Ponds in winter

I live in central indiana. My pond is about 1400 gal 120 sqft with
three levels and sluice to from each level to the next and the bottom
level is pump to the top level.

Should or can I let this pond run all winter?

If not when should it be turned off?

On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 01:27:01 GMT, Keith Nuttle
wrote:

I live in central indiana. My pond is about 1400 gal 120 sqft with
three levels and sluice to from each level to the next and the bottom
level is pump to the top level.

Should or can I let this pond run all winter?

If not when should it be turned off?

If you turn the pumps off what holds the water in each level?
First Law of Plumbing:
"Water [well, I'm paraphrasing here, it's a family group] runs down
hill."
Are there fish in any of the levels?
--
Crashj

Should or can I let this pond run all winter?

You should. A stock tank heater in top level would be sufficient to
keep the water from freezing.

One of the problems with letting it run all winter is that especially during
a cold night, ice dams can form which can divert water outside the pond,
possibly causing a catastrophic loss of water and subsequent loss of the
fish. For this reason it is always advisable that your pump not be located
at the lowest level on the pond, so that in the event of something like this
happening, all the water is not pumped out.

It's also advisable to run an airstone or other aerator during the winter,
perhaps coupled with a stock tank heater, to keep enough oxygen in the water
and avoid a complete freeze-up on the surface.

Happy Ponding,
Tim

"Keith Nuttle" wrote in message
...
I live in central indiana. My pond is about 1400 gal 120 sqft with
three levels and sluice to from each level to the next and the bottom
level is pump to the top level.

Should or can I let this pond run all winter?

If not when should it be turned off?

Here in Colorado Springs, we 'shut down' our punds around Thanksgiving.
We keep a hole in the ice for gas exchange and 'winter the fish'. Some
ponders report losing zero fish. I have lost some to wintering. I
would like it if I could keep things going all winter long. I think it
just gets too cold here.
W. Dale

tim chandler wrote:

One of the problems with letting it run all winter is that especially during
a cold night, ice dams can form which can divert water outside the pond,
possibly causing a catastrophic loss of water and subsequent loss of the
fish. For this reason it is always advisable that your pump not be located
at the lowest level on the pond, so that in the event of something like this
happening, all the water is not pumped out.

It's also advisable to run an airstone or other aerator during the winter,
perhaps coupled with a stock tank heater, to keep enough oxygen in the water
and avoid a complete freeze-up on the surface.

Happy Ponding,
Tim

"Keith Nuttle" wrote in message
...


I live in central indiana. My pond is about 1400 gal 120 sqft with
three levels and sluice to from each level to the next and the bottom
level is pump to the top level.

Should or can I let this pond run all winter?

If not when should it be turned off?

I think a lot of ponders will stop feeding the fish and shut down when the outside air temps and the water temps are around 50 or so and getting colder for the season - to keep running a waterfall then and when the temps are in the 40s and below will just make the water colder faster. Here in Memphis (we basically don't have winter at least compared to the Springs, LOL, I used to live in Monument) I can use a stock tank heater to keep the water from freezing except at the extreme ends of my pond.
"W Dale" wrote in message ...
Here in Colorado Springs, we 'shut down' our punds around Thanksgiving. We keep a hole in the ice for gas exchange and 'winter the fish'. Some ponders report losing zero fish. I have lost some to wintering. I would like it if I could keep things going all winter long. I think it just gets too cold here.
W. Dale

tim chandler wrote:

One of the problems with letting it run all winter is that especially during
a cold night, ice dams can form which can divert water outside the pond,
possibly causing a catastrophic loss of water and subsequent loss of the
fish. For this reason it is always advisable that your pump not be located
at the lowest level on the pond, so that in the event of something like this
happening, all the water is not pumped out.

It's also advisable to run an airstone or other aerator during the winter,
perhaps coupled with a stock tank heater, to keep enough oxygen in the water
and avoid a complete freeze-up on the surface.

Happy Ponding,
Tim

"Keith Nuttle" wrote in message
...
I live in central indiana. My pond is about 1400 gal 120 sqft with
three levels and sluice to from each level to the next and the bottom
level is pump to the top level.

Should or can I let this pond run all winter?

If not when should it be turned off?

Take if from a winter failure... be prepared
and watch the weather. Too many times we've
had a sudden and dramatic cold snap and I've been attempting to turn the valve
and shut down the waterfall and it won't bloody turn and dragging my poor 15
year old out of his warm bed to turn it for me and then tearing through the
shed trying to find the floating heater and the air bubbler and wondering where
in the heck DH put them last time he cleaned the shed out....

kathy :-)
in zone 7a, SE WA

On 21 Aug 2004 17:03:38 GMT, EROSPAM (Ka30P) wrote:


Take if from a winter failure... be prepared
and watch the weather. Too many times we've
had a sudden and dramatic cold snap and I've been attempting to turn the valve
and shut down the waterfall and it won't bloody turn and dragging my poor 15
year old out of his warm bed to turn it for me and then tearing through the
shed trying to find the floating heater and the air bubbler and wondering where
in the heck DH put them last time he cleaned the shed out....

kathy :-)
in zone 7a, SE WA

I keep all my "pond gear" in a couple of 5-gallon buckets with lids in
the basement.

They're cheap, easy to carry around and store, and easy to spot in a
crowded shed or basement.

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.
"I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin

Monument STILL seems to get the worst and most extreme weather in
Colorado! LOL. Movning to Memphis, good move!

tim chandler wrote:

I think a lot of ponders will stop feeding the fish and shut down when
the outside air temps and the water temps are around 50 or so and
getting colder for the season - to keep running a waterfall then and
when the temps are in the 40s and below will just make the water
colder faster. Here in Memphis (we basically don't have winter at
least compared to the Springs, LOL, I used to live in Monument) I can
use a stock tank heater to keep the water from freezing except at the
extreme ends of my pond.

"W Dale" wrote
in message ...
Here in Colorado Springs, we 'shut down' our punds around
Thanksgiving. We keep a hole in the ice for gas exchange and
'winter the fish'. Some ponders report losing zero fish. I have
lost some to wintering. I would like it if I could keep things
going all winter long. I think it just gets too cold here.
W. Dale

tim chandler wrote:

One of the problems with letting it run all winter is that especially during
a cold night, ice dams can form which can divert water outside the pond,
possibly causing a catastrophic loss of water and subsequent loss of the
fish. For this reason it is always advisable that your pump not be located
at the lowest level on the pond, so that in the event of something like this
happening, all the water is not pumped out.

It's also advisable to run an airstone or other aerator during the winter,
perhaps coupled with a stock tank heater, to keep enough oxygen in the water
and avoid a complete freeze-up on the surface.

Happy Ponding,
Tim

"Keith Nuttle" wrote in message
...


I live in central indiana. My pond is about 1400 gal 120 sqft with
three levels and sluice to from each level to the next and the bottom
level is pump to the top level.

Should or can I let this pond run all winter?

If not when should it be turned off?

OOoooooo ..... I can understand that. :-)

Ka30P wrote:

Take if from a winter failure... be prepared
and watch the weather. Too many times we've
had a sudden and dramatic cold snap and I've been attempting to turn the valve
and shut down the waterfall and it won't bloody turn and dragging my poor 15
year old out of his warm bed to turn it for me and then tearing through the
shed trying to find the floating heater and the air bubbler and wondering where
in the heck DH put them last time he cleaned the shed out....

kathy :-)
in zone 7a, SE WA