When to turn off filter in winter.

[Amy Vandertuyn]

I have always been confused about when to shut off my filters. I have read that fish need a warmer area on the bottom of the pond in winter to survive. If I run my filter it will circulate the water and make the cold water at the top reach the bottom. Someone please tell me when to turn off my filters. I have a 4 foot deep pond that is 12 feet by 9 feet and live in New Jersey. It gets cold! Please explain what to do I have never found an answer. I have made it through two winters. But last winter it got warm and I had ammonia and lost a fish because I didn’t run the filters in winter. I’m confused and climate change does not help.

 

[mrsclem]

I leave mine running till I get at least 50% of the ponds covered with ice. You can move your pumps up off the bottom of the pond by setting them on a milk crate. I have mine hanging on ropes. Do you have any way to keep a hole open in the ice? Stock tank heater, pond breather?

 

[Lisak1]

We run our pond all winter long here in the frigid midwest as do many, many pond owners here. The biggest consideration is whether or not your waterfall can handle the ice that develops without re-directing water out of the pond.

Where is your pump located? If it's in a skimmer box or external to the pond, your fear of affecting the temperature of the water is unfounded. If it sits on the bottom of the pond, like @mrsclem said, just raise it up. At four feet deep your fish will have plenty of warmer water near the bottom.

 

[mgmine]

I turn mine off in mid to late October and plug the air stones in. I turn it back on around the beginning of May.

 

[Tula]

We tur ours off sometime in late Nov. or ito Dec., just depends on the weather. I like to leave it ruing as log as I can. however our filter will crack if it freezes.

I've been covering my pond in the winter with a pool solar cover for the last few winters. I suspend air stones about 10 inches into the water and run a Pondbreather too.

 

[addy1]

I turn mine off in November, external pump. Plug in the pond breathers leave the pond to itself until spring.

 

[Jhn]

Like Lisak1, I leave my filter running all winter. However, it can’t ice dam and the pump is in a skimmer box.

 

[Lisak1]

Like Lisak1, I leave my filter running all winter. However, it can’t ice dam and the pump is in a skimmer box.

Both important points!

 

[Amy Vandertuyn]

I have never found an answer to this question will someone please help? I have learned that in cold winter weather that fish go to the deepest part of the pond for the warmest water to hibernate in. If I leave my filters on won’t I be stirring the water making the deep part of my pond as cold as the surface? Please tell me at what temperature I should pull the filter out and let the fish be in still water.
Thanks to you for your help.

 

[Amy Vandertuyn]

I leave mine running till I get at least 50% of the ponds covered with ice. You can move your pumps up off the bottom of the pond by setting them on a milk crate. I have mine hanging on ropes. Do you have any way to keep a hole open in the ice? Stock tank heater, pond breather?

Yes. I use a floating heater to keep a hole open in the ice. I was worried about mixing the cold upper water with the warmer deep water for the fish. I can’t find guidelines on this. Confused because they need to go to the bottom of the pond where it’s warmest but if I run my filter I mix that cold water up and send it to the bottom.

 

[Amy Vandertuyn]

I leave mine running till I get at least 50% of the ponds covered with ice. You can move your pumps up off the bottom of the pond by setting them on a milk crate. I have mine hanging on ropes. Do you have any way to keep a hole open in the ice? Stock tank heater, pond breather?

Good idea, but my pumps are strong and may make the water move the colder water to the bottom even if elevated.

 

[Amy Vandertuyn]

We run our pond all winter long here in the frigid midwest as do many, many pond owners here. The biggest consideration is whether or not your waterfall can handle the ice that develops without re-directing water out of the pond.

Where is your pump located? If it's in a skimmer box or external to the pond, your fear of affecting the temperature of the water is unfounded. If it sits on the bottom of the pond, like @mrsclem said, just raise it up. At four feet deep your fish will have plenty of warmer water near the bottom.

Thanks! If I have an 1100 gph on one, the other is a 3000 gph won’t it stir up my warmer, deep water even if I raise it up? This is were my confusion comes in. Can I stir the water or not? I am so grateful for the help and expertise.

 

[Amy Vandertuyn]

I turn mine off in mid to late October and plug the air stones in. I turn it back on around the beginning of May.

Thank you. I’ve been doing the same, but after my fish death ( warm winter) I got concerned that I was making a mistake. It was my favorite fish, a total sweetheart. I can’t forgive myself and wish I had never started the pond being so inexperienced. Now I feel so obligated to give them everything they need in the best way I can.

 

[Amy Vandertuyn]

We run our pond all winter long here in the frigid midwest as do many, many pond owners here. The biggest consideration is whether or not your waterfall can handle the ice that develops without re-directing water out of the pond.

Where is your pump located? If it's in a skimmer box or external to the pond, your fear of affecting the temperature of the water is unfounded. If it sits on the bottom of the pond, like @mrsclem said, just raise it up. At four feet deep your fish will have plenty of warmer water near the bottom.

I don’t have a traditional system. I dug my pond myself and my filter is two buckets submerged with holes drilled in them, filled with substrate with pumps inside the middle of the buckets. They sit on the bottom and the hoses come up and I hook them above my pond to aerate for the return. One is 1100 gph and the other is just a bit less strong. So my system will stir the water maybe to much when it’s cold? Maybe if I remove one and place the other on a crate up higher it would only filter the top? I guess I wonder if moving the colder water is worse than continuous filtration. Thank you very much for answering.

 

[Amy Vandertuyn]

I apologize to all who may be frustrated by my posts. I have the tech savvy of a hamster. I believe I posted my question twice an am unsure if I’m answering all. I’m trying to learn how to navigate the forum and am grateful to all who helped me. Thank you.