I am hoping you can lead
me in the right direction here. My pond is 10' x 12' the shallow end is roughly
1' to 1 1/2' and slopes to the deeper end at roughly 2' to 3' at the most. My
first question is do i need to keep the pump going all winter? Should i be looking
into buying a heater? I live in the greater kansas city area so at this point
there is no telling how our winter will turn out , but i would hate to lose my
fish! I currently have 4 med/small koi and 6 small goldfish in the pond , do you
think the deep end is going to be enough for these little guys to make it this
winter?
Hi
Amanda, Wide and shallow. Not my favorite kind of pond, but then, Ive got a colony
of raccoons next door...
Shallow water is quick to freeze, and your pond's
deepest area is shallow by koi-keeping standards.
My
experience with pond heaters, especially the "plug in and put into your pond"
type has been universally disappointing. The safe ones tend to be too weak to
be much help and the livestock tank heaters tend to corrode and short out halfway
through the winter, electrocuting your fish.
I'm a huge fan of protection.
Simply covering your pond with a greenhouse construct covered with clear plastic
greenhouse covering is often enough to keep your fish happy and your pond ice-free.
If you have a way of getting water from your pumps into the pond directly
(avoiding streams and falls) you could continue to run your filters through the
winter, but you'll only be getting mechanical filtration. Your bioconversion will
have gone dormant at water temps below 50 degrees.
If you are using submersible
pumps, it's best to pull your pumps and tubing as the water cools down, stop feeding
and blow your lines clear. Do weekly water changes through the winter. All this
works best if your pond is covered. If the winter is particularly cold, get a
small electric oil-filled radiator from your local Home Despot equivalent and
set it under the cover. Versa-Quonset makes a real nice kit, and there's probably
a dealer in your area who'll sell you one.
Bob
