A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Water Gardens Pond heater?

Does anyone have a favorite type of pond heater? We'll need to put one in soon but would appreciate your opinion.

Sharon

Does a pond really need a heater though? My pond book said that if you don't heat your pond that you can just float a few balls in it so it doesen't freeze over solid in the winter and there is air pockets for the gases to escape out from....so that's what I'm shooting for. I didn't use one last year with the small pond but I brought the goldfish inside then....they are too big and too dirty for that this year so they are on their own, although it does say that if your pond is at least 3 ft deep in a spot that they will overwinter in our climate.

Don't forget everyone, when the temp reaches 40 and below in your water to quit feeding your fish....their digestion system slows down and feeding them can kill them when it's too cold.

i keep my pumps running all year so nothing freezes up. does anyone else?

I'm afraid to keep the pump running all year here in Illinois since the filter is external. Plus I read that if you keep the pump running, it brings the warmer water to the surface and colder water down. I can just see the waterfall as a frozen lump LOL. The fish are already pretty inactive. I sure hope I dug it deep enough! The goldfish are way too big to bring in the house. DH brought in one big snail though. All the froggies disappeared too! We had a giant owl perching on the garage so not too sure if "he" got them or they're already hiding somewhere.

Sharon

I was wondering about that....if that would be harmful to my pump with our frigidly cold temps we get????

Sharon they may just make it.....last year I thought I caught all of my warm water mosquito fish but I guess I didn't because there were some huge ones in the small pond this spring......the small old pond was only 18-20 inches deep and they made it so hopefully your goldfish will too. I hate leaving mine out there but the books say they should be okay.....I hope so because I will be devestated to lose one...they are my pets and I'm attached. My snails are all either gone or dead...I had hundreds this summer...and the froggies hopped away a month or so ago.