Outside heater?

[Bonne46]

Hey everyone I was wondering if someone knew if they sell a outside heater for ponds? I am going be housing a turtle in a pond that will be located outside on my patio, and since I live in NJ I will get snow/ or the weather will just be cold enough to freeze the water. So the idea is to keep it at its warm temperature around 75 degrees all year round without ice forming.

Is there something out there that I can get to do this?

 

[Jennie Beth]

Check a farm supply store. They sell a heater for animal troughs, to keep the water from freezing. Don't know how much above freezing they keep the water temp, but it'd be worth a look at least.
Jen

edit: googled pond deicers and came up w/lots of sites, but it looks like they will keep it from freezing but not 'heat' the water...might cruise some of the sites, though, there might be something there.

 

[Bonne46]

Could I be able to use a normal fish tank heater for the pond? I found a pond heater on one site but it was $850, and I wasn't looking at spending that lol.

 

[Bonne46]

Anyone?

 

[Jennie Beth]

Biggest concern with using a fish tank heater in my opinion would be if it is rated for outdoor use. If it is not an indoor/outdoor appliance, I don't think it'd last long or be safe to use out in the wet/cold. Other thing would be, how many gallons are you heating, and can the heater keep that much water at the temp you want, when it is freezing outside. An indoor tank, where the room is 65 degrees, say, is pretty easy to keep 10 degrees warmer. But when you have the same tank in 32 degree weather, and are trying to keep it 40-50 degrees warmer, that heater has to work really hard, and probably 24/7, too.

Might be easier to make the turtle an indoor 'Pond' in a tub for the winter...
Jen

 

[Muske]

Keep the temps. near 75 degrees is a waste of money. Being above ground it does not take advantage of insulating properties of the soil. This also makes it harder. The only way would to use a gas fired water heater. The unit itself would be pricy and the natural gas. The best bet would be to use the patio pond as summer camp for the turtle.