Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations de icing a pond

I built a 80'x 115' 5-6' deep pond this summer. We had some early cold weather this year and the pond is now locked up. Has about 2"-3" of ice. Looking to open it back up. I have a 3" trash pump that pumps about 300 gallons a minute. Will taking water from under the ice and pumping it on top eventually open the pond back up?
Don't want to invest in an ice eater this year. Do you think pumping water on top will work? If not any other suggestions to open pond back up.
The pond does have a liner in it. I also have a 1hp pool pump I can use to keep it open once it has been re opened. Thanks for any info

Well, living in Hawaii, the only experience I have with ice is when it makes a guest appearance in my bourbon. I do know that one benefit of an aerator is that it will prevent a certain area of its coverage from icing up.

No, pumping water on top will only make ice thicker, UNLESS maybe you do this on a warm day. I know this from watching ice road truckers that is how they make ice thick enough to drive trucks on.

On a day that is above freezing it would still take a lot of pumping from the bottom water to open it up.

I think it would be wasting your time.
Why do you want to do this?
Do you have any fish in it because some of the only fish that would survive mixing will be trout.

if you have aeration turn it on and before you know it your pond will be nearly open! I have no reason to de-ice my pond fish wise but durring freeze up I turn on my aeration and pull the diffusers closer to shore. My reason for doing this is each winter I have a group of deer that feed at my food plot next to my pond but they leave for the winter as soon as the can't break thru the ice for water. Its amaazing that one day I will have 10 deer that seem happy, the next day the water freezes and they can't break thru and they are gone for the next 4 months!

In the winter of 2011 I had 22" of ice and a good foot of snow cover and I was worried about having a fish kill so I turned on the aeration at 8am in the morning, by noon the pond was starting to open up and by 5pm I had 30' circles that were open. Keep in mind though that this can be very dangerous for dogs, wildlife or humans though because the ice actually tapers like a knife blade because of the turbulance and constant movement of the water eating away the ice.

Ryan

I want to keep it open for the waterfowl in the area. The only fish I have are some bullhead, minnows and a few sunfish. The water will be spraying from my trash pump not just being pumped on. I watched a bunch of videos on Youtube about ice eaters and it will be almost the same thing. In 24 hours I can re-circulate just over a half million gallons of water. Hoping that does something. If not next year I will buy an ice eater. Unfortunately I spent too much money on the pond this year already. Running power to my pond is first on the list next year. Figured I'd ask for some opinions.

If you just want a small hole opened up you could do like farmers have done for many years to let their cattle get a drink. Take an ax and chop a hole in the ice near the shore. Have seen my dad do this every day for all the part of winter the ice was frozen over. Careful not to cut your liner though.

Once you have a small hole open I would think your water pumping would be more effective.

Just a thought.

Why not run a form of aeration/diffuser? Is that what an ice eater is?

Waterfowl hunters use these to keep the ice open for for hunting, basically a shallow water horizontal aerator.

http://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-ICE4S

If you have enough extension cords, go to the pet store and grab the biggest submersible aquarium heater you can find. They will open a surprising amount of water, especially if placed near a portion of water sheltered from wind. It doesn't need to be deep down, the convection around the heater will provide circulation.

It wont clear a whole pond that size, but a guess would say a 250W heater will knock a 20x20 or more hole in the ice unless it is below 20F with wind.

I cleared off an entire 10x6 garden pond in the middle of January with a 100W heater, and it was very cold at the time. I tried to save the frogs and failed when the power went out, and it froze right back up.

Believe me I would love an ice eater. But 700 dollars plus a generator and fuel, not happening this year.
The closest power source is 450ft away. Extensions cords wont work. Running power to pond next year. I did cut a small hole in the ice and started pumping with my trash pump. Its been running for about 5 hours and had to move it around some but I have less than half of the pond open. I don't need the whole thing open just a nice hole. I'm thinking by tomorrow especially with heavy rain it should be where I need it.

You can put a bottom diffuser in there and push air the 450 feet from where the power is. One diffuser will keep an area open about 40' in diameter.

Would you mind posting a link for a diffuser. Not really sure what it is. I have a blower I use for blowing out inground pool lines for winterization. Would you mind giving me some more info on what I would need? thank You!

I sent you a PM on the diffuser and info.

I ended up buying that ice eater. Early xmas present for myself. Thanks to Esshup for all the help with the diffuser option.

That ice eater will give you years of good hunting opportunities! A buddy said he's planning on flooding a field on the farm. He thinks it will be around 2 acres, I think it will be around 40. We'll see!!

I'm hoping. Figured I would do the ice eater option because I can travel around with it. The diffuser option basically keeps me just at my pond... I wish I had a field to flood. Your buddy is going have some sweet hunts. I'm jealous. I will travel! Thanks again for the help.

Black pond dye helps big time on my pond in winter. Every time it freezes the sun melts it quick.Snow on top of ice is different story.

I have used those ice machines for hunting before. They really work keeping the water moving but they arent cheap.

Ice eater is working out great. Keeps about 75% open water. Waterfowl like it so far. Well some do anyways.
Since most of my pond is open now, I will just be running the ice eater at night.

Wait a few days. You'll have to run it 24/7 with the temps coming your way. I was in Colorado and it was -21°F Thurs morning, and driving home last night it was right above 0°F to -8°F until we hit St. Louis this morning.

I saw tons of geese, but few ducks on the drive.

Yes the real cold will be here by the weekend. Just about all birds have left the area now and the new birds will most likely just pass over the area. So that's a wrap with the ice eater for the season. No reason to keep it running. Oh well. Got a few good hunts out of it. Ice fishing soon.

We have local birds (and migrators) that will stop at any open water until past the end of season. Resident Canada Geese will congregate around any open water all year long.

Once the lakes freeze the local geese in my area head to the river. Most the migrators coming through this time of year are sticking to our river systems as they migrate south. Not saying no chance any migrators will stop by but the season closes 21st and birds are few and far between at this point. Not worth almost 20 bucks a day in gas to run generator. Plus the open water from the ice eater is getting smaller everyday as temps drop well below freezing.