Every year we get asked what’s the use of a deicer? Why can’t I just keep my pump running? Won’t my aerator be enough? And my favorite statement “I’ve been told my fish can freeze and then once they thaw in the Spring they’ll be fine.” Really so you can’t freeze to death?
Let’s start with the idea of keeping your pump running during the winter. Since water temperature inverts in the winter it is recommended that you raise your pump close to the surface so you don’t mix the colder surface water with the warmer water that your fish are hibernating in. Most pumps need to be cleaned once in a while because debris clogs the intake. Are you willing to stick your arm in that freezing water to clean it? What happens if the cord gets frozen in the ice, how do you get it out to clean it? Most pumps cost somewhere around $100 on up to purchase and deicers $40ish. I would rather store my pump and let the deicer do its job.
An aerator is an extremely useful item and to us highly recommended for the health of your pond and fish. We use aerators year round. In the summer my air stones are on the bottom of the pond and in the winter they are 6-8 inches from the surface of the pond. Aerators add oxygen and in a mild winter could keep a hole in the ice but only if it’s mild. If it turns into a nasty cold winter the ice will form and you will not be able to get a hole without using a hand auger or pot of hot water. Even with oxygen being added by an aerator, your fish could still suffocate because the gases can’t exchange without a hole in the ice. We prefer to be safe not sorry by using both an aerator and a deicer.
My favorite statement is next. “If my fish freeze they will thaw and come back to life in the Spring.” What?? Do you really think that? No fish cannot freeze and then come back to life. If they truly freeze and their heart stops they are dead. Now if they somehow find an air pocket in the pond and the ice surface isn’t frozen to long yes they can survive. Years ago I had an employee that liked to play practical jokes and one of the other employees who was extremely gullible. The jokester bought a few feeder fish and froze them in the freezer here. He then thawed them and as the water began to thaw he took the dead fish out and replaced them with live ones. Needless to say the gullible employee thought that the fish thawed and came back to life.
Remember to buy a deicer that is rated for your size pond and to place it above the deepest part of your pond. Put the aerator nearby or attach it to the deicers cord. Deicers have a temperature rating and most cannot work well below -25 degrees so always check on your pond when the weather becomes brutally cold.
I’ve heard many times in my life to take risks because without risks there are no rewards. With the health and wellbeing of my fish pets at risk no thank-you. I always have and always will use an aerator and deicer in my pond. My fish friends are going on 17 years of hibernation and in those 17 years I have only lost one fish. Be prepared and check your pets often!