Re: Warming filter over winter

[RichToyBox]

IMO you will need a whole lot more heat than that. I heat my small pond
(about 2000 gallons) in the Richmond Virginia area with a 15 amp immersion
heater unit, and cover the pond with a lean-to greenhouse made with several
layers of polyethylene sheeting to keep the cold air and wind away form the
pond. The 4000 gallon pond uses 2 of these heaters.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"Heather" > wrote in message
.. .
> I had an idea and wondered if anyone had tried this.
>
> My pond is 1800 gal.
>
> Pump pushed uphill through a UV filter then onto a garbage can filter with
> lava rock.
>
> Gravity feeds back to 3' x 4' x 8" pond that starts the waterfall and back
> to the pond.
>
> The idea is ---- Can I either wrap the pipes with eavestrough heater
cable
> or put the cable into the filter to enable the system to be left on all
> winter? I thought of also laying some down the stream.
>
> Thoughts???
>
>

[Iain Miller]

"RichToyBox" > wrote in message
news:z0b4b.234787$Oz4.63899@rwcrnsc54...
> IMO you will need a whole lot more heat than that. I heat my small pond
> (about 2000 gallons) in the Richmond Virginia area with a 15 amp immersion
> heater unit, and cover the pond with a lean-to greenhouse made with
several
> layers of polyethylene sheeting to keep the cold air and wind away form
the
> pond. The 4000 gallon pond uses 2 of these heaters.
> --

I'm glad I don't have your electricity bill! As a matter of interest, what
temperature do you keep it at & why exactly do you do this? Most people just
seem to allow their ponds to Winter naturally & just keep the ice under
control.

rgds

I.

[Iain Miller]

"RichToyBox" > wrote in message
news:z0b4b.234787$Oz4.63899@rwcrnsc54...
> IMO you will need a whole lot more heat than that. I heat my small pond
> (about 2000 gallons) in the Richmond Virginia area with a 15 amp immersion
> heater unit, and cover the pond with a lean-to greenhouse made with
several
> layers of polyethylene sheeting to keep the cold air and wind away form
the
> pond. The 4000 gallon pond uses 2 of these heaters.
> --

I'm glad I don't have your electricity bill! As a matter of interest, what
temperature do you keep it at & why exactly do you do this? Most people just
seem to allow their ponds to Winter naturally & just keep the ice under
control.

rgds

I.

[RichToyBox]

About the third year that I had the ponds, due to all kinds of water
quality, crowding, and other issues, we lost fish to dropsy, ulcers, and
started the real serious learning curve. Ignorance was bliss, until it bit
us in the ***. That year, I think that every fish had three or four series
of injectible antibiotics, and we just couldn't keep them healthy. The
larger pond was built, we got Doc Johnson's book, filtration was increase,
population was decreased and things started looking up. We joined the koi
club, and several of the stronger members heated their ponds to keep the
immune system of the koi functioning. DW says we should try that. The next
year KoiZyme hit the market, and we haven't had to treat many fish since.
Occasional scrapes during spawning have been the most trouble we have had.
We try to maintain 70 degrees, but if we get a layer of ice or snow over the
cover that reduces the solar gain, the temperature may drop and has a hard
time recovering. I have been able to keep it above 60 for the last 5
winters. The heaters don't get serious until mid or late January, due to
solar gain, and warmer temperatures through most of December, and by mid
March or the first of April, the solar gain and warmer temperatures allow
the heaters to only run part time. If my pond were oriented toward the
south, rather than east and west, I would be able to get even more help from
the solar.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"Iain Miller" > wrote in message
...
>
> "RichToyBox" > wrote in message
> news:z0b4b.234787$Oz4.63899@rwcrnsc54...
> > IMO you will need a whole lot more heat than that. I heat my small pond
> > (about 2000 gallons) in the Richmond Virginia area with a 15 amp
immersion
> > heater unit, and cover the pond with a lean-to greenhouse made with
> several
> > layers of polyethylene sheeting to keep the cold air and wind away form
> the
> > pond. The 4000 gallon pond uses 2 of these heaters.
> > --
>
> I'm glad I don't have your electricity bill! As a matter of interest, what
> temperature do you keep it at & why exactly do you do this? Most people
just
> seem to allow their ponds to Winter naturally & just keep the ice under
> control.
>
> rgds
>
> I.
>
>

[RichToyBox]

About the third year that I had the ponds, due to all kinds of water
quality, crowding, and other issues, we lost fish to dropsy, ulcers, and
started the real serious learning curve. Ignorance was bliss, until it bit
us in the ***. That year, I think that every fish had three or four series
of injectible antibiotics, and we just couldn't keep them healthy. The
larger pond was built, we got Doc Johnson's book, filtration was increase,
population was decreased and things started looking up. We joined the koi
club, and several of the stronger members heated their ponds to keep the
immune system of the koi functioning. DW says we should try that. The next
year KoiZyme hit the market, and we haven't had to treat many fish since.
Occasional scrapes during spawning have been the most trouble we have had.
We try to maintain 70 degrees, but if we get a layer of ice or snow over the
cover that reduces the solar gain, the temperature may drop and has a hard
time recovering. I have been able to keep it above 60 for the last 5
winters. The heaters don't get serious until mid or late January, due to
solar gain, and warmer temperatures through most of December, and by mid
March or the first of April, the solar gain and warmer temperatures allow
the heaters to only run part time. If my pond were oriented toward the
south, rather than east and west, I would be able to get even more help from
the solar.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"Iain Miller" > wrote in message
...
>
> "RichToyBox" > wrote in message
> news:z0b4b.234787$Oz4.63899@rwcrnsc54...
> > IMO you will need a whole lot more heat than that. I heat my small pond
> > (about 2000 gallons) in the Richmond Virginia area with a 15 amp
immersion
> > heater unit, and cover the pond with a lean-to greenhouse made with
> several
> > layers of polyethylene sheeting to keep the cold air and wind away form
> the
> > pond. The 4000 gallon pond uses 2 of these heaters.
> > --
>
> I'm glad I don't have your electricity bill! As a matter of interest, what
> temperature do you keep it at & why exactly do you do this? Most people
just
> seem to allow their ponds to Winter naturally & just keep the ice under
> control.
>
> rgds
>
> I.
>
>

