Covering Pond for Winter

I plan on covering my pond (zone 5, Chicago) this winter with a solar
pool cover (it looks like bubblewrap). The question is how much area
do I need to leave open for gases to escape? If I leave 1" around the
whole pond, is that enough?

"MC" wrote in message
om...
I plan on covering my pond (zone 5, Chicago) this winter with a solar
pool cover (it looks like bubblewrap). The question is how much area
do I need to leave open for gases to escape? If I leave 1" around the
whole pond, is that enough?

Any space that allows the naughty gases to escape will be adequate. My pond
is about 10x13, and my ice hole is only 8-10 inches across depending on the
severity of the day.

BV.

First let me chastise you for writing the
word 'winter' when summer has yet to start
here! ;-)

I think your plan to leave 1" around the whole pond will be okay. But watch
that inch!
You might also, if possible, put a bubbler under the surface of the water at
the edge just for extra protection.


kathy :-)
A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A

"Ka30P" wrote in message
...

First let me chastise you for writing the
word 'winter' when summer has yet to start
here! ;-)

I think your plan to leave 1" around the whole pond will be okay. But
watch
that inch!
You might also, if possible, put a bubbler under the surface of the water
at
the edge just for extra protection.


Yeah, Winter?

I was thinking about this recently too though. Our neighbour's tree
partially overhangs the pond and drops all kinds of crap in the pond. Right
now it's dropping some kind of little green balls about the size of pin
heads, which clog up the filter nicely. In the fall it drops these small
leaves, which would pass through most of the pond nets I've seen. So I need
something to cover up the pond to keep the fishies clean. The bottom of the
pond was a hell of a mess this spring.

We brought the fish inside last year after a Heron feeding and they're still
here. We didn't want to lose our prize GF to the Heron, as it's about 6"
now. We've threatened to panfry him, but he keeps gobbling.

My pond is covered and heated during the winter. The cover is a lean-to
with 3 layers of poly sheeting and one layer of the pool solar cover. I do
not leave a venting area around the perimeter, but do enter the enclosure 2
times a day for feeding the fish. I do not think it would be necessary to
provide any ventilation if the cover is mounted above the pond. If it is
layed on the surface of the water, then I would leave at least an inch all
the way around and install airstones. The water will not be able to have
gas exchange under the cover, and will get fouled.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
"MC" wrote in message
om...
I plan on covering my pond (zone 5, Chicago) this winter with a solar
pool cover (it looks like bubblewrap). The question is how much area
do I need to leave open for gases to escape? If I leave 1" around the
whole pond, is that enough?

I am in Milwaukee, zone 5 and I cover my pond with plain dispo plastic altho I too
make a lean too above the pond.
http://puregold.aquaria.net/mypond/winters/winter.htm
this last year I put in a 500 watt heater for 1600 gallons and it kept the water 50o
or better for all but one month. meaning I could feed the fish lightly and their
immune system was down only about a month. I have a big 12" airstone blowing air
into the pond all winter. the air pump is in my garage.
Ingrid

"RichToyBox" wrote:

My pond is covered and heated during the winter. The cover is a lean-to
with 3 layers of poly sheeting and one layer of the pool solar cover. I do
not leave a venting area around the perimeter, but do enter the enclosure 2
times a day for feeding the fish. I do not think it would be necessary to
provide any ventilation if the cover is mounted above the pond. If it is
layed on the surface of the water, then I would leave at least an inch all
the way around and install airstones. The water will not be able to have
gas exchange under the cover, and will get fouled.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

What kind of heater are you using? I've heard of people using trough
heaters and there seems to be several kinds of pond heaters. I only
have 500 gallons in Chicago.

It is early, but my first year I lost all my Koi (used a bubbler to
keep hole open). Last winter, I brought them inside. They are now kind
of big to bring inside. I am trying to plan ahead. If I need to bring
them inside this winter, I need to buy a kiddie pool and you can't
find them in the winter in Chicago.

wrote in message ...
I am in Milwaukee, zone 5 and I cover my pond with plain dispo plastic altho I too
make a lean too above the pond.
http://puregold.aquaria.net/mypond/winters/winter.htm
this last year I put in a 500 watt heater for 1600 gallons and it kept the water 50o
or better for all but one month. meaning I could feed the fish lightly and their
immune system was down only about a month. I have a big 12" airstone blowing air
into the pond all winter. the air pump is in my garage.
Ingrid

"RichToyBox" wrote:

My pond is covered and heated during the winter. The cover is a lean-to
with 3 layers of poly sheeting and one layer of the pool solar cover. I do
not leave a venting area around the perimeter, but do enter the enclosure 2
times a day for feeding the fish. I do not think it would be necessary to
provide any ventilation if the cover is mounted above the pond. If it is
layed on the surface of the water, then I would leave at least an inch all
the way around and install airstones. The water will not be able to have
gas exchange under the cover, and will get fouled.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

I use the Quick Plug QP20T from Aquatic Eco. I have two of them in my 4000
gallon pond and one in my 2500 gallon pond and am able to keep my ponds near
70 degrees. They really don't start doing any heating to speak of until
January and by the first of March, the sun is high enough to provide pretty
good solar heat. If the only purpose is to keep the pond from freezing
over, I don't know if you would need a heater at all, as long as it is
covered with a lean-to or igloo structure to keep the cold, chilling wind
away from the water, and allow the natural heat of the soil to be captured
without evaporative losses.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
"MC" wrote in message
om...
What kind of heater are you using? I've heard of people using trough
heaters and there seems to be several kinds of pond heaters. I only
have 500 gallons in Chicago.

