Winterizing in NC

[jcabaleiro]

I have an about 700 gallon pond, partially above ground (yard slopes). I am wondering what the winter recommendations are since this is the first year I will have goldfish.

Last year we had a cold snap where the pond completely froze over, to the point that the neighbor kids could stand on it.

Is one solution to just leave the pump on year round?

Joe

 

[addy1]

My husband found a small pond at a repo house he bought. He finally started clearing the front yard, found a 1.5 ft deep preformed pond, covered with plywood. For more than a few years it had been ignored, the pond probably froze almost solid if not solid during the winter.

There were healthy happy gold fish in it.

 

[carolinaguy]

i never shut down my pump. you want top water circulating, and you don't want an ice over because that lowers the oxygen exchange.

 

[jcabaleiro]

Do you cover up at all?

Joe

 

[addy1]

Do you cover up at all?

Joe

I won't be, it is too large, the gold fish (once we have fish) will do fine. They are pretty hardy.

We had a construction guy doing some work, he lives in PA. He has a pond, with goldies, shubunkins, he leaves it running. If it really freezes he lets it freeze over, turns off his pump, his fish do fine every winter. He has had that pond for many years. His pond is around 2-2.5 feet deep, I don't recall the length.

 

[carolinaguy]

you can float insulative styrofoam on the surface to keep in some heat and stop the surface from icing over. a solid layer of ice is both good and bad news. it insulates the water below but it also cuts off oxygen exchange with the atmosphere.

 

[stroppy]

i would put in a floating de icer or a plastic cover over it how deep is it ?

 

[Christy]

i would put in a floating de icer or a plastic cover over it how deep is it ?

Stroppy, is right i would cover the pond with plastic. I have covered my pond for the last two years with plastic,and i have two ponds 6100gal 4ft deep Koi in that one, and the other one is 1000gal 3ft with goldfish,shubkins

 

[bobsox]

Hi: I live in upstate New York (where it gets really BRRRR COLD). The water temp right now is hovering around 50 deg. I am not sure when to finally stop feeding (approx 50) fish and also when I can actually shut the system down (pump & waterfall) and blow the lines out etc. The pond size is 2400 gal. I will put in the d-icer to keep opening in ice throughout the winter as soon as the ice starts to form. I just don't want to shut system down too early if it will effect the oxygen situation. Could someone tell me when it would be safe to do. Thanks for any info.