[Iain Miller]

"RichToyBox" > wrote in message
.net...
> About the third year that I had the ponds, due to all kinds of water
> quality, crowding, and other issues, we lost fish to dropsy, ulcers, and
> started the real serious learning curve. Ignorance was bliss, until it
bit
> us in the ***. That year, I think that every fish had three or four
series
> of injectible antibiotics, and we just couldn't keep them healthy. The
> larger pond was built, we got Doc Johnson's book, filtration was increase,
> population was decreased and things started looking up. We joined the koi
> club, and several of the stronger members heated their ponds to keep the
> immune system of the koi functioning. DW says we should try that. The
next
> year KoiZyme hit the market, and we haven't had to treat many fish since.
> Occasional scrapes during spawning have been the most trouble we have had.
> We try to maintain 70 degrees, but if we get a layer of ice or snow over
the
> cover that reduces the solar gain, the temperature may drop and has a hard
> time recovering. I have been able to keep it above 60 for the last 5
> winters. The heaters don't get serious until mid or late January, due to
> solar gain, and warmer temperatures through most of December, and by mid
> March or the first of April, the solar gain and warmer temperatures allow
> the heaters to only run part time. If my pond were oriented toward the
> south, rather than east and west, I would be able to get even more help
from
> the solar.
> --
> RichToyBox
> http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html

As a thought, have you investigated some kind of Solar Panel to help? My
father has heated his swimming pool (in the UK!) with these for years & they
have paid for themselves several times over.

I.

[Iain Miller]

"RichToyBox" > wrote in message
.net...
> About the third year that I had the ponds, due to all kinds of water
> quality, crowding, and other issues, we lost fish to dropsy, ulcers, and
> started the real serious learning curve. Ignorance was bliss, until it
bit
> us in the ***. That year, I think that every fish had three or four
series
> of injectible antibiotics, and we just couldn't keep them healthy. The
> larger pond was built, we got Doc Johnson's book, filtration was increase,
> population was decreased and things started looking up. We joined the koi
> club, and several of the stronger members heated their ponds to keep the
> immune system of the koi functioning. DW says we should try that. The
next
> year KoiZyme hit the market, and we haven't had to treat many fish since.
> Occasional scrapes during spawning have been the most trouble we have had.
> We try to maintain 70 degrees, but if we get a layer of ice or snow over
the
> cover that reduces the solar gain, the temperature may drop and has a hard
> time recovering. I have been able to keep it above 60 for the last 5
> winters. The heaters don't get serious until mid or late January, due to
> solar gain, and warmer temperatures through most of December, and by mid
> March or the first of April, the solar gain and warmer temperatures allow
> the heaters to only run part time. If my pond were oriented toward the
> south, rather than east and west, I would be able to get even more help
from
> the solar.
> --
> RichToyBox
> http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html

As a thought, have you investigated some kind of Solar Panel to help? My
father has heated his swimming pool (in the UK!) with these for years & they
have paid for themselves several times over.

I.

[[email protected]]

there are two reasons to heat, the biggest by far is their immune system never shuts
down. the other reason is altho the fish metabolism is very very slow, they are
using up stores of fat when they cant eat (water temp under 55, no food). for us in
the frozen tundra that is a loooong time for them to go without food. it weakens
them and their immune system the longer it goes on.
I know about when the temp is going to drop below 55, and feed romet B antibiotic
food for 2 weeks before. When there is going to be a frost I take in the tender
plants, clean the veggie filter out, set up the bucket filter with filter material
from the veggie filter, and then cover the pond. It doesnt help too much in fall (my
other pond had a permanent greenhouse over it, and that did help keep water warm
longer into fall). But it shortens the "down time" in spring.
someday I am going to have a sun pit. a large mostly very well insulated underground
greenhouse that is heated and my koi pond will be in there! Ingrid


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

there are two reasons to heat, the biggest by far is their immune system never shuts
down. the other reason is altho the fish metabolism is very very slow, they are
using up stores of fat when they cant eat (water temp under 55, no food). for us in
the frozen tundra that is a loooong time for them to go without food. it weakens
them and their immune system the longer it goes on.
I know about when the temp is going to drop below 55, and feed romet B antibiotic
food for 2 weeks before. When there is going to be a frost I take in the tender
plants, clean the veggie filter out, set up the bucket filter with filter material
from the veggie filter, and then cover the pond. It doesnt help too much in fall (my
other pond had a permanent greenhouse over it, and that did help keep water warm
longer into fall). But it shortens the "down time" in spring.
someday I am going to have a sun pit. a large mostly very well insulated underground
greenhouse that is heated and my koi pond will be in there! Ingrid


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.