thick ice on ponds

ACE · February 04, 2012, 11:40:04

You don't need telling, but keep an eye on the kids. I have just cracked mine with a pick axe to help the air get in and dropped a couple of cheap plastic footballs in to help next time. It is nearly two inches thick, unheard of down this way.

ACE · February 04, 2012, 11:40:04

Nigel B · February 04, 2012, 12:11:39

Quote from: ACE on February 04, 2012, 11:40:04
You don't need telling, but keep an eye on the kids. I have just cracked mine with a pick axe to help...............

Cheers ACE. I just cracked ours too, and it helped tremendously. I've had hardly a peep out of them. ;)

shirlton · February 04, 2012, 14:43:22

Ours doesn't freeze around where the waterfall is apart from when the temperature is really low.Then we float balls or stand a saucepan full of hot water on top until it melts. I wouldn't break the ice on it with anything because of the fish.

ACE · February 04, 2012, 14:59:26

Quote from: shirlton on February 04, 2012, 14:43:22
I wouldn't break the ice on it with anything because of the fish.

The fish are at the bottom 4 feet down in the big pond and 3 feet in the three smaller ponds

Nigel B · February 04, 2012, 15:15:41

My own smallish pond is next to the greenhouse and I run a small fishtank airpump/airstone all year round. It mostly keeps an ice-free area , but even when frozen solid the bubbles soon re-make the hole. I had the idea to grow watercress on a small raft floating on the pond, above an airstone. So far it has worked extremely well. :)

Poolcue · February 04, 2012, 15:18:36

I have stuck a fork in mine for the last couple of days.

lottie lou · February 04, 2012, 16:23:13

Quote from: Nigel B on February 04, 2012, 15:15:41
My own smallish pond is next to the greenhouse and I run a small fishtank airpump/airstone all year round. It mostly keeps an ice-free area , but even when frozen solid the bubbles soon re-make the hole. I had the idea to grow watercress on a small raft floating on the pond, above an airstone. So far it has worked extremely well. :)

What a good idea. What did you make your raft from and what did you grow your watercress in?

Nigel B · February 06, 2012, 12:28:08

Hi Lou,
The raft is made from polystyrene, about a foot or 14" square and an inch or so thick, with a piece of thin ply (which may not be necessary but it hid the white colour of the polystyrene), on the top.
I cut a hole through the middle of the raft, the right size for a net pot to sit in.... and that's it. :)
I have anchored the raft so the air-stone keeps bubbling away directly underneath it.
The watercress came from the supermarket and rooted really easily and without any trouble at all and is growing and growing. :)
I'll try and get pictures later, but for some reason my computer has fallen out with my 'phone and they are no longer speaking...

lottie lou · February 06, 2012, 21:53:00

Quote from: Nigel B on February 06, 2012, 12:28:08
Hi Lou,
The raft is made from polystyrene, about a foot or 14" square and an inch or so thick, with a piece of thin ply (which may not be necessary but it hid the white colour of the polystyrene), on the top.
I cut a hole through the middle of the raft, the right size for a net pot to sit in.... and that's it. :)
I have anchored the raft so the air-stone keeps bubbling away directly underneath it.
The watercress came from the supermarket and rooted really easily and without any trouble at all and is growing and growing. :)

hmmm wonder if it would work in my goldfish bowl.

Nigel B · February 10, 2012, 16:14:16

I have no idea... ;D As long as you supplied some nutrients, or maybe used water from a clean but natural source.. Why not?

caroline7758 · February 10, 2012, 16:41:30

Quote from: Nigel B on February 04, 2012, 12:11:39
Quote from: ACE on February 04, 2012, 11:40:04
You don't need telling, but keep an eye on the kids. I have just cracked mine with a pick axe to help...............
Cheers ACE. I just cracked ours too, and it helped tremendously. I've had hardly a peep out of them. ;)

;D ;D ;D

Coastie · March 04, 2012, 14:49:42

Nigel B, I like this idea. What do you mean by 'net pot'?

Nigel B · March 06, 2012, 16:48:32

Hiya Coastie,
Hmmm. I can see this is going to need pictures.
I'm sure I remember taking some when I'd finished................. Ah! Here they are!
Blimey..... Open.... auto levels..... resize..... upload with flickr......

............. aaaaand......Tadaaa!

Ok. First, its a piece of thin ply approx 14" square, sitting on a piece of polystyrene, with a hole through both....

As you can see, the whole thing is anchored over an airstone sitting at the bottom of the pond (Although to be fair, the watercress seems to grow well enough without the extra air)

The net pot is filled with a little ballast for weight then planted with the watercress

It takes no time at all to root through....

Don't worry about the size of it, it soon fills out and overflows....

Hope this helps ................ :)

Nigel B · March 06, 2012, 19:36:18

Uh oh! No pictures. :(
Can anyone help? I have no idea why they don't show.

Nigel B · March 07, 2012, 19:19:21

Oh dear... The only way to sort this out was by quoting myself. Sorry guys.
Maybe a mod wouldn't mind too much deleting my previous posts.....

Hiya Coastie,
Hmmm. I can see this is going to need pictures.
I'm sure I remember taking some when I'd finished................. Ah! Here they are!
Blimey..... Open.... auto levels..... resize..... upload with flickr......[Edit: Forget that. Re-Load it all up to photobucket]

............. aaaaand......Tadaaa!

Ok. First, its a piece of thin ply approx 14" square, sitting on a piece of polystyrene, with a hole through both....

As you can see, the whole thing is anchored over an airstone sitting at the bottom of the pond (Although to be fair, the watercress seems to grow well enough without the extra air)