It is early, but my first year I lost all my Koi (used a bubbler to
keep hole open). Last winter, I brought them inside. They are now kind
of big to bring inside. I am trying to plan ahead. If I need to bring
them inside this winter, I need to buy a kiddie pool and you can't
find them in the winter in Chicago.

wrote in message
...
I am in Milwaukee, zone 5 and I cover my pond with plain dispo plastic
altho I too
make a lean too above the pond.
http://puregold.aquaria.net/mypond/winters/winter.htm
this last year I put in a 500 watt heater for 1600 gallons and it kept
the water 50o
or better for all but one month. meaning I could feed the fish lightly
and their
immune system was down only about a month. I have a big 12" airstone
blowing air
into the pond all winter. the air pump is in my garage.
Ingrid

"RichToyBox" wrote:

My pond is covered and heated during the winter. The cover is a
lean-to
with 3 layers of poly sheeting and one layer of the pool solar cover.
I do
not leave a venting area around the perimeter, but do enter the
enclosure 2
times a day for feeding the fish. I do not think it would be necessary
to
provide any ventilation if the cover is mounted above the pond. If it
is
layed on the surface of the water, then I would leave at least an inch
all
the way around and install airstones. The water will not be able to
have
gas exchange under the cover, and will get fouled.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

70 degrees in the winter? You must be in a fairly warm climate. That
seems a little warm.


"RichToyBox" wrote in message news:IQrzc.36242$eu.27831@attbi_s02...
I use the Quick Plug QP20T from Aquatic Eco. I have two of them in my 4000
gallon pond and one in my 2500 gallon pond and am able to keep my ponds near
70 degrees. They really don't start doing any heating to speak of until
January and by the first of March, the sun is high enough to provide pretty
good solar heat. If the only purpose is to keep the pond from freezing
over, I don't know if you would need a heater at all, as long as it is
covered with a lean-to or igloo structure to keep the cold, chilling wind
away from the water, and allow the natural heat of the soil to be captured
without evaporative losses.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
"MC" wrote in message
om...
What kind of heater are you using? I've heard of people using trough
heaters and there seems to be several kinds of pond heaters. I only
have 500 gallons in Chicago.

It is early, but my first year I lost all my Koi (used a bubbler to
keep hole open). Last winter, I brought them inside. They are now kind
of big to bring inside. I am trying to plan ahead. If I need to bring
them inside this winter, I need to buy a kiddie pool and you can't
find them in the winter in Chicago.

wrote in message
...
I am in Milwaukee, zone 5 and I cover my pond with plain dispo plastic
altho I too
make a lean too above the pond.
http://puregold.aquaria.net/mypond/winters/winter.htm
this last year I put in a 500 watt heater for 1600 gallons and it kept
the water 50o
or better for all but one month. meaning I could feed the fish lightly
and their
immune system was down only about a month. I have a big 12" airstone
blowing air
into the pond all winter. the air pump is in my garage.
Ingrid

"RichToyBox" wrote:

My pond is covered and heated during the winter. The cover is a
lean-to
with 3 layers of poly sheeting and one layer of the pool solar cover.
I do
not leave a venting area around the perimeter, but do enter the
enclosure 2
times a day for feeding the fish. I do not think it would be necessary
to
provide any ventilation if the cover is mounted above the pond. If it
is
layed on the surface of the water, then I would leave at least an inch
all
the way around and install airstones. The water will not be able to
have
gas exchange under the cover, and will get fouled.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

p. 361 of aquatic ecosystems catalog, $44 and extra 30 for the controller. but they
got titanium that are cheaper. mine has a separate temperature probe and the heater
is covered to prevent it from getting hit or melting liner down. people in warmer
zones dont understand that our ponds drop below 50o (when koi's immune system goes
down and feeding stops) sometime mid october in zone 5 and doesnt rise over 50o until
mid april. that is 6 months of no immunity and 6 months of no food. it is VERY VERY
hard on koi. you can always order some kind of pool from aquatic ecosystem, or,
build a stud wall pond in the basement and line that with permalon. Ingrid

(MC) wrote:
What kind of heater are you using? I've heard of people using trough
heaters and there seems to be several kinds of pond heaters. I only
have 500 gallons in Chicago.

It is early, but my first year I lost all my Koi (used a bubbler to
keep hole open). Last winter, I brought them inside. They are now kind
of big to bring inside. I am trying to plan ahead. If I need to bring
them inside this winter, I need to buy a kiddie pool and you can't
find them in the winter in Chicago.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.