when to turn pumps off?

[Viggen]

So now that it's getting colder when should I turn my pond pump off for the winter?  I unfortunantly have a nice leak somewhere thus the sooner the better for shutting it down.  However I do not know when the proper time is

 

[REDPYRO]

i never turn off, just disable the waterfall and continue to run the pump to keep the top from completely freezing over.  I have had good luck and little loss of fish.

[scott wilson]

i never turn off, just disable the waterfall and continue to run the pump to keep the top from completely freezing over.  I have had good luck and little loss of fish.

dito

[Viggen]

my pump runs the waterfall thus I need to shut it down   If I didn't have a leak I would keep it running however since the water leaks -somewhere- I need to shut it down.

I do have 1 of those heater thingys that I throw on the lower pond to keep a hole for gasses.  The upper pond I do not have power there thus it freezes over.

 

[ohioreef]

I kept mine running all last winter and had no loss of fish at all.

[REDPYRO]

unhook from waterrfal and just circulate pond

[Slicktrax]

if you cant disconnect the waterfall, throw an old submersible pump in the pond with the flow straight up at the surface.  this will keep agitated enough to keep the fish going.  my little pond will freeze over completely at times, but the pump will open a hole in the ice as soon as the temp gets close to freezing.

[Secondgen]

I agree, the only thing you have to do for winter is keep the pond from freezing completely over to allow for the gas exchange to happen. I have also heard of some people floating a ball in the water all winter.

[Viggen]

this (hopefully) is a pic of my ponds.  The closes pond is where the mag36 is which pumps water 30 or so feet to the waterfall which you can see in the far back of the pic.  It's a stack of rocks that you see.  If I disconnect the mag36 wouldn't that be to much flow for the pond?  Last year I just threw one of the floating heaters which keeps a hole in the lower pond.  The othe pond freezes over becuase I do not have power there but everyone made it last year.



I guess since I do have extra powerheads from the fish tanks that I could just run a extension cord to the back pond to keep the water circulating

[Slicktrax]

a mag36 may be a bit much depending on depth.  my pump puts just enough pressure out (about 24" depth) to keep a gentle ripple on the surface.

[Secondgen]

Your floating heater will do the job just fine Viggen. I know I have lost fish due to running the pumps all winter because their metabolism slows way down and they go into like a zombie state. Once they are in this state they can easily be sucked up by the pump.

[Secondgen]

You have a really nice looking yard by the way.

[Joel]

When we get some cold enough weather that your getting ice, shut it off at that time, Normally november - ish or so. Put your de-icer in the pond that contains the fish and all will be fine.

[slandis3]

I ran my waterfall all last winter but most of the homemade waterfall box is inground.

[Secondgen]

What did you use to make a homemade waterfall?

[slandis3]

well my current pond is small. Its only 160g drop  in hard liner. I took an old 5gal hex aquarium from walmart and cut one side about half way down. i took the peice i cut out and glued it back in laying flat. then i installed a bulk head at the bottom for the water to enter. I think someone told me they used rubber maid toats from walmart before. this would work as well it you renforced the sides.

[Viggen]

You have a really nice looking yard by the way.

thanks    I purchased the place about 3yrs ago as a foreclosure.... thus the place was a complete dump!!  95 gallons of paint later..... & also after removing 1700+lbs of weeds from the back yard its slowly coming around.  I think the yard was done in  the late 80's & due to the leaking ponds, it's going to be time to make it bigger

thanks for the info everyone!  Sometime in Nov it is