# pond freezing



## ybs (Nov 7, 2010)

Hi what is the best way to stop a pond from freezing, and if the pond does freeze what should i do.


----------



## Bradley (Aug 26, 2009)

If you have a filter where the water returns will not freeze but other parts could freeze. A pond freezing isnt a problem aslong as there is a hole of no ice. I float a football n my pond in winter and when the pond freezes over I remove the football and I have a hole with no ice!


----------



## Moogloo (Mar 15, 2010)

You can buy pond heaters, it will set you back about £25 and will have afloat on it so that it keeps an area of the pond unfrozen and gives the fish something warm to sit near.

If it does freeze... whatever you do, dont ever smash the ice!! The shockwaves sent through the ice will do the fish no end of damage, if you need to break ice, use hot water!


----------



## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Moogloo said:


> You can buy pond heaters, it will set you back about £25 and will have afloat on it so that it keeps an area of the pond unfrozen and gives the fish something warm to sit near.
> 
> If it does freeze... whatever you do, dont ever smash the ice!! The shockwaves sent through the ice will do the fish no end of damage, if you need to break ice, use hot water!


This.


----------



## benh (Sep 12, 2011)

Bradley said:


> If you have a filter where the water returns will not freeze but other parts could freeze


Unless we have a winter like last one!
I have 2 filters moving 5000 lph a piece, and both froze solid. It dropped to minus 10 that night, in the space of about 2hrs, and i gained 4in of ice that night across the pond, lol. I will be covering them in carpet this year.

I use the football method too, and periodically melt larger holes with the kettle


----------



## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

You can of course spend an absolute fortune heating the whole pond with a big external heater.


----------



## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

ive been told to buy a cheap polytunnel to go over mine. i got in touch with a pond fish rescue and they do the same and advised me to, they cost around £60 for one big enough to go over mine, and theres even with the freezing last year never iced over with the poly tunnel over them. we are saving up to buy one.


----------



## benh (Sep 12, 2011)

goldie1212 said:


> ive been told to buy a cheap polytunnel to go over mine. i got in touch with a pond fish rescue and they do the same and advised me to, they cost around £60 for one big enough to go over mine, and theres even with the freezing last year never iced over with the poly tunnel over them. we are saving up to buy one.


sadly i cant afford a poly tunnel for mine, or know where to buy one, would need a tunnel of about 20ftx16ft, could get pricey i think!


----------



## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

ah, ive found them on ebay, mine needs to be 7ftx12ft, cheapest ive found is around £55.


----------



## spottymint (Oct 3, 2010)

I would advise caution using hot water on a frozen pond, if a hole opens & hot water enters the pond, any fish nearby could be scalded ! 

Never smash the ice, like already said, float a large ball or 2 ontop & remove by day, replace by night.

A bowl of hot water can be sat on the ice, keep an eye on it & don't let it sink (hot water scalds).

Filters will help stop freezing as well, unless really severe weather.

Covers like net/fleece covered in snow are great for stopping ponds freezing, so my advice would be to leave any snow deposits alone.


----------



## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

If your pond is that big you will need a large pump to circulate the water. this circulation will prevent the pond freezing over.
My pond is 15ft x 12ft and i have a 16000l/hr pump and a 5000 lph pump which kept the pond pretty ice free throughout the worst of the weather last winter. You will get ice in the margins where the flow is limited but as long as you have a large ice free area you wil have no problems.

The other option is a heater which will use a whole lot of electric.


----------



## ybs (Nov 7, 2010)

Hi thanks for all your reeplys, iv set the filter just above the water so its like a water fall and i will be putting a football in there.

Andy


----------



## ybs (Nov 7, 2010)

A frend of mine has just phoned me to say he bought a pond on thursday filled it up on friday and bought 6 gold fish today.

He has asked me if i know where he can get a batery powerd pond pump, filter, and (or) heater as he has put the pond at the bottom of his garden and his gargen is a big size.

I have looked on google and i can not find anything.


----------



## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

so the pond at the moment isnt cycled? isnt filtered at all? and hes added fish to it. i hope he dechlorinated the water at least. you wont find a battery powered filter, it will need power to it, a pond with fish needs a filter or the fish will suffer.


----------



## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

ybs said:


> A frend of mine has just phoned me to say he bought a pond on thursday filled it up on friday and bought 6 gold fish today.
> 
> He has asked me if i know where he can get a batery powerd pond pump, filter, and (or) heater as he has put the pond at the bottom of his garden and his gargen is a big size.
> 
> I have looked on google and i can not find anything.


You can't.

The fish will probably die soon.


----------



## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

to the op you can also use bubble wrap over the pond, works a treat


----------



## ybs (Nov 7, 2010)

He says he is going to join this forum as he admits he dont have a clue so watch out.

I have given him a large fish tank, filter and deco, so he can transfer his fish indoors untill he sorts out his elctric.

I also offered to put the fish into my pond untill he sorts it but he did not like that idea.

Thanks for all you replys,


----------



## scottishsany (Nov 5, 2009)

when i had my pond i used the boiling water in a pot and sitting it on the ice just keep a eye on it or put in plastic bottles it works the same as the football:2thumb:


----------



## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

we have now decided against the poly tunnel idea due to the height, and have just bought large heavy duty trellis, and greenhouse insulating bubble wrap, and will make some sort of cover to go over the whole thing, then wrap the filter in plenty of bubble wrap too :2thumb: its come to £55 in total. will be building it all this weekend.


----------



## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

ybs said:


> He says he is going to join this forum as he admits he dont have a clue so watch out.
> 
> I have given him a large fish tank, filter and deco, so he can transfer his fish indoors untill he sorts out his elctric.
> 
> ...


That's good to hear.

I assume they're quite small fish then?


----------



## ybs (Nov 7, 2010)

Yes the fish a smal ish, the tank i gave him is quite big, i will problerly never see it again


----------

