One of the main reasons for the disastrous results was the need to keep holes open in the ice. Some, without asking, would use their feet, hammers, etc., to break holes into the ice. This should not be done as it causes vibrations through the water which can harm fish and other pond creatures. Not having a hole, even for a short while can rob life of the air they need. On extremely cold days the heater had problems maintaining the hole, it would become filled with slush and had to be checked constantly.
This year I returned to the plan of using a structure to help reduce wind chill passing over the ponds surface and ice formation. The answer was a leaning type greenhouse created out of PVC pipe and layers of clear plastic. This rests on the ground and is held in place with tent stakes. The top leans to the house and is screwed into the wall. The sides have more plastic and now wood to further reduce wind. Up until a few days ago the water was still liquid inside and the fish could be seen still swimming around. Then the temperatures really dipped and a sheet of ice formed. The heater is having no problems keeping the hole open. Since the pond liner is black, it soaks up the sun's rays and at night releases the heat into the greenhouse, helping to stabilize the temperature. The best part is there is room for sheltering pond side plants and in spring the structure will be moved for use starting rose cuttings and seeds.
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