Pond heating, toxic gas removal from pond water in winter
Heating ponds in winter
I got a question through the new Quikonnex system today about heating a two tier water feature. Here are some general thoughts on pond heating.
If you are a serious koi keeper and live in very cold winter areas then you probably heat your pond to at least 10 degrees Centigrade (50 degrees F). Because these ponds normally are very large then sophisticated gas or electrical heating systems are installed similar to central heating.
In ponds that are about 3 feet deep it is possible that only the upper layers will freeze .... the reason is that water at 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) has a maximum density and as such water at this temperature sinks to the bottom of the pond. It is insulated by the ice at the top of the pond and thus does not freeze (except in extremely cold, long cold period areas) and fish can survive the winter by remaining virtually motionless at the bottom of the pond .... in this circumstance it is important to release toxic gases occasionally that build up in the water so a small hole in the ice is ideal (you can make a hole in the ice by using a saucepan filled with boiling water and placing the saucepan on the ice surface).
The more sophisticated way is to use an electrical device freely available in garden centres and pet outlets. These are normally small heating elements that float on a pond. They have just sufficient power fed to them to keep the area around the item free of ice and this allows noxious gases to escape. The general name is a de-icer or floating de-icer and cost about $50. They would typically use about 1 to 1.5 kilowatts of power.
Covering the pond will also reduce the tendency to freeze
Many people overcome the problem by taking fish indoors and keeping them in a biofiltered low volume water system in a cool area such as the attic.
DO NOT BREAK THE ICE USING A HAMMER OR SUCHLIKE
How To Choose Fish Pond Bio Filters Get Clear Ponds How To Select Garden Pond & Waterfall Pump
Large Pond Filter Review Aquabead Filters for Koi Ponds
site map copyright: 2002 - 2005,