2011 winter cover and protection for koi

MY KOI POND IN WINTER OF 2011

I decided to:
1. make a permanent but removable plexiglas cover
2. install a winter veggie filter inside the cover
3. enclose the whole area with direct access from my new greenhouse to the koi with no digging the pond out of snow.
(right click on picture - click view picture for original size)
4. heat so koi can be fed all winter with no ammonia buildup, no pea soup green in spring.

THE WINTER VEGGIE FILTER

The veggie filter was built and screwed down first then filled with water celery from the high veggie filter in back. This is a close up also showing the superstructure for the cover built and installed. Raw wood first "fitting".

The winter filter in vitro The temp is close to 60oF end of December. Admittedly, this has been a mild winter in zone 5.

THE PERMANENT BUT REMOVABLE PLEXI COVER

The pond was covered with netting. Go HERE to see past winter attempts to enclose the pond. The pond with plexi cover. A 1000 watt titanium heater hangs from the filter.

Below is the pond winter of 2010. The shelter overhead prevented the worst piles of snow on the pond, but access to the pond and fish was limited. And unpleasant.

THE WINTER ENCLOSURE

The koi pond is kitty corner to the greenhouse. The top superstructure is covered first with clear plastic and then yellow ripstop nylon over that. It is screwed down thru grommets into the wood.
The sides are also screwed down and on the far side is seen a velcro "door" closure to allow access to the rest of the back yard.

The top of the picture shows the overhead, the back shows the thinwall polycarbonate sheet that encloses two sides of the pond. Yellow makes it seem sunny all the time inside and once inside I can pretend winter isnt really "out" there. The yellow ripstop nylon side is better seen here. I sewed the pieces together and then sewed a hem at the bottom that was fitted with aluminum conduit which was fastended to the bottom of the braces and pond to prevent the winds from lifting and flapping the whole thing, letting in snow.

THE WINTER VEGGIE FILTER

The veggie filter was built and screwed down first then filled with water celery from the high veggie filter in back.	This is a close up also showing the superstructure for the cover built and installed. Raw wood first "fitting".

The winter filter in vitro	The temp is close to 60oF end of December. Admittedly, this has been a mild winter in zone 5.

THE PERMANENT BUT REMOVABLE PLEXI COVER

The pond was covered with netting. Go HERE to see past winter attempts to enclose the pond.	The pond with plexi cover. A 1000 watt titanium heater hangs from the filter.

THE WINTER ENCLOSURE

The koi pond is kitty corner to the greenhouse.	The top superstructure is covered first with clear plastic and then yellow ripstop nylon over that. It is screwed down thru grommets into the wood. The sides are also screwed down and on the far side is seen a velcro "door" closure to allow access to the rest of the back yard.

The top of the picture shows the overhead, the back shows the thinwall polycarbonate sheet that encloses two sides of the pond. Yellow makes it seem sunny all the time inside and once inside I can pretend winter isnt really "out" there.	The yellow ripstop nylon side is better seen here. I sewed the pieces together and then sewed a hem at the bottom that was fitted with aluminum conduit which was fastended to the bottom of the braces and pond to prevent the winds from lifting and flapping the whole thing, letting in snow.

What I see from my heated! mudroom, looking thru the greenhouse and into the koi pond "tent". The greenhouse will eventually get curtains so it will block winter (when it arrives).