Winter Pond Questions

I am new to ponding so have few dumb questions...

Live in zone 5 and have small pond...300 gallons and 15 to 16 inch
deep....residing in pond are 6 lovely gold fish 4 to 5 inches in
length..Temp is starting to get rather cold here...yesterday pond had 1/4
to 1/2 inch ice on it...I removed pump and filter laid some 2x4's over pond
and placed 4mil clear plastic sheeting over entire pond area held in place
with bricks. I also placed air pump in bucket with bubbler 6 to 8 inches
below surface. when I checked today ice was gone from pond area....Am
wondering if I need heater if so would low wattage heater work? If there is
warm spell is it ok to feed fish? If I feed fish would this create problem
with ammonia contamination? any advise appreciated...TIA

On Nov 28, 10:44 pm, wrote:
I am new to ponding so have few dumb questions...

Live in zone 5 and have small pond...300 gallons and 15 to 16 inch
deep....residing in pond are 6 lovely gold fish 4 to 5 inches in
length..Temp is starting to get rather cold here...yesterday pond had 1/4
to 1/2 inch ice on it...I removed pump and filter laid some 2x4's over pond
and placed 4mil clear plastic sheeting over entire pond area held in place
with bricks. I also placed air pump in bucket with bubbler 6 to 8 inches
below surface. when I checked today ice was gone from pond area....Am
wondering if I need heater if so would low wattage heater work? If there is
warm spell is it ok to feed fish? If I feed fish would this create problem
with ammonia contamination? any advise appreciated...TIA

if the temp is below 10 degrees C then you should not feed your fish
in your pond. they can last the winter without food because the cold
weather slows their metabolism right down

red

if you put bubble wrap over the top, drop in a 100 watt aquarium heater (hang it so
it doesnt actually touch the pond liner) you may find your pond gets up to 50oF, and
then if the little buggers come up to the surface go ahead and feed them. but do get
freeze dried krill or chop up a tiny bit of shrimp because that is what they would
eat anyway. no carbs to rot in their gut. and feed tiny, tiny amounts, not every
day and yes, do keep a close eye on ammonia. should be the algae will start growing,
the pond will green up and as long as there is sun getting thru to the pond the algae
will suck up the ammonia. the bubbler actually does aerate some of the ammonia and
blow it off too, surprisingly.

but what you also need is a little bucket filter in the pond. go here
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/care/hardware.html
and click on bucket filter. the whole thing sits in the pond and keeps pulling the
water thru the filters with the biobugs which will work to a certain extent even in
colder water. however, the algae is the best filtration in cold water.
also, you can get a seachem ammonia "alert" to drop in the pond so you can fish it
out and take a look. just be careful feeding tiny amounts and not every day.

I personally believe that up in zone 5 and 6 (where I am too) our poor fish dont eat
for 6 months of the year and it is just toooo long to go without food. since I have
started covering, heating and feeding tiny amounts all winter AND THE TEMP IS 50 OR
SO, the fish have not died in spring, dont even have scuzzy fuzz or spots or anything
in spring. and it is much better than bringing them in and exposing them to the
trauma and the ammonia of a cycling tank.
here's my pond in winter. http://weloveteaching.com/mypond/winters/winter.htm
Ingrid

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:44:33 GMT, wrote:

I am new to ponding so have few dumb questions...

Live in zone 5 and have small pond...300 gallons and 15 to 16 inch
deep....residing in pond are 6 lovely gold fish 4 to 5 inches in
length..Temp is starting to get rather cold here...yesterday pond had 1/4
to 1/2 inch ice on it...I removed pump and filter laid some 2x4's over pond
and placed 4mil clear plastic sheeting over entire pond area held in place
with bricks. I also placed air pump in bucket with bubbler 6 to 8 inches
below surface. when I checked today ice was gone from pond area....Am
wondering if I need heater if so would low wattage heater work? If there is
warm spell is it ok to feed fish? If I feed fish would this create problem
with ammonia contamination? any advise appreciated...TIA

Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top?

About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake
through top? discharge hose on bottom?

Thanks

On Nov 29, 10:14 pm, wrote:
Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top?

About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake
through top? discharge hose on bottom?

Thanks



please excuse my ignorance but whats zone 5, 6? i'm from the UK

"redsockfluff" wrote in message
...
On Nov 29, 10:14 pm, wrote:
Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at
top?

About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water
intake
through top? discharge hose on bottom?

Thanks



please excuse my ignorance but whats zone 5, 6? i'm from the UK

Plant hardiness zones. In the USA:
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

Here's an article with more general
information, including the UK:
http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com...ardening_zones

Gail
near San Antonio TX USA

over the top of the whole pond. on top of the plastic you already have there
water intake is thru the top of the bucket and filter media, discharge hose is off to
the side of the bucket. it is just to pull water thru the media. ALL UNDERWATER.
the hose does not need to break the surface.


On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:14:29 GMT, wrote:

Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top?

About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake
through top? discharge hose on bottom?

Thanks

zone 5, -20oF, zone 6 -10oF worst in winter.

On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 02:31:48 -0800 (PST), redsockfluff
wrote:

On Nov 29, 10:14 pm, wrote:
Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top?

About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake
through top? discharge hose on bottom?

Thanks



please excuse my ignorance but whats zone 5, 6? i'm from the UK

wrote in message
...
Bubble wrap over the top of the heater? is that to make it float at top?

About the bucket filter - a little more detail please. is water intake
through top? discharge hose on bottom?

Thanks
=======================
Don't count on aeration to blow off ammonia. It's not in a form that can be
blown off or well aerated aquariums wouldn't have problems with fish dying
from ammonia.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

"Tynk" wrote in message
...
What that is...I have no clue, as I don't keep a pond.
I too am in zone 5, so I know how cold it can get.
Many folks take their pond fish inside for wintering because of it.
====================
I'm in zone 6 and many people bring them inside for the winter here also.
Keeping them in large water troughs is most common here.
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö