What steps do you take to winterize your pond in zones 7 and down?

[callingcolleen1]

if colleen can do it anyone can

Covering ponds helps lots and then I can get away with only one heater for all four ponds!

 

[JamieB]

With having to move my pond, and the temp pond not big enough to offer a lot of insulation, I think I’ll be adding a deicer and covering mine as well. Maybe next year I can get the setup I want to switch to, but we didn’t realize the cotton was going to be an issue in time.

 

[sissy]

I got a solar cover for free at the dump ,gotta love the dump .

 

[Telion]

I got a solar cover for free at the dump ,gotta love the dump .

That's how you do it!

 

[SEKCOBRA]

This will be my first winter with the pond so I am inquiring what steps you will take to winterize your pond. Please be specific. I have seen many debates about this and know what works for one will not work for another and every pond is different. So please don't debate each others process. I hope to determine the best process for me to attempt based on what each of you do.

I'm no expert. This will be my second winter with the pond. My pond is about 3500 gallons. Its 4ft at its deepest. No skimmer. Large bog with pump in a vault under 2 tons of rock pumping 6000 GPH to a biofall and out to a 5ft stream to a waterfall at opposite end of pond. I have a aerator at bottom of the pond next to waterfall. I bring that up and put it a foot from surface once the temp hits 50. I left everything running last year. Pond was completely iced over most of the winter except where the aerator and falls kept it open. Stream and falls were solid ice with water running underneath. Looks amazing with lights in pond at night. Fish would move around slowly under ice only at night when lights come on. Have to be careful that your stream doesn't ice dam if you are to let pumps run. I was very nervous last winter but it worked out fine. Good luck.

 

[Telion]

Thank you, great information, I feel like as long as the water flows under the ice it will flow from the bog into the pond and if I keep the aerator and or deicer in front of the skimmer this might actually work. I guess the first year will be a touch and go and learn as I go lol. Thank you for the pic too anyone else that has winter pics with their setup in action please feel free to add them.

 

[qclabrat]

Thanks @Telion for starting this, I was about to ask the same. I'm in 6b and my water temp is around 50f. Planning to feed for one more week. Since leaves haven't dropped much yet. Should I keep the bog filter running? If so, when do I shut it down for the winter?

 

[addy1]

I shut mine down and the pond. To much surface area, it cools the pond.

 

[Lisak1]

Should I keep the bog filter running? If so, when do I shut it down for the winter?

Depends completely on your pond, your bog, and also your choice - some people prefer to shut the pond down completely and not have to worry about it. We keep ours running all winter. The moving water keeps the necessary opening in the ice and keeps our pond level up so we don't lose marginal plants. And we get some great ice formations! But again - totally dependent on lots of individual factors.

 

[qclabrat]

I shut mine down and the pond. To much surface area, it cools the pond.

So you've already shutdown for the winter?

 

[qclabrat]

Depends completely on your pond, your bog, and also your choice - some people prefer to shut the pond down completely and not have to worry about it. We keep ours running all winter. The moving water keeps the necessary opening in the ice and keeps our pond level up so we don't lose marginal plants. And we get some great ice formations! But again - totally dependent on lots of individual factors.

The ice damaged one of my canister prebog filters last winter. This year in addition to disconnecting the hoses like I did last year. I'm going to remove the canister clamps or just put them in the shed.

 

[addy1]

So you've already shutdown for the winter?

Working on it. We are bouncing between coldish and warm. 80's then down to the 40's then back up into the 70's. I was going to do the ponds today. We were supposed to be 65 and sunny today, all we had was rain. The sun came out at 5pm as it set.

I usually don't get it ready for winter until the end of Oct, first part of nov. We seldom go cold an stay cold. I can have the pump yanked and the pond breathers in within 20 minutes or less.

Grooming the lilies can always wait until next spring.

 

[Bluerooster]

My pond is about 3000 gallons total. I kept it running all winter last year, (moving water don't freeze) got about 21/2 to 3 inches of ice. Kept a hole open with stock tank de-icer. and aeration provided by the swim skim, and waterfall.
I've trimmed most of my plants, and removed the black WH.

 

[Jack B. Nimble]

My pond is about 3000 gallons total. I kept it running all winter last year, (moving water don't freeze) got about 21/2 to 3 inches of ice. Kept a hole open with stock tank de-icer. and aeration provided by the swim skim, and waterfall.
I've trimmed most of my plants, and removed the black WH.

I can assure you moving water does freeze except far below the ice cap. We have very large and very fast natural water falls frozen probably 4 or 5 feet thick. Agree under all that the water will never stop moving but depending on where on this earth you live frozen has a different definition. I can create snow by throwing a cup of hot water in the air lol.

 

[Tula]

Still running water fall and filter, but not the big aerator. Bought a new solar cover for the pond cover and will probably have it covered within the next week. I'll monitor and decide how long to run the water fall and filter, then switch to Pond Breathers and small aerator.