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air pumps and stones for winter
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Posted by jscope399 (My Page) on Sat, Dec 6, 08 at 7:49
| CAN SOMEONE SHOW ME HOW TO INSTALL A AIR PUMP FOR THE WINTER
I AM USING A POND HEATER AND THE BILL IS KILLING ME
I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO INSTALL ONE AND I HAVE A POND ABOUT
4X8 40 IN DEEP ,,, HOW BIG OF A PUMP DO I HAVE TO GET A PICTURE WOULD BE GREAT .L
THANKS
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| I purchase a Tetra Whisper Air Pump for 30-60 Gallon aquariums at Walmart last year. I think the price was around $20. The pump has two outputs, so I purchased two 14 inch bubble stones and the tubing to connect them. Last winter I tied some nylon line (from my weed wacker) to the stones and suspended them about 8 inches below the surface of the pond. It kept a nice opening in the ice all winter. The air pumps are intended for indoor aquariums and are not waterproof. You will have to cover the pump to keep it from getting wet. Use something that will keep rain and snow away from the pump while allowing air in. A plastic container with a few air holes will work fine. ** Disclaimer **
Last year was kind of mild, so I don't know if the air stone will maintain a surface hole during extreme cold weather. I have a stock tank heater as a backup. |
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| I ditto johnkr. I used a whisper pump for several years to keep the ice a bay. I just sat the air stones on something 12" from the surface so the water has a good roll to it. Blocks or upside down pots just keep it close to the surface. I live in zone 4 so we get pretty cold for long spells and this method never failed me. I just made sure there was a new pump handy In case one failed. your on the right track. Just do it! |
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| If you want to pump deep, Medo Linear piston pumps are the best. They are expensive but are very energy efficient and last for ever. They are not to be confused with a linear diaphram pump. |
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| Ichthius, The Metro Linear pumps are over 10 time the price of an aquarium pump and the aquarium pump is over 10 time more efficient. My pump runs on 4 watts. The appeal of the aquarium pump is the low cost and a history of performance. |
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| jscope...There was a thread about this in November. the link is below. |
Here is a link that might be useful: air stones in winter
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| I have now up graded to a larger pump, it is a pondmaster 60. It runs 24/7. Keeping 2 14OO+ Gal. ponds in air. Very cost effective and plenty of air at all times. My small pond still has a whisper pump going 24/7 also. Bigger is not always better. Just seems to cost us more. |
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| We use an air stone to keep a hole in our pond ice in the winter. It works most of the time, however, like last year, it will occasionally get cold enough that you will have to use the heater to keep a hole open. We just put it in when the ice freezes over until it warms up a bit and the bubbler can keep up with it. It saves a lot of electric. We have the airstone working now at 18 degrees. |
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| My airstone Meijer brand aquairum pump ($15) is working like a champ. Air temp was below 19F, and pond iced over, except where bubbles were. |
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| WELL THE AIR STONES ARE NOT HOLDING UP TOO GOOD HAD TO GO OUT AND OPEN HOLE.. THEY ARE BUBBLING BUT THE ICE IS FORMED AROUND THEM SHOULD I BRING THEM CLOSER TO THE TOP OF THE POND ... THEY ARE ABOUT 8 IN DOWN NOW OR MAYBE 12 |
RE: air pumps and stones for winter
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| Good God man, take off the "all caps". And stop asking the same questions in multiple threads. |
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