How does one get rid of thick ice on the surface of the pond?

Question

I thought I would be able to chop it, but that does not work. and it is around 55 degrees F outside. how do i get rid of this thick ice?

What is the proper way?

Should I get rid of the ice? Is that good for the fish?

Answer 1

Stand on it...jump up and down.

Answer 2

What is the purpose for trying to melt the ice faster?

If you really need to get rid of it for some reason, start on the edge of the pond where it is a lot thinner and go back to chopping or using a sledge hammer. Once the air and the sun can get to some of the water underneath, the temperature of the water will start to rise and the ice will melt a little quicker.

You could also take something that is black and cover the ice, the darker the color the more heat it will draw in from the sun. The lighter the color the more the heat is reflected from the surface.

Answer 3

I'd say just try to clear the edges...this gives some room for flowing water to help melt the ice faster.

If you have a high pressure water sprayer thingy too....that can..regardless of how cold it is...melt the ice. Garden hose could possibly work.

Since there are fish, i'm not sure how much salt would be bad for them. Depending on the size of the pond....a little bit would probably not be toooo harmful..but just a little...but again i don't konw what concentration becomes toxic for the fish

I read the one response about pumping out the water to make an air layer....i didn't think of that, but that sounds like it'll work. AIr is a crazy awesome insulator....it just tends to move, so not very effective in a house.

Ice is a good insulator too, so thats why it takes a bit to melt it.

And things only melt from the oustide, so pumping out that water would actually double your surface area since warmer air will probably flow into the hole and be heating the ice from two sides

Answer 4

I'm assuming you're concerned about fish in the pond? First, at 55 degrees, it will be melting pretty quickly. Second, if you have a pump/filter running, the water is being aerated and it's not a worry. If you didn't and you had fish in there with a solid sheet of thick ice, your fish may very well be dead anyway. But, if you want to get rid of the ice, I wouldn't suggest banging on it in an effort to crack it. You know how water amplifies sound. The concussions could traumatize the fish. Try boiling a pot of water and then sit the hot pot with the water, on the ice to melt a hole. That's all the fish need, is one hole. But, if you feel you need to get it all, you may be able to break it up at this point by just pulling up pieces. If not, keep melting holes in the ice until you get enough to break up the ice.

Answer 5

Well it looks like you need a normal answer to your question. I am in the UK and probably dont get temperatures quite the same as you do in the States. However, I have quite a large pond with Koi Carp. I have a UV Filter and Pump that I keep going throughout the Winter so there is always running water going into the pond and this keeps a part of the pond from freezing. Also if it gets really frosty, put a football into the pond and this will enable you to remove the ball leaving a hole for oxygen. If you struggle getting the ball out just use a little boiled water from the kettle. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Chopping the ice, or any hammering of the ice will cause shock waves that will kill fish. If there are any fish that you want to keep, do not smash the ice.

How thick is this ice?
This may not be any good if the ice is very very thick, but I used to get the largest pot or pan out of the kitchen (pref metal) and put it on the pond and fill with boiling water and keep repeating it until I had melted a hole right through. Then you can smash the ice with no danger to the fish.

Answer 7

Hi:

If you can't chop it, then try sawing it with a ice saw. That is how the old time ice cutter used to remove thick ice. You could cut it with steam but use heat restitance glove when doing this and plan out how you want to cut it out so you don't fall in and the fish will be fine as long as the pond don't freeze all the way to the botttom you should need to cut it out at all because the ice act as a wall to prevent further freezing of the water if your pond is deep the fact that you have fish at all is say that your pond is alive and well .

Answer 8

You don't need to get rid of all the ice just have an opening large enough to allow the methane gas to escape so that it won't kill all of the fish in the pond from the toxic waste and gas buildup. You can use several methods. A large cattle warmer, a solar warmer, a large ball with a weight on it to keep it from blowing away or even a board. Anything that can be moved daily to keep the hole opened.
Chopping on the ice can cause damage to the fish....sound travels thru the water.

Good Luck! I have a small garden pond.

Answer 9

Is this a water garden pond or a fishing pond or what? If it is a water garden pond, by all means do not try to chop it. It can stun the fish and they can die. If you must thaw a bit of the surface for some reason, boil a pot of water and set it on top of the ice. Set another pot to boil so that as soon as the other one is cool, you can replace it. Repeat this until a hole appears in the ice.

Otherwise wait until spring. It will thaw on its own.

Answer 10

If you think you need to get rid of the ice buy special De-ice and toss a lot in single spots. wait 10 minuets and apply hot water on those spots. wait 2 minuets and try chopping again but in those areas where you applied hot water and De-ice on. That Will maybe work.

Other words, don't worry.

Answer 11

Do what ice fishermen do. Get a boring bit for your drill and put some holes in the ice. If you're just trying to drill through, you can buy a one inch drill bit and any decent cordless will go through the ice. You can buy an extension rod to go down farther, but don't try to go more than two feet. You're wasting your time.

The fish will survive as long as it isn't frozen solid.