Topic: Ponds and Cold Weather

[Garden Manager]

With all this cold weather around at the moment i was wondering how peoples' ponds were faring and what if anything have you been doing to keep at least part of it clear of ice (allowing pond life to breathe and birds to drink and bathe)?

I have a relatively small wildlife pond that has not fared that well in this recent freeze up. I have tried very hard to keep a couple of holes in the ice clear, using a half filled plastic bottle in the deep bit, a plant pot in the shallows and a plant saucer/drip tray to provide a drinking station for birds. These have gradually been frozen in situ as the ice got thicker and thicker and the pond is now almost totally ice bound. i don't know what more i could have done/can do to keep even a small section clear of ice.

They say you can use a large inflatable ball (e.g. a football) to keep an area clear and allow the pond to breathe but I haven't got such a thing and am not convinced that this would work, particularly in a deep freeze such as this one.

My main concern is not providing drinking water for birds via the pond (I have a bird bath for that elsewhere), its more the pond itself and what might be living in it that is the main concern. I fear anything in there will be killed even right down in the unfrozen depths through suffocation rather than cold.

Any advice please?

[Ishard]

Ok here's what I do with my 3 ponds.

Normally I advocate in winter that the water return pipe (from the filter)  is placed under the surface (and waterfalls be bypassed) in winter because of the air temp super cooling the water, however, when faced with the pond possibly freezing I suggest that the out pipe is allowed to splash into the water to
keep an air hole in the ice.

You MUST check every morning that the pond hasn't frozen over and the water hasn't been pumped out above the ice so that the pond is actually empty underneath the ice. To prevent the emptying of the pond place the pump off the bottom of the pond onto a shelf or wooden box, I don't advocate bricks because of the possible lime leach from them. In a 'normal' winter with not so much freezing you shouldn't take the pump from the bottom of the pond as the fish will then live in still water that allows anaerobic bacteria to grow.

I also add salt to the water as salinated water freezes at a lower temp.

If you don't have a pump then use a/several kettle full of boiling water once per day to melt an ice hole

DO NOT break the ice on a pond as the resultant shock can kill the fish

[Sinbad7]

I was worrying about my fish pond but a friend sent me this email, so I am hoping they have it right.

The big freeze, which has led to many of the UK's ponds freezing over, may benefit animals living beneath the surface.

Received wisdom says that pond owners should break a hole in the ice to allow oxygen to reach the water.

But new research by conservation charity Pond Conservation has shown the opposite is true.

Oxygen levels can actually rise in a frozen-over pond, benefiting the animals and plants living beneath

The link is http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8451000/8451711.stm

Sinbad

[Garden Manager]

I don't have a pump or fish in my pond as its primarily a wildlife pond. Not sure if adding salt would do the wildlife much good.

Now its got a little milder i have been able to remove the bottle i had put in there it keep a hole in the ice.  on doing so a small frog appeared in the hole, evidently it had been 'hanging around' near the bottle to get more air, so it must have been working. The frog stayed in the hole so i could not replace the bottle!

I cant see how there can be more air/oxygen in a pond that is totally frozen over though. Surely anything living in there needs oxygen in some form and would quickly use it up if no more fresh oxygen could get in. It would be the equivalent of on of us trying to live in a sealed box surely? That said most ponds and water ways outside of gardens don't have someone making holed in the ice to let in air so i don't know really.

[Sinbad7]

The Link my friend sent me, when he read further on, it doesn't apply to fish.  Sorry if I misled anyone.

[Lady of the Land]

I have a waterfall and also a fountain in the pond all of which I keep running over the winter which helps to keep an open area in the pond. As it has been so cold for so long the water coming from the fountain was gradually freezing on the edge of the hole making the ice very thick. The hole was also becoming smaller. A few days ago i spent some time taking kettles full of boiling water plus hot water from tap and pouing over edge of ice and made the hole larger. The weather has been slightly wamer over the last 3 days Oo C - + 1oC during the day so that has also allowed a little of the ice to melt as well.

[Mark /\]

This is my third winter with a pond and I keep my pump running all winter.
I have stood the pump on a plastic milk crate so its not on the pond bottom.

It was a good job really as over the Xmas holidays I noticed the water had
dropped about 10 inches in one night. I thought I had a leak but when I checked everything over it was just leaves and dead plants blocking the waterfall. so it was
spilling over the edges and draining away.

So still keep checking your ponds and waterfalls.

Oh and by the way I hope these minus temps we've had for weeks on end
have killed lots of slugs and snails because my small veg patch in my
garden was decimated by them. Lol ;D

[Vinlander]

I have a football in the pond - but that doesn't help the oxygen situation much - seems to mainly help to let the ice expand without pushing at the edges (would be a problem for me - pond is on a slope with a wall holding in 1/4 of perimeter).

It's worth melting (not breaking) a hole in the ice for your fish - best to place a pan on the ice and pour in hot water.

Put an old plastic bucket over it to stop too much heat escaping upwards.