Hi, Mike. My guess is this is the first winter for the pond. In zone five you are likely to get some serious ice and the pond is pretty shallow which makes it more difficult. The waterfall, unless well protected isn't going to stay unfrozen. There simply isn't enough volume going fast enough. There are things you can do, though.

First, you don't want the water to stay too warm. The fishies need to stay cool enough that their body functions slow down to a consistent level rather than bouncing up and down. That can really mess up their digestive systems and kill them. A layer of ice with a hole for gas exchange works quite well to maintain a consistent temperature range, so don't worry about some ice. For this you can use an aquarium bubbler for a large aquarium. It keeps the oxygen levels adequate and circulates the water. A commonly used device is a floating deicer when a bubbler simply isn't enough to maintain a hole. You can buy one or make your own. This is not a heater, it just allows for a small ice free area. There have been several inexpensive DIY deicers discussed on this forum and you can see them by doing a search or asking for examples.

A lot of ponders have used enclosures around their ponds successfully. There are lots of ways to do this. I use a frame from a garden gazebo without the legs. I substituted PVC driven into the ground to hold the top of the frame in place. Then just cover with heavy duty transparent plastic. A good weather proof tape should hold it in place. I tried making a permanent cover but decided it was better to replace it every year. Some have invested in clips designed for greenhouses to hold the plastic in place.

Now for the fishie. It sounds like you have a single Koi. Your pond is pretty small for Koi, even just one, as they get very large surprisingly fast. For Koi, deeper is better since they like to go deep and rise quickly to the surface. In a shallow pond, this means they can often launch themselves entirely out of the pond. Even if they don't do that, they are just better health-wise with a deeper pond. In addition they are schooling fish which means they do better with a companion, even if it is just a comet.

Happy ponding.

Hello Mike
I am also in zone 5. My first pond was preformed about 6x10
about 2' deep I was also concerned about my Koi in my pond
when winter was upon us. Then I thought I know I have a big
shed so I went to an IFA store & bought a watering trough
for livestock and put all 8 of my Koi in there
for the winter put a floating deicer in it put my small pump
in it for water circulation had no problems did that for 5 years before I built my big pond
The key is good water flow & make sure you have an aerator
pump.
And I will Quote what Sleepless said also :)

Hi Mike....you do have a pond thats great....
can't keep my pond going or open in the winter so I have to pull my plants and fish and winter them in the basemant..I am looking for a aquarium big enough to keep them in right now......but am interested in what you learn here......linda

I use a stock tank heater to keep my pond from freezing up over the winter. It only cost about $60 cdn and keeps the water open until about -30 then the top ices over except for a hole above the heater, the ice has never gotten more than 1 1/2" thick. It has a sensor that keeps the water just above freezing. I keep both spillways running all winter and have wintered parrot feather, water hibiscus, and watercress.

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone and the suggestions.

I was even thinking about just pulling the return hose off the pump and just letting that powerful jet of water that would otherwise go through the hose just release directly into the pond in the deepest part. It is so powerful, that the top bubbles up.

What do you think?

I don't think I will need a heater with the water moving that fast and it would keep the fish safe from extreme temperature change since it sits in full sun.

When does one stop feeding your fish? How will my bull frogs survive?

Thanks again and a big FAT hello to Linda!

Mike

How many GPH does your pump put out? My pump puts out 1580 to 1900 GPH, just enough to keep a bore hole through the ice that was the waterfall. That is, if I restrict the flow to one 3inch outlet rather than let it spread out. If the bore hole did freeze shut, the pond would be empty in a little over a half hour.

The main problems with letting the water circulate as you describe would be the reduction in oxygen levels(solved with a bubbler)and stirring up mulm and debris that should either collect in a filter or settle out. I don't know your system so I can't predict what is worse. Also, when you move the water to that extent, you are actually exposing more water to the lower air temperatures, raising the possibility of ice forming. When I started out and was experimenting, I tried to do what you suggest. The result was the formation of a large dome of ice that redirected the circulating water onto the top of the ice that formed elsewhere on the surface and froze solid. By the time I could correct it, there was almost no water remaining under the ice. I almost burned out the pump.

A heater is NOT what you need. A heater tries to warm all the water. A deicer, on the other hand, may have only a quarter inch of free water around it. That is just enough to allow escape of gases that can build up. The main problem with a heater is the cost. It is very expensive to run a heater.

The ice that forms on the pond is not a bad thing. It serves as insulation. In zone 5, I have had about 4-5 inches at the very worst in a 1000 gallon pond. In a 100 gallon preform 15 inches deep, it can freeze solid.

You can stop feeding the fish when the water temperature is consistently below 55oF. Most of the time, the fish will stop eating at those temps anyway.

Providing shelter for the frogs is a thread in itself. I don't have frogs because of too many squirrels, raccoon and too many chemicals on the neighbor's lawns. I recommend starting a new thread after doing a search. From what I can deduce after all that has been posted, your best bet is to have an area close to the pond where there is at least 6 inches of loose soil with a mulch cover. Several times I have discovered them hibernating in bags of potting soil stored over the winter when there was an opening in the bag. They also like the edges of inactive compost piles.

