[FRUITFULL]

Its happened.The whole pond has frozen over.We turned the pump off for fear of it getting damaged but do we just leave it or poor some boiling water to make a hole?There are about 20 golfish and Koi in there some 20in long.
Last year we never left the pump running but it never froze over either!

[Yabba]

My mate sells these for keeping an area of a pond ice free http://www.aquatics-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/aquarium_supplies_HEATING_EQUIPMENT_187.html

Note : I have no idea how competitive his prices are, but it should give you an idea of what to search for

¥

[jannie]

hi fruitfull, you do need to make a hole and water is the best option,you get a build up of gases so that's what can harm the fish and some people have be known to hit the ice with a hammer and that can kill the fish to,the cheapest way is to put a football on top of the pond and then it keeps a hole in the ice, i dont know where you are but we keep our pump going. hope this helps jan

[tam]

Yes, you need to create a hole. Float a bowl of hot water to melt through the ice. Don't crack the ice to make it. Does the filter not disturb the surface? Usually that's enough to keep an ice free patch. Ours is iced over apart from about a 3' circle out from the filter outlet.

Tam

[FRUITFULL]

We turned the pump off yesterday as the ice was closing in on the pipe and we didnt want to damage it.I will make a hole with warm water and will keep doing that i think as you suggested.The ponds 51/2 ft deep approx and the fish are on the bottom laying still.
Thank you for your help

[Pete C]

Fruitfull, Place a container of warm water on the ice. Don't pour hot water on it. Insulate any exposed pipework to pump. Buy an air pump, but don't place the difuser at the bottom of the pond......one foot down will do. This is so as not to disturb the warmer layer of water at the bottom of the pond.
Check your PM's

[joshwain]

I dont know what to do at the minute but for future times, float a football(big pond) or a tennis ball(smaller pond) on to of the water which will keep moving and prevent the water from freezing....