Environmental
Issues |
Fish Ponds |
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Breaking The Ice When Winter comes there is little to do to the fish pond as all life has slowed down with the cold and the fish just lie on the bottom of the pool in a torpor. Even with global warming and the milder winters we have had the last few years we still get one, or two nights of hard frost which can freeze the pond over with a thick layer of ice. If the ice lasts for a day or so it will not cause any problems because the water will hold enough dissolved oxygen for the fish to live on, but if it lasts for any longer then steps should be taken to make an air hole. This should not be done using a hammer to break the ice as the shock waves may harm the fish. Nor should a fork be used as this may puncture the pool. The best way to keep a hole free is with a pool heater. These are very low power and only need to be turned on, on the coldest of nights. Typically they use the same power as an old fashioned light bulb. They do not heat the whole pool, but just raise the temperature in a small patch of water a degree or two, so that it does not freeze.
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