Dang gone it! The box doesn't say but I think it is 500 GPH.Yours puts out a lot!

Would you leave the tube connected and find a way for it to spray right down into the pond disconnected from the waterfalls?
Would you buy a bubbler and attach that? Where can I get one for a 4/3 inch tube?

I am all ears. I find this a bit confusing but will get it. I would be happy if the bottom few inches stayed thawed.
What exactly would you do incase I missed it?

I really appreciate all you have to say, for the tips and your time, trust me:-)

The frogs are all set then:-)

Mike

3/4 inch tubing. lol

You may have seen this on the forum: no two ponds are alike. Even two identical preforms will differ due to environmental factors and the way they are set up. You should observe the systems of your pond and make adjustments accordingly.

I expect my pond to be very different this season since several trees have been removed exposing it more to the wind. Since my pond is 1000 gallons it is much more forgiving than yours will be but I will still need to adjust for the new conditions. I have only run the waterfall all winter for two years of the 9 I've had ponds so I don't have much good data for this winter. I will need to keep a close eye on the water flow to and from the Skippy.

My pump is about adequate for the volume of water in my pond, especially once you consider the rise to the Skippy. There are a number of things that reduce the actual GPH such as head (the vertical distance the water is pumped), the filter type and size if you use a pre-filter, obstructions, and friction through the tubing, not to mention the condition and age of the pump and the diameter of the tubing. My tubing is 2 inches. That is why you need to observe what is going on. If your pump is 500 GPH, it should be quite adequate for your pond but that doesn't mean the tubing will remain unfrozen in zone 5 winters. I doubt the volume of water going through 3/4 inch tubing would be enough to keep the tubing ice free. If the pond or tubing is exposed to the wind, or to sub-zero air temps, it is almost certain to freeze. That makes a waterfall impractical for your pond.

A bubbler/air-pump would be a good investment. Use a bubbler the same size you would use in an aquarium that holds 150 gallons of water. I use a very large aquarium bubbler with two output ports to make sure there are no dead spots and there is enough oxygen in the water. My fish like to swim through the bubbles, especially when they are chasing each other. There are really too many fish for the pond, so it is important to keep the water well oxygenated. The bubbler stays in the pond all year round. There are bubblers available for outside use but they are expensive. If you keep the air-pump enclosed it will do fine. Avoid excessive tubing length.

Until last year, I used a DIY deicer. It is a Rubbermaid tote with the bottom cut out and a 25 watt rough usage light bulb suspended inside, supported on a shelf of Styrofoam with a hole in the middle. One poster suggested placing a net under the bulb in case it breaks. It works very well but doesn't look very pretty so I got a deicer last year that resembles a rock but didn't need to use it since the waterfall was still working. There are other DIY designs that are not so ugly.

There are a lot of options. Your main concern, as I see it would be your fish. Since you may have problems to start with, you may want to consider putting the fish in the garage or inside for this winter. It is not fun trying to rescue your fish in sub-zero temps with a blizzard approaching. A large, new garbage can with a small pump and filter works just fine for fish around 6 inches. Lots of ponders here take their fishies in for the winter.

Sleepless: You gave me a lot to digest and options. I really appreciate that.

I will let you all know what I did and how it turned out this winter. If anyone had anything else to add, please do.

I am going to keep my fingers crossed. I am leaning on the side of only keeping that one fish and keep it in house. The frogs will have to find a way to survive and I will test the method for keeping the pond thaw. If it works, then I will be better prepared next season and get more fish.

Sleepless: Do you have any pics of your pond? It must be beautiful.

Mike

I hope I have been helpful rather than confusing, Mike. As I said, no two ponds are alike and in addition, no two ponders are alike. My pond will never be finished. It is a work in progress and the final image in my head is ever changing so I don't take photos. I know that may seem odd but that is how it is at the moment. Thanks for the interest.

Actually, No Sleepless> By the way, what is your name if you don't mind me asking?

You are one of the nicest people I have met here and I thank you for all your time and in fact everyone else that took the time to help me, although not much! Thanks too for the welcome.

Mike

Thanks for the complement, Mike. I think you will find most people here are pretty nice. Even when we disagree it is rare that we get testy about it. A sense of humor and the ability to laugh at ourselves is almost a prerequisite to survive this forum. That doesn't mean we don't take the problems seriously, especially when it is a newby asking. We were all newbies at one time and a main point of this forum is sharing what we have learned.

Some of the most memorable disagreements and problems here have left me laughing and watching for more.

Happy ponding, Sandy

I realize this thread is ancient, but I'll add one more option. I have a 400ish gallon 2ft deep pond with a Koi and a few comets. I use a 2,000gph pump for a 18in high waterfall. Location is Northern Indiana so it gets cold! I had some on and off ice my first winter...falls kept things open. For the second winter, I bought a 300w submersible heater (not de-icer) and am glad I did as the last few winters have been brutal. I have gone this route for several years now and have not had a problem. No guarantees but that set up works well for me. I also have a nice cave in the deepest part that the fish hang out in all winter.