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Title: My Winter Ponds


Rosiemeadow - January 29, 2011 11:41 PM (GMT)
My big pond

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My little pond, can't even see it!

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sissy - January 30, 2011 01:55 AM (GMT)
If you get anymore snow your going to have to send a search party out to find it ,first one who falls in thats the spot :lol: :lol: :lol: how much snow do you have ,have to admit it is nice to look at but I'm not bringing my shovel over to your house you will put me to work :rolleyes:

Robyn - January 30, 2011 01:58 AM (GMT)
Nice ponds! Mine look about the same right now but a bit more open (since they're larger). Is your waterfall still going? I see a hole but it looks like not? I noticed your outlets. You don't have the little box over the plugs like I do. You haven't had problems with the plugs/outlet getting wet and shorting out?

sissy - January 30, 2011 02:02 AM (GMT)
been in the 50's here the last 3 days and my pond does not have any ice and I have even been out working on it .I'm glad theres no snow here and don't want any .I guess everyones hoping for spring right now

Rosiemeadow - January 30, 2011 02:29 AM (GMT)
Robyn, I haven't had any problems at all. Frank ran all the outlets on their own circuits & they are also ground fault, so they should be fine, of course if we loose power, now that's a different story. I shut down the waterfall quite a while ago because it was freezing up some, I do have a pump running, it is at the opposite end of the deicer. So far all is well, of course I haven't seen my fish in about a week, I hope they are ok.
Sissy, the cat started to walk on the ice, good thing I was out there to shoo him away or he would have definitely found it. :lol:

sissy - January 30, 2011 03:36 AM (GMT)
well if he fell in you would have catfish then . :lol: spring coming just keep saying that springs coming springs coming (poor kitty )

Rosiemeadow - January 30, 2011 04:09 AM (GMT)
QUOTE (sissy @ Jan 29 2011, 10:36 PM)
well if he fell in you would have catfish then . :lol: spring coming just keep saying that springs coming springs coming (poor kitty )

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

sissy - January 30, 2011 04:28 AM (GMT)
may make a lot of money off them fish with hairballs :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: there own filter system

wvairman - January 30, 2011 05:14 AM (GMT)
I can't wait til spring

sissy - January 30, 2011 04:06 PM (GMT)
I think a lot of people can't wait but have to say since moving to VA at least the winters are milder than in NJ .Still trying to figure out how to rebuild the waterfall to make it higher and what I need in concrete block and retaining wall block and stone to cover it all and then on top of that I have to watch out for owls with granny's false teeth :lol: :rolleyes: Waterfall is only 2 feet high and not enough splashing to get air into it and want more height for the noise .Funny dripping noise from faucet drives you nuts but waterfalls calming :huh: :mellow:

wvairman - January 30, 2011 05:01 PM (GMT)
I hate to say it but I'm on the Ga/Fl line but I'm still looking forward to warmer weather.

sissy - January 31, 2011 06:09 PM (GMT)
of course rub it in wvairman :lol: :rolleyes: I was going to move farther south but when I checked high temps in summer whew it was to hot for me . B)

sabrillo - February 1, 2011 02:46 PM (GMT)
Rosie, your pump and deicer seems to be keeping your pond pretty free of the thick ice. I had a big hole the last couple of the weeks, but with last nights temps of 16 below, the hole is now tiny. I'm sure the thickest part is about 18 inches, and today it is not going to get above 0. I'll probably have to attempt some ice breaking tomorrow above the pump. Not much snow, but freezing temps.

Brrrr, it's freezing cold and I'm ready for the spring thaw. With the dogs using the it as a watering hole, it will be very dirty for sure. They just walk all over it and Tommy, the black lab weighs over 70 lbs. I'm envious of those of you that lives in the south right about now!!

Rosiemeadow - February 1, 2011 10:29 PM (GMT)
Hi sabrillo, how have you been?
The deicers are working great so far, & I have the pump going only in the big pond & both ponds are doing well. The little bit of ice that is on there is very thin, I can crack it with my hand so this set up is working fine for me. Now it has been about 2 weeks since I've seen my poor fish, so I hope they are OK. We are supposed to be getting an ice storm tomorrow, we got a little bit today, if we loose power, well than that's a whole nother story. I am sooo done with this winter! :angry:

sabrillo - February 2, 2011 12:54 AM (GMT)
Stay warm. We're all getting the freeze I'm afraid.

sissy - February 2, 2011 02:50 AM (GMT)
we are supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow as we dodged the bullet here .The storm is on the other side of us only getting rain here I hope everyone stays safe and warm and hope your power stays on too .I have been watching the weather channel and it looks like a nasty storm and it says theres another one right behind this one and another behind that one .Whats going on with the weather it is getting weird stay safe Grouphug

Rosiemeadow - February 8, 2011 08:16 PM (GMT)
I finally saw my fish swimming around last night, but they are back in hiding today, it's getting very cold again here for a few days...come on spring! :D

Broxandval - February 8, 2011 10:42 PM (GMT)
Hi Roseimeadow know where your at there we have a pond temperature of 11.5c at the moment so the koi are getting a little Wheatgerm and garlic but only a handfull but only a week ago we had -10c for a while then it was 3.c with a pond temperature of 7c but now as I say we are giving a little food.
Without the cover we couldn't get these temperatures so it may be an idea for you next winter.
rgrds
broxandval Fishiedude Flowersmile

sissy - February 9, 2011 12:41 AM (GMT)
you think we could bribe spring :lol:

Rosiemeadow - February 10, 2011 01:46 AM (GMT)
The fish were out again late this afternoon & it was cold out there, I guess they know something we don't...early spring? I would imagine it is still too cold to give them any food yet?

