I’ve usually had my waterfall going in the winter, now seem to have a slow leak. I do have a black doughnut pond heater that keeps a small hole open through the ice to let gases out. Fish seem pretty dormant, so can I just forget about the moving water and trust that the hole letting the gases out is all that is necessary?

Jerry,

I’ve had what I thought was a leak and found it was just an ice dam that allowed water to get over the liner, when things froze just right (or maybe just wrong). Don’t know if it will apply, but it was what my problem was. Never could see it, but found the results.

Jerry the hole is fine and all you should need. I have always truned off my water fall for the winter and have never had a problem.

When I had my pond I never had moving water in winter just the heater. I had never had a problem. You should be ok.

Thanks for the advice guys. I have my small pump going right now, if it clogs up again, I’ll just forget it and keep the donut hole going. Good advice on the LSC forums!

I turn off the big pump for the waterfall and hook up a little aquarium pump with 2 airstones secured to a pop bottle to keep a hole in the ice for the gasses to escape. has worked well for years. (pump is in a covered bucket to keep it out of the elements) Total cost = less than $10.

I keep the water fall going all winter!
The birds love it!
I have had the fall under a ice shell. cool!!!
But you can just have the heater .
I keep one in the pond and if the waterfall fails I just plug in the heater in, easyer than chopping a hole .
Sean

When I had a pond (I gave it to Tony, 'cause it was too much work and I thought I was gonna move), I had a horse trough heater that I kept in it. It was less expensive than a pond heater, drew fewer amps, and worked better than the one I had three years before, and lasted for those three years, where the heater I got from the pond store fried itself halfway through a mild winter.

Just sayin’

So none your into horses now Steve.

Randy McDonald said:
So none your into horses now Steve.:)

Never was, just used horse and buggy tech. :lol: