How can I stop my garden ponds from freezing ?

I have five ponds ranging from 20x10 feet to 3x3 feet with depth to 4 feet. During the recent cold spell the ice has been 4/6 inches thick and I have spent hours with hot kettles melting the ice which has attracted the fish to the holes.Footballs floating on the top have not worked!
Question asked by: Maytime

Asked on: 11 Jan 2009

There is nothing you can do in really cold weather to stop ponds freezing when they have living creatures in (which most do); for instance you can't add impurities to lower the freezing point because this can kill the fish in the pond, so don't go pouring salt in for instance!

However, the method you outlined is actually the best one, but you will need more. If you buy ten or so cheap tennis balls and put them around the pond then it will mean that there are some air pockets as long as you ensure the ball is embedded below the surface. Take them out during the day when it is warmer and you will see a circular hole, put back in at night and you'll have ten pockets of air in the pond at all times.
By: knowitall
Replied at: 18 Jan 2009
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