsublette]

So, I bet there will be stratification in my shallow 15" deep pond if I were to keep my heater in the pond, turn off aeration and turn off pumps and completely covered the pond with a thick, stiff "lid". This "lid" would remove, or significantly reduce, the disturbance that breaks stratification in shallow ponds. I would not recommend placing a thick, stiff and sturdy, solid lid on top of the pond.

Just thought of it... Here is a very good practical application of this happening...


A pond during Winter, with no operating pumps and no operating aeration, and a 6" thick of ice, stiff, solid, sturdy forming a lid on top of the pond.


Actually, post#8 in Keeping pond running all winter, Randy (aka Mucky_waters) experienced this...

I live in Canada, and have a much colder climate than you, ice 7-8" thick for 3 months solid is normal.
My last pond that was only 3 ft deep I turned off the waterfall, but circulated the water with a pump all winter, and attempted to keep a hole in the ice by directing the circulating water up to the surface. This flowing water kept a hole open most of the winter except when it got really cold and the hole developed an ice dome that froze over. Did this every winter for many years, never lost a fish, frog or turtle.
I have a larger pond now that is 5 ft deep and has a bottom drain. Last winter was the first winter for this pond with fish and critters in it, I turned off all the pumps and didn't circulate the water at all, the water stayed warmer at the bottom of the pond, but I had the first winter pond deaths I have ever had. Lost a few fish, a turtle and a frog.
I believe it is more important to circulate and oxygenate the water than it is to try and keep it a couple degrees warmer. It is true that circulating the water will cool it a little more, especially the water near the bottom of the pond, but warmer oxygen depleted water will kill fish faster than cooler oxygen rich water.
I will be circulating my water all winter this year.

 

[dieselplower]

Yes that worked but it was the first Winter that loses happened.

 

[crsublette]

Yes that worked but it was the first Winter that loses happened.

Correct, except that is not the topic here.

I do not think stratification is a good thing. I agree with what Randy wrote, that is " I believe it is more important to circulate and oxygenate the water than it is to try and keep it a couple degrees warmer."

 

[koiguy1969]

my basement is the best pond heater i've used... seems to keep my pond down there ice free all winter!....lol

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I caught the Plecos!! I found one just starting to float and the other one was on a shallow ledge and real slow. They are now in the house, safe for the winter. So all I need now is something to keep an open place in the pond when it freezes.

Glad you caught them :smile: Most likely they would not survive and just pollute your water. When my pleco was in the pond I had to take everything out of the pond and partially drain it to catch him. I found that once it was getting a bit cold he would start to slow down and was much easier to catch. Just something to think about if you decide to put them back in the pond next spring/summer. I am not putting the pleco back in my pond. He gets to stay in the house where I can admire him all the time

 

[waynefrcan]

I do agree with your post but I also don't know if the OP pond is deep enough for that to happen. I believe the term is stratification.

It's 4 ft deep at the heater and I don't believe in this stratification at all for ponds in our climate. I'm zone 2/3 and our frost layer is 3'. I was told design the pond depth below the freezing layer and you will get stratification. BS, didn't happen.

 

[dieselplower]

It's 4 ft deep at the heater and I don't believe in this stratification at all for ponds in our climate. I'm zone 2/3 and our frost layer is 3'. I was told design the pond depth below the freezing layer and you will get stratification. BS, didn't happen.

I meant the original posters pond. He said it was mainly 2 feet deep with a 3 foot part. No biggie.