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| This is my first winter with a pond. I read up about winterizing. I am looking for ideas on how to keep leaves out of the pond. Do I build a frame or let the netting lay over the pond? Anyone have any good ideas or know of websites that can help me?
Thanks, Ageamd |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| You can just build a simple frame out of PVC pipe to keep the net off of the water and lay netting over the top. It's best to keep the net off of the water surface. |
Here is a link that might be useful: the pond forum
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| This will be my third winter with my little 200 gallon pond. First winter I took all my boys inside, next one they were too big to all fit so I experimented with leaving half in the pond. I never covered it so I got a decent crop of leaves into it. While that is very undesirable, when I was netting some out in late fall (after the leaf drop) I accidental scooped out a frog I had in there. Figuring he needed the leaf cover I left it along. Besides brown water everyone got along fine. In the spring I did change all the water in the annual clean out. Just make sure you have a bubbler in there to keep a hole open. Cold water holds the most oxygen which helps, but you need an open surface to let out the bad air. I hear it is best NOT to put it at the bottom as you want to let the ever so slightly warmer water stay on the bottom. I had mine on the bottom, the fish just hung out on the other end. Last years LI-NY winter was very cold for us but everyone made it thru fine. It is always amazing to see your fish still slowly swimming along under a few inches of ice. |
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- Posted by pashta_2006 Z4 ADK NY (pashta@aol.com) on Wed, Sep 15, 10 at 17:39
| First of all, please tell me about your experiences with mudskippers!!! I have been fascinated by and in love with them since I was a young child and saw them in National Geographic!!! I don't know the size of your pond, but here's a picture of the frame I put over the pond once the leaves start falling faster than I can scoop them out. It is built out of PVC and I sewed a screen over it. Here it is leaning against the fence as I was putting the bubbler in for the winter. I also drape screen over the stream to keep the leaves out of there. I put windows over the pond and a bubbler in it in the winter because of the cold weather, but I don't know if you need that in zone 7. Good luck, |
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| How did you get your wife to let you put screens over the pond like that? Oh, wait a sec, you ARE the wife. |
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- Posted by pashta_2006 Z4 ADK NY (pashta@aol.com) on Thu, Sep 16, 10 at 17:10
| Ernie, Ha, ha, ha ... It is my pond and I do what I want with it unless I beg and plead for my ever-so-patient and helpful Sweetie to jump in (sometimes literally) and help as he did for the skippy filter which I still love, love, love!!!! He also helped me build the screen frame and provided the windows. He has also dug a couple of hard-to-dig holes in this clay/shale ground. Personally he hates ponds and fish, but he will do it for me! :-) |
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| Great idea pashta! My husband won't help me either but he did dig the hole for me and as far as getting in the pond for me thats a big NO! |
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| Last year was my first year and I managed to get through it just fine, but It can be quite nail biting. Just dont let the pond completely freeze over if you are overwintering fish. I just skooped them out with a pool skimmer but I think this year I am going to get a net It might be easyer. Good luck |
Here is a link that might be useful: click here for tips
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| Like the others above, I built a frame out of PVC pipe and arched it over the pond with rebar and stretched the net over it, making sure to leave room along edges for critters to come and go, if needed. I left my pump running all winter which kept a hole open. We had one of the coldest and snowiest winters last year that we've seen in some time. All went well and hoping for the same this year.
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