Winter question

[brandonsdad02]

So I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do this winter as far as the pond goes. I'm going to leave the fish in the pond and put a few heaters in there. I have a skippy filter and I'm trying to decide if I'm going to drain the filter and just run the waterfall or leave it the way it is with pump in the skimmer box, feeding the filter and the return line running the waterfall. I live in Iowa so our winters can be long and cold. I wonder if I wrap the skippy filter with on of those concrete winter blankets ( has 2 layers of insulation with black tarp on each side) and put a heater in the filter. That should be able to keep it from freezing solid and keep the water a bit warmer than freezing. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated!!

Do I leave it the way it is or bypass the filter and just do the waterfall

 

[koiguy1969]

IF your water freezes than you will have no active bateria in the filter anyways..drain it, clean it and cover it, soit stays clean and dry..(no worries about cracking)...and forget about it til spring. remove the media clean it and store it away as well...thats what i do...except my media goes to my basement pond filter....you probably should have posted this in the wintering forum.

 

[brandonsdad02]

I tried and it kept saying my question needed one or more choices.

 

[addy1]

I tried and it kept saying my question needed one or more choices.

aww you must have hit make a poll. There is a forum just for wintering questions, one of the mods could move this for you.

I would do as koiguy says, drain, cover and let it sit till spring. We shut our pond pump off, leave water in the bog, it does freeze, but I do not have any container to worry about cracking.