Duck Pond Aeration Keeps it Open All Winter

The smallest opening in the ice so far after a very cold night

We've been aerating the duck pond water since day one. The aerator I use only consumes about 30 Watts so (EasyPro KLC25 Linear Diaphragm Pond Aerator Air Compressor 23 Watt). It's been running 24/7 for almost a year.

I was really curious what would happen in the cold temperatures. For the past week or so, we've had below freezing temperatures and some very cold overnight temperatures (single digit Fahrenheit).

The pond stays open immediately above the aerator bubblers. If the temperature is warmer, the hole is larger. We break up some of the ice that formed overnight on a daily basis. Since we only have 4 ducks, they're all able to get in the water and stay clean and play around.

The aerator I'm using is for a 5,000 gallon pond which is roughly the size of the duck pond. If I ever need to replace it, I'll probably get a larger one.