What to do winter months... HELP

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Now I can see there are already posts in regards to this but I wanted to directly ask about my location...

I live in upstate NY, we have long and cold winters. Looks like "Winter" has started as of a few days ago.

I have read both ways to keep water circulated and not to, so I am not sure what to do.

If I can leave the skimmer and water fall going...

Currently it is still running and keeps one side of the pond open (Saturday we hit a high of 30 and a low of 18)test run.... Entry to my skimmer is only a few inches deep but flowing water wont freeze right? So should I still be able to maintain water flow? The pump itself is inside my skimmer, which is about 2 feet deep. I purchased an de-icer I figured to put in the other side to keep that area open. I have an aerator as well which I am not sure I will need it I can keep the pump going and run the de-icer.

A little more info in regards to my waterfall, that I think would be helpful for you all to know. I have a splash area that is about a foot deep that the falls drop into. This is adjacent to the deeper part which is 3'. If the warmer water settles to the bottom the water fall will not interrupt this area.

Thanks for your help!!
 

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sissy

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The splash area will freeze and build up and possibly empty the pond .That happened to me 2010 winter and if I had not noticed it my fish would have surely died .I burned the pump out and only had a foot of water left in the bottom of the pond and this all happened about 1 in the morning with a blizzard and wind and bitter cold and there I was in my jammies trying to hook hoses up to get water back in the pond .I won't risk it again and put the pond heater over my pump that goes into the filter .Here we are warmer so I will shut the filter and waterfall down at the end of December .Our coldest months are January and Feb.
 
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My advice would be shut it down and use a small water pump in the 1' area shooting the water up, or an aerator, to keep a hole open in that area. I did not see any fish in the picture. Do you have fish in there?
 
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Ok that sounds fine. I was going to say, if there were no fish, keeping a hole open would not matter. The fish will hunker down in the bottom of the deep part. Try to disturb them as little as possible. Never smash holes in the ice.
 

sissy

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I use my pond heater over my pump this way it keeps the water warmer and make sure your pump is not close to the edge of the pond where something can knock it over and make an ice bridge for water to flow right out of your pond
 
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I just hooked up the aerator, came with 30' of air hose so I was able to plug it in under my hot tub so I will completely be out of the elements(Other then the cold). It came with a Styrofoam float and I have the stone about half way down to the bottom.

I will run that and the de-icer and I should be good.

I will have to drain the pond down some to get to my pump to remove it and back flush the water from the hose to my water fall so there is no ice build up. Just did my 3rd round of leave cleaning and my hands are a little cold... Leave net next fall for sure!!!!
 

sissy

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Just make sure snow does not weigh it down .I put electrical conduit under mine to support it .It is cheaper and much sturdier than pvc
 
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Well it was 37 and the birds were chirping this morning, have we made it though the worst Winter has to offer? I decided to leave my waterfall running and just monitored it and looks like I have made it though my first winter with no issues... It iced over the splash area, but the water is flowing strong under the ice. I still ran the air stone attached to a Styrofoam disk (Which froze over completely, twice) The deicer worked well keeping a hole in the ice as long as I didn't let it get to the edge of the pond and get piled on by the snow. I will make a few adjustments for next winter so I don't have to work at keeping the air stone and deicer in the middle of the pond.

My 4 fish have made it though, checked them a little bit ago and they were actually swimming around much more then they had been when it was iced over. I have been looking at plants to add this year as I finished it kinda late in the season and most local shops were out of everything. Cant wait for it to warm up and get back at it!!!
 

addy1

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Fantastic! That is always great to see everything make it though a bad winter. We head home in a few weeks then I can check out our yard and pond from this bad winter.
 

addy1

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I put the lilies at around 6 inches in march, we usually are done with hard freezing of the pond water by then. The tubers do fine under ice, you just don't want the ice to reach the tuber and freeze it.
The heat from the sun gets them going faster.
 
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ok, I am a further north then you but that give me a target. I could have snow/ice into April.... I just want to get them up and growing asap. I wasn't able to do much planting in and around the pond because I finished construction so late. Rather have plants getting all the nutrients rather then the algae.
 

morewater

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Get a pair of those elbow length rubber gloves as well, saves you from freezing your forearms when you cut down the lilies for the winter. I'm confused, do you take your lilies out of the pond for the winter? I leave mine in year round (not tropical) and every couple of years divide them to keep them under control. I usually just stick the tubers under some rocks, not potted. Never fertilize.

I distribute the lilies I no longer need to customers as Mothers Day gifts........
 

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