Pond De-Icers
Important Pond Gear for Fish Safety
A pond de-icer, also known as a pond deicer, is designed to heat an area of a small pond and keep the water in its area above 40 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent ice from forming. It should not be confused with a pond heater .
The main reason why you don't want ice over your entire pond is because your pond needs to release toxic gases from decomposing organic matter, usually methane. The de-icer can allow your pond to get the oxygen that it needs. This is especially important if you have fish.
De-icers can be floating, submersible or convertible. They can be plugged into your pond's power control center. An aerator is also a good, if not better, comparison to the de-icers because they give the pond the oxygen it needs while maintaining an area of the pond to stay ice-free to allow the toxic gases to escape.
Floating De-icers: are a good purchase because they move around the pond and open up a large area of ice to allow the chemical build-up to disperse in the air. However, it operates on electricity, so those far reaching ponds will be unable to take advantage of this fish saving device.
Submersible De-icers: are controlled using a thermostat, so they save money in the long run, especially in the winter when there are warm spells. These are better options for shallower ponds. The submersible de-icer sits on the bottom of the pond on a plinth and warms from the bottom up. Obviously, if the pond is too deep the submerged de-icer will not be effective in releasing gases, but it will help larger fish hibernate.
Pond de-icers are not essential if you have an actual pond heater. But keep in mind that a de-icer is NOT the same as a pond heater. De-icers usually range in price from $50-$70.
You may also want to consider plugging your de-icer into a Thermo Cube to keep it controlled to work at the necessary temperatures.