Broxandval - February 10, 2011 11:50 PM (GMT)
QUOTE (Rosiemeadow @ Feb 10 2011, 01:46 AM)
The fish were out again late this afternoon & it was cold out there, I guess they know something we don't...early spring? I would imagine it is still too cold to give them any food yet?

Hi Rosiemeadow
Our pond hit 13.c today quite unseasonably warm at the moment .
If you get a temperature of 10c then feed but only a little and only every other day whilst pond is at 10.c if it dips bellow stop feeding
rgrds
broxandval Fishiedude Flowersmile

wvairman - February 11, 2011 12:26 AM (GMT)
we were near 80° the other day, now temperatures are dipping into the 60's, just awful. Poor treefrogs, they won't be as loud tonight...

sissy - February 11, 2011 01:46 AM (GMT)
frozen frog legs well some think it's food .Been close to 50 and above here chance of snow last night but we got nothing here not even rain worked on pond today and got some of the new filter together so the glue can dry on the pvc ,Need to ask on the bulk head fitting what kind of sealer is better to use so it does not leak sealer for fish tanks or regular sealer the clear stuff I guess silicon sealer

wvairman - February 11, 2011 03:51 AM (GMT)
QUOTE (sissy @ Feb 10 2011, 08:46 PM)
frozen frog legs well some think it's food .Been close to 50 and above here chance of snow last night but we got nothing here not even rain worked on pond today and got some of the new filter together so the glue can dry on the pvc ,Need to ask on the bulk head fitting what kind of sealer is better to use so it does not leak sealer for fish tanks or regular sealer the clear stuff I guess silicon sealer

It depends on how much you need. If you use the kind you attach to the gun GE is good. Many companies no longer say aquarium safe to keep them off the hook but usually are unless stated. My wife manages a hardware store and I have used it before.

sissy - February 11, 2011 02:52 PM (GMT)
ok then I have that kind here already as I had to use it to fix my storm door window after someone tried to break in the house .I used it to put the new safety glass in .So I'm assuming it's the same stuff .I just wondered how long I should let it cure for also as the tube does not say on it .I read it twice and nothing which really makes no sense shouldn't it have a cure time on it or drying time .I think Auntie Ag my biggest fish can smell me every time I come out on the front porch and look over at the pond because she backs her buns out of her nest to come up to the surface of the water to say hello.She is my big cutie.Pee Wee loves to bark at her and all she does is smack her lips at him and he just looks at her and barks again.Wvairman thanks for the u tube link it has been handy for me to figure out a new filter system as it seems hard to find the info on there all together .I think I have looked at it more than 20 times .I am also having problems here getting that bulk head fitting I may have to order it as even plumbing supply places here do not have it .

wvairman - February 12, 2011 03:13 AM (GMT)
you're welcome sissy

sissy - February 14, 2011 04:14 PM (GMT)
well it's getting warmer but I don't think we have come to the end of the winter weather .I hope we are but don't think so .Mama winter has something in store for us yet HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE well water is above 50 and been giving fish a little food with garlic in it and they don't seem to mind it

Lindali - March 21, 2011 09:16 PM (GMT)
Happy Spring everyone! Now is it safe to say the winter is over? :ph43r:

As many of you in the Northeast know we had more than our fair share of storms. During of the first really bad blizzards in December my skimmer/waterfall pump (which I usually run all winter) quit when the power went out. It was the middle of the night and freezing, and I had no idea when the power would go on again (it was dangerous blizzard conditions for the repair crews). I knew if the pipes froze and then the power kicked on it may cause the pipes to burst, so I ran out in the two foot snow drifts, and pulled the plug. Of course since there was no power and no water movement the pond froze over. The power did come back on several hours later, but now I had to wait until I was sure the pipes thawed before starting up the filter. This was the first time in 4 years that I had to shut down the pump all winter, and I was worried! :unsure: To get air to the fish, I purchased a large air pump and airstones, melted a hole in the ice with a pot of boiling water and started a bubbler. We had several more bad snowstorms this winter and I spent a lot of time fretting about my fish (most of whom I could not see) and digging the snowdrifts away from the outlet.

Then, finally the weather cooperated and I had to clean out the smelly, putrid mess that was my biological filter, which sat idle for months. Yuk! :wacko: Everything is up and running again, and the fish seem none the worse for wear! I am looking forward to another fun year of ponding.

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Robyn - March 22, 2011 07:44 PM (GMT)
Last winter, I too had to turn off the waterfall for a few months in the winter. In my case, I accidently stepped on the outlet switch and turned off the pump. When I realized it, it would not restart. Like you, I had to leave the system off until it was safe. The animals pulled through but it's not something I'd want to repeat. I threw an air stone in the pond with a de-icer to keep an opening.

I'm glad things are okay now!




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