Pond heater

[cpaharley2008]

Allows birds to drink in winter and provides the indoor cats some entertainment.....

[Ron in BC]

I have mixed feelings about using my pond heater. It does a good job but I worry that it creates a big temperature differential. The fish obviously love it but then they swim a few feet away into freezing water. They're supposed to be dormant at this time of year.

So I just put a small aquarium pump in letting the water shoot up like a water fountain. It keeps a small area clear of ice. Works for me, besides I don't have cats to entertain.

Ron

[cpaharley2008]

It is only 200 watts, not much differential when it is 10 degrees outside.......

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

It is only 200 watts, not much differential when it is 10 degrees outside.......

Isn't it just meant to keep the ice off, so the raccoons can still get dinner?

[WillyB]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Allows birds to drink in winter and provides the indoor cats some entertainment.....

I showed this to my ultimate Cat Lover neighbor today. She calls her bird feeders by the window "Kitty Porn". She said he cries and cries until she opens the curtain every morning.

Cats.....gotta love'em! They are the best ..... and we're a dog family.

[cpaharley2008]

5 cats and one dog household......

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

It is only 200 watts, not much differential when it is 10 degrees outside.......

Mine's adjustable with a max of 300W. They really hang out at the warm spot like the lunch time crowd at Starbucks.

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Isn't it just meant to keep the ice off, so the raccoons can still get dinner?

Well they might be able to see dinner better but the electric fence causes them to loose their appetite.

Ron

[huskersteffy]

We've had a small backyard pond with small comet and shubunkin fish or 15 years or more. It's important to keep a small hole in the ice because:

"In colder climates that freeze over the winter, decomposing vegetation and waste beneath the ice layer releases toxic gases that build up, displacing the oxygen that the fish need to survive. When that O2 is replaced with ammonia and other harmful gases, the result can be a winter fish kill."

We use a small heater like cpaharley2008 as well. Always amazed to see our little aquatic friends when spring rolls around.

[Mike G]

Thankfully we don't get that cold in Tulsa. If we have a brief cold spell, my wife is always replacing ice with warmer water for the chickens, and the wild birds benefit by default.


We have never allowed any of our cats on the kitchen table, though; we always taught them to stay down from the table and countertops. About 20 years ago we had one contrary cuss that refused to learn, though, so we quickly got rid of him.

[Iowa Dave]

Down to a nearby state park today. The Canada geese are keeping the lake open in a couple places.
Other areas have about 14 inches of ice. There were about 20 grumpy old men out on the ice for the evening bite. They hope.
Iowa Dave

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Mike G

Thankfully we don't get that cold in Tulsa. If we have a brief cold spell, my wife is always replacing ice with warmer water for the chickens, and the wild birds benefit by default.


We have never allowed any of our cats on the kitchen table, though; we always taught them to stay down from the table and countertops. About 20 years ago we had one contrary cuss that refused to learn, though, so we quickly got rid of him.

We had cats for many years. The best one I ever had came up to my park truck as I was locking a gate late at night. It jumped into the truck. And I took it home. It was a kitten. I gave it one lesson in not getting on the table. It was gone for a couple days. She came back and lived with us for 14 years. She was small. Tough and never sick. Got cat leukemia. Died in a few days. I was very sad. Had a couple more after that one but she was the best.
Iowa Dave

[Rockhead]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Mine's adjustable with a max of 300W. They really hang out at the warm spot like the lunch time crowd at Starbucks.



Well they might be able to see dinner better but the electric fence causes them to loose their appetite.

Ron

I thought they used the electric fence to cook their catch

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

We had cats for many years. The best one I ever had came up to my park truck as I was locking a gate late at night. It jumped into the truck. And I took it home. It was a kitten. I gave it one lesson in not getting on the table. It was gone for a couple days. She came back and lived with us for 14 years. She was small. Tough and never sick. Got cat leukemia. Died in a few days. I was very sad. Had a couple more after that one but she was the best.
Iowa Dave

We too have lost some great pets and in planning our own demise, purchased plots that have across the street the "pet plots" so that visitors can visit both .....