I just received a great question from Noel:
I have an 8' pond with cast iron or brass spitting egrets. The last two years I have put antifreeze in the water to keep it from freezing. Now I find this is wrong. I am in Atlanta, GA and rarely does it freeze more than an inch or two. Now the tube thru the birds has broken/corroded. I hope to run another tube thru the birds. The spitting has operated almost all year long. 1st what may I use instead of antifreeze. 2nd what material should the tubing be or can it be repaired. Thanks for all your help.
Here are my suggestions:
I'm glad you've stopped using antifreeze, which is harmful to animals. But how DO you keep a pond from freezing? There are a couple of ways you might consider.
First, you can cover the pond, if it's not too large. Lay a few boards across it, and weight down with rocks a plastic tarp spread across the boards. The heat of the water won't be able to escape, and ice won't form on the surface.
You can also try adding bubblers, similar to those you see in aquariums. A small air pump forces are through tubing, into the pond, and out of an aerator stone, or "bubbler." Depending upon the size of the pump you use, you should be able to add several aerators to cover most of the pond's surface. The bubbles should be enough to keep at least part of your pond from freezing over.
As for what type of hose to use when you retrofit your egrets, I've had good success with clear plastic hose available at most home improvement centers. It comes in a variety of diameters, so you should be able to find something that fits your water pump. You buy it by the foot off of a large roll, so make sure you get enough to run from your pump and up through both birds.
