Heater for outdoor pond

[Koyfam16]

I have an outdoor pond about 400 gallons and would like to place a heater in there.
In the pond are about 20 comet goldfish.
So far only the top has frozen over. I know this because miraculously the pump is still running

I am not sure how much wattage I would need but I guess the bigger the better.

Anyone have anything in the Nassau area let me know.

Thanks
Edge

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

You need to just buy a pond heater ring
They only defrost the water by the ring so it can release bad gas and get oxygen
Nobody uses a Aquarium heater on a pond because it will never shut off, they do make big inline heaters for like $1k but meant for bigger ponds
I would try not to crack the ice since bad for fish hearing but you need to have some opening before they all die

 

[Koyfam16]

Thanks Jarrett. I will look for one at local pet stores or maybe buy online.

Right now the waterfall is still running so there is an opening where the water hits the pond so fish should still be getting oxygen.

Once I get the heater I will drop it in then I will shut off the pump.

Thanks for the info.

 

[e.muehlbauer]

I used to keep a small pond in my garden with comets. I never did anything in winter...it would freeze over, sometimes to a few inches in severe winters, but the fish were still there in the spring. As long as the pond has at least some parts 18" deep, there will be enough water for the fish to survive. Unfortunately, the pond was destroyed by raccoons...literally....they tore the liner... I really miss it.

 

[Koyfam16]

Oh cool. The deepest part of the pond is 24" and I doubt it will freeze that deep.

I just ordered a 250 watt de icer from fosters and smith.

At least I will always have it and I'll feel better shutting off the pump.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Running water might be ok but I did that one year and we had 20deg weather for 3 weeks straight and all my plumbing broke so I would shut down and blow out all lines

 

[Koyfam16]

Good idea. Deicer should be here this week. I'll shut off the pump.

Not sure how I'll blow out the line now though. Once the ice melts I'll disconnect the line and just drain it. It's a corrugated type line, 1.5" I think. I might just replace it in the spring as the previous owners on the house didn't run it discreetly and I think it has a few pin size holes that they sealed up.

 

[Fishinizer]

Don't worry about the heater it's just going to be a crazy electric is that you do get a five dollar Terrastone break the hole in the ice put in the air stone and just cover up the pump so that it can't damp and burnout this will create oxygen in the water and will not let the ice on top of the pond to freeze so the fish can get oxygen or go up to the surface if needed which isn't necessary since once again they are. In hibernation mode

 

[Koyfam16]

Ok thanks for the advice.

 

[Fishinizer]

Ok thanks for the advice.

Your welcome

 

[NYreefNoob]

http://www.123ponds.com/seasonal-po...tm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=Heaters-Deicers-JF

no air pump is going to keep a small pond from freezing on top

 

[Fishinizer]

http://www.123ponds.com/seasonal-po...tm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=Heaters-Deicers-JF

no air pump is going to keep a small pond from freezing on top

Do you have a pond? Moving water can't freeze it's logic

 

[KathyC]

These shouldn't be discussion threads..but since we're way off the mark already...


1- Never break the ice with anything in a Pond, you can easily kill the fish that way.


2- a 100W pond de-icer ring is all you need to keep an opening in the ice. Even if it is already frozen over, just lay it on the ice and it will thaw in that area.


3- your waterfall & pumps should ABSOLUTELT NOT BE ON at this time of year!!! All you are doing is making ALL of the water in the pond even colder. The water at the TOP should be the coldest..and as you go deeper each few inches further down is a few degrees warmer. The fish should be sitting at the bottom where the 'warmest' water is.


4- disconnect the pump from the waterfall and remove it ASAP..if you have any lines that break..just repair them in the spring. It's supposed to warm up this weekend ..you should be able to drain the lines then. I've never 'blown' out my lines and have had a pond here for many, many years. I just use gravity


5- a small airpump..like they use in FW tanks can be hooked up to an airline & airstone . Doing so WILL keep an opening in water ice forms.
Only submerge the airstone a few inches (if you hook it to something heavy & drop it to the bottom of the pump - the same effect of chilling ALL of the water will take place.) You can hook it to anything heavy with a hole in it - that is pond safe - but leave enough airline on the air stone end, so it floats up closer to the surface. Those bricks that have multiple round holes in them are handy for this.
Do be sure to protect the air pump from the elements..my air supply is inside of a vented salt bucket


6- 20 comets in a 400G pond is severely overstocked.


7- a question...can we assume that you have stopped feeding the fish for at least the last month or two?

 

[Koyfam16]

Thanks all for the suggestion

Kathy, sorry for this being off topic. You make great points.

Regarding the feeding and overstocking, we recently acquired the house and the pond including the inhabitants were there already. I stopped feeding when the temps dropped to about 50 degrees.

There is no way to take the pump out yet but def this weekend when it warms up. I didn't consider that I was making the entire pond cold. Yikes. Hope the fish are ok. Will taking the pump out disturb them?

The deicer will come this week and I will connect it up.

Thanks everyone.

 

[KathyC]

Thanks all for the suggestion

Kathy, sorry for this being off topic. You make great points.

Regarding the feeding and overstocking, we recently acquired the house and the pond including the inhabitants were there already. I stopped feeding when the temps dropped to about 50 degrees.

There is no way to take the pump out yet but def this weekend when it warms up. I didn't consider that I was making the entire pond cold. Yikes. Hope the fish are ok. Will taking the pump out disturb them?

The deicer will come this week and I will connect it up.

Thanks everyone.

Thanks..the point was this is a Want To Buy thread..lol
We do have a Freshwater Forum if you use the drop down menu..there are a number of pond discussions on there if you want to keep it going (and lots of pics in there too!) Quite a few pond keepers on here




It's going to be so cold for the next couple of days/nights..the waterfall may freeze entirely on it's own and destroy your pump - hence one of the reasons I suggested turning it off asap. The other by it making your entire pond so much colder.
I asked where you live as I have an extra pond deicer you could borrow until yours arrives
The fish would be a whole lot happier if you turn it off and get a bubbler going (which will also keep a hole in the ice btw..so add an air pump & stone & tubing to your shopping list


Good on the stopping feeding around 50 degrees (45 would be ok too..and we had an odd Fall temp wise)

 

[Koyfam16]

Thanks I'm in Hicksville. I just shut off the pump.

 

[KathyC]

I sent you an RB

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Good idea. Deicer should be here this week. I'll shut off the pump.

Not sure how I'll blow out the line now though. Once the ice melts I'll disconnect the line and just drain it. It's a corrugated type line, 1.5" I think. I might just replace it in the spring as the previous owners on the house didn't run it discreetly and I think it has a few pin size holes that they sealed up.

If you have a shop vac I use the discharge side to blow out the lines or you can vacuum water out

 

[KathyC]

If you have a shop vac I use the discharge side to blow out the lines or you can vacuum water out

Great idea Jarrett !

 

[Fishinizer]

If you have a shop vac I use the discharge side to blow out the lines or you can vacuum water out

I'd wait all that pressure in the cold is bound to make them crack. And great advice couldn't have said it better you went all out.