Hey Guys,
I met some of you at the conference and wow what an amazing event. Everyone was friendly, helpful and took the time out to answer questions. I really liked the panel of 8 for aeration.
So here’s my question if I may…

I built a pond a few years ago and fell head over heels in love with it once it was done, along with the Lil Honey, Friends and Family.

I added a deck this year and only have a 1” from the bottom of the deck to the water’s surface. No biggie but we get ice and degrees at times below zero for a week or a few weeks and could last for a couple months.

My concern was the deck lifting from the ice. So I thought just move the aerator to under the deck, it runs at night and so far it melts thru the ice each night when it comes on. A freeze over during the day and then night time melts off.

[img]http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatpond/4207031579/[/img] Should I continue using the aerator nightly or run constantly or set up a submersible pump to move the water and keep from freezing and lifting the deck. I read the post about aeration and concerns of cooling the pond and found this past spring I had more fish dead, four Blue gill but not sure if they were the hybrid or not, One Koi, one perch, because I left the aerator at the deepest area of the pond is my guess? Along with that thought it took a long time this spring to warm up and if it did and cooled down again in a few days…

Here is a [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_A3JAdPjuI][/url] video of the deck I built early this Spring, Ok don't laugh too hard, but I got it done and is a great addition.Below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_A3JAdPjuI

PS. I know ya'll don't want Koi in your ponds but they do help out with the kids and women being more attracted to the pond. So hint ,hint if your trying to get one built...
Hey Bob your interview should be coming first of the year, Thank You.

I have considered the same sort of thing Darrel, the ice here would ruin any dock that isn't very securely anchored to the bottom. The wind is also particularly strong here and an acre of ice heaving and pulling on the dock would be a lot of strain. I live 30 miles or so from Erie, have a Cambridge Springs address, where abouts are you located?

If you run the aerator like you've been doing, I don't think the little bit of ice that forms during the day will cause any problems.

How is the dock anchored to the bottom of the pond?

Hello JoeG,

I am 2 miles south of the Casino off of 97.
Thanks for the reminder I forgot about the ice moving with the wind, seen that last year. Pretty amazing to watch that huge slab of ice moving around.

Hi esshup,

Thank you I'll let it go as is for now.

I put a link in the post to a video when I built the deck.
There are 6x6 in the corners on shore then 4, 4x4's pounded into the bottom of the pond about 2' deep. Along with 2 kind of
"T" bars pounded in the pond so the deck couldn't sink.

That's what I came up with at the time.

Thank you again

Hey Darrell~
We sell a lot of aeration systems for dock de-icing. It sounds like you are doing the right thing by pulling the diffuser close to your dock. I have seen some problems in the extreme north (Canada) where internal compressor parts shatter which we believe is caused by running the system on and off which when on creates heat, and then being turned off, condensation freezes and eventually the plastic becomes brittle. This is rare, but I usually recomend to run the system continuously in shallow water. The way your pond is U-shaped, you shouldn't need to worry about losing fish due to aeration where the dock is located.

I prefer using a circulator set almost horizontally. It pulls warmer water from just under the ice rather than moving warm bottom water up to the surface.

I use a Kasco 1/2hp circulator with a temperature/time controller. It only runs when the air temperature is below 25 degrees and then only from 4PM to 8AM. This keeps a small area open without affecting the water temperatures elsewhere in the pond. Since the circulator is in the water it remains at a stable temperature so on and off cycles during sub-zero temperatures are not an issue.

I have driven by your area many times Darrel, I worked on the casino property when it was being built and graded much of the roadway there when 97 was widened too. If you take the flats road thru Mill Village and keep on going you are basically heading towards my place. I live about 4 miles from the pheasant farm.

I haven't built a dock yet but the aeration or circulation idea is something I plan to incorporate to keep my dock in place when I do build one.

Hey Sue,
Thank You for the information. At least now I'm thinking of running it full time come first of the year. So far not too bad of temps. and the ice melts off each night. I'm in 5' of water now and will move it to under the middle of the deck at about 3' deep.
Thank you again and Have an Awesome Holiday season
Darrell

PS. Is your dock de-icing units the same the your pond aeration units?

Hi Dwight,

You have a great set up there. If something should happen to the aerator I will definitely put my little pump in to keep the ice clear. I think it's a pond master mag drive 1800 gallon an hour. Should do the trick of keeping the water moving.
Thank you the great input as well.
Have an awesome Holiday Season
Darrell

Hey JoeG,

That's cool we live so close to one another. I am heading out that way tonight. Thru Mill Village and keep left. Christmas eve family dinner at my Aunt's on Sturgis rd. Have you ever heard of the rodeo that happens out there?
Have a awesome Holiday season and when your ready to do your deck give me a shout.
Darrell

I think I have vaguely heard of such a rodeo, keeping left out of the village puts you on the Old Meadville Road if I remember right, not sure where Sturgis Rd. is located though. It is funny how small the world can get at times isn't it??

What species of fish do you have in your pond?? I have yellow perch and fat heads in mine, this year will be my first spawn but I have 2 year classes of perch in it and some have reached ten inches this year.

Yes it is a small world after all, so I would stay to the right?

As for fish species I know Ya'll will be picking on me but hey I was new and learned so much more at the conference.

Anyways when we added fish the list is as follows:
12 Koi
10 Hybrid Striped Bass
10 Yellow Perch
10 Blue Gill
All of the above where similar in size.
Last spring we added 2 pounds of fat heads.
Also this past spring we saw the perch had spawned and later in the summer the little ones came up for the pellet food, that was cool to see.

Yeah if you stay right and follow that road all the way over the top of the hill to the next "y" there is a stop sign, you will then be in front of the Rockdale Twp building, take the left and stay on that road to the next stop sign, right and a half mile you will be in front of my house.

No one should pick on you unless they are paying the bills. Sounds like you have a nice mix of fish, your HSB should be doing well with all the little fish to eat. I plan to harvest 50 fish thru the ice this year if I can, and between removing egg strands next year, adding more FH from my forage pond, feeding, and heavy culling, I hope next year the perch harvest will double or triple. I am considering some HSB and a few Walleye for novelty fish too.