nyb440 Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Winter has sneaked up on me, and I now have a pond with a 2" thick sheet of ice. I still have to get the fish out for winter, so I need to thaw this ice sheet. I know it's supposed to warm up later this week (so says the weather man), but I'm not convinced that it will get warm enough for long enough to melt the ice. Does anyone have any suggestions? Will a couple of aquarium heaters bring up the temperature just enough for this purpose (it's a 150 gallon pond, so not huge) or is this fantasy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobies et al Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 One way would be to fashion a clear plastic 'tent' over the pond, makes it like a greenhouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 You can cut the ice with a pick. If you can chip away the edges, you should be able to pull chunks out from the centre. If you're in town, it should get warm enough to at least thaw the ice so it's quite thin, and easy to remove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyb440 Posted October 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Thanks for the suggestions. If the ice will thin, then I can at least hack away at it. The good news, I suppose, is that the fish should be really easy to catch at the current water temperature! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobies et al Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 They say don't chop at the ice. The sound waves will injure the fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seajays Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Try Tiger Torch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyb440 Posted October 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Just an update: the fish and lilies are now out of the pond for winter. I was able to break the ice with a shovel and lift it out. It took less force than I thought, so I didn't have to smash it and risk damage to the fish and pond liner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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