 Pond
Aeration
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Some of the
more common issues with backyard ponds and small ponds are simply the natural
conditions affecting water quality and nothing more. Ponds get older and begin
to show signs of that aging in similar ways that can be helped by aeration, circulation
and proper shorline control. Almost everyone with a pond, regardless of it is
an existing natural basin or a homemade pond that has been built with care on
your property, begins to notice from time to time that the pond starts to show
signs of ill-health.
Foul
odors, like the stinky sulpher egg smell, sludge buildup and fish kills can be
early warning signs that the natural balance of the pond has been disrupted or
requires some maintenance. Often theses factors that cause such subtle degredation
of the eco-system are natural ones so don't beat yourself up thinking it's Karma
coming to get you, although sometimes Karma can enter into it!
If
the year is a very hot dry summer and the water level drops significantly changes
in the natural balance of the water garden or even koi pond will only become more
pronounced as time goes on unless concrete action is taken. On the other hand
a very wet season may flood the pond with very high levels of organic materials
and nutrients from the shoreline into the pond which can create decomposing materials
that consume high levels of the oxygen that the living system so heavily depends
on.
Unsightly pond scum and thick black bottom muck and sludge can build up in the
pond bottom and oxygen emitting aquatic plants can be literally suffocated in
dark murky waters which can lead to algae blooms which disturb the pond's beauty
and health. Any pond that is constantly filling up with organic deposits and sediments
will eventually suffer and most people think the best solution is dredging or
re-digging the pond to remove the muck the pond but there are other more cost
effective ways to reverse the process and restore the pond or lake. Re-digging
a pond, while it will immediately increases depth and help with structural flaws
in the pond, is often only a temporary solution as these problematic sediments
and thick offensive sludge are typically only a symptom of a pond needing aeration
and porper shorline revitalization. Adding an aeration system to your pond or
basin will resolve a number of discouraging problems.
Adding
aeration can be a fun project and many people like to go through the process of
learning how to build their own aeration system. Whether you want to have a do
it yourself style aireator or prefer a pre-built, turn-key system is up to you.
It depends on how much time you have to spare and what your budget is!
Simply put, adding aeration to a pond, water-garden or even a natural lake is
one of the best methods to control algae and maintain clear waters and discourage
the build-up of bottom sediments.. It is extremely important never to overlook
aeration when building a new pond or when trying to restore one that is undergoing
eutrophication especially in small basins athat have a large organic load and
that are typically mucky at the bottom. The organic material can be grass clippings,
so it is best to leave a perimiter of natural thick vegetation and even aquatic
plants to help reduce erosion and prevent runoff laced with fertilizers from getting
into the water.
My experience has shown that in most cases that adding
air diffusion into the bottom levels of the pond is often the the best form of
aeration. This manner of aerating is basically the injection of air bubbles into
the water to supply oxygen as well to create water movement because as the small
air bubbles rise to the surface they create a movement that pulls oxygen deprived
waters from the depths up towards the surface where they can interact with the
atmosphere and achieve a high level of efficient oxygen transfer.
The
water of the pond is continuousely being turned over and circulated towards the
the surface by air diffuser plates, airstones,
disc diffusers, or coarse bubble homemade diffusers that some people build
themselves. There are many ways to get the air into the pond but the general rule
is that the smaller the bubble the better the efficiency of the system will be.
Aeration can be done with electric air compressors or linear pumps or by windmills
or even solar aeration systems! There are many ways to achieve the goal and the
location of your pond will determine wether you want to use a windmill for aeration,
an electrical system, or a solar pump.
Whatever
way you do it, take the time to install the best system you can afford as seeing
a pond with clear water and happy fish and frogs is truly a joy and any fish lover
knows that maintaining fish, either trout, ass or koi, is a passion and now to
be taken lightly!
Aeration, depending on your longitutde and latitude
in the world can be effective all year round or only during certain seasons but
it is undoubtably thekey ingredient in maintaining a healthy aquatic system. The
benefits of using an aeration system, especially when combined with applications
of natural pond bacteria that feeds on organic materials like leaves and fish
waste, will return your pond to vibrant health in no time at all!.
Building
an aeration system can be a snap especially if you have a pond store in your town
where experts can help choose the best system componants for you, althought looking
on the Internet for pond supplies is another fast way to get the information you
need. But be careful, there are many people trying to get pond owners to part
with their hard earned money with new fangled technologies like ultra-sonic algae
killers or complicated bubbler systems, when the fact is it is not rocket science!
The heart of any lake-bed, or bottom-mounted aeration system is often the
air compressor itself. There are a variety of compressors that are quiet, small,
energy efficient compressors that will pump a steady and constant flow of oxygen
to your bottom-mounted diffuser system. The
depth of the pond where the diffusers are located will determine the type of compressor
you require. Shallow ponds less than 9 feet deep can often be aerated with a small
linear or diaphragm type of pump that are usually fairly silent and real energy
misers! If you have a deeper pond, from 8 to 15 feet deep you may need to use
a rotary vane compressor, although the carbon vanes are known to require changing
every 18 to 34 months. Piston compressors can delivery up to 35 psi or more and
are excellant for deep water aeration. While piston compressors often do not have
the high levels of CFM (cubic feet per minute) of airflow as a rotary vane or
linear pump, they make up for it in reliable strong airflow.
Windmills
can also be used and in North America there are a few choices of windmill aeration
systems both in Canada and here in the United States and I have even seen some
real go-getters build a windmill aerator out of old cars and tractor parts, but
I wouldn't recommend it. The standard windmill like a Superior Windmill or Koenders
Windmill or Beckermills Windmill or American Eagle Windmill or Outdoor Water Solutions
Windmill works by having a diaphragm compressor in the head of the windmill. As
wind turns the fans of the windmill compressed air is forced down the airline
into the airstone in the pond. No electricity is required and the simple technology
has worked extremely well for decades as farmners across the plains have attested
to. Aerating dugouts with a windmill is a popular practice in areas where there
is often no electrical source, plus there is only the initial cost and cosntruction
of the system to contend with and no ongoing maintenance fees.
Solar
systems can be built as well bu the DC compressors used in solar aerators deliver
fairly low levels of pressure and CFM. Solar direct systems are less expensive
and can be built by many people who want a homemade aeration system. Battery back-up
systems are more expensive but allow you to use large compressor like a small
rotary vane compressor which will increase your airflow and allow you to aerate
a larger area.
Whichever
compressor you choose you will then need to run an airline to your diffuser system
(airstone, membrane disc, diffuser tubing) and there are ways to save money here.
Using weighted tubing or self-sinking airhose is the fastest way because it will
sink quickly on it's own but it can run over $1.50 per foot or more! A cheaper
way is to use standard airline, often 1/2" or even 3/8" which does float
but by zip tying some rebar or threading the tubing through bricks you can run
any length from the compressor to the diffuser for under $100.
In order to determine
the size of the compressor and the number of diffusers you will need there are
at least two critical factors to consider and this is why it is often good to
consult a pond expert before starting. First you must know the true depth of your
pond as this will determine the PSI required from your compressor and when you
look at the shape of the pond this determines the number of diffusers you need
which will determine the best CFM you need from your compressor since most diffusers
require at least .5 CFM for operation. Thesis data helps you decide if you can
get away with using a linear air pump or need to go with one of the bad boys like
a 1/2 HP piston compressor or 1 3/4HP rotary vane. Making the wrong choice at
this stage can mean burning out a compressor and losing alot of time and money
in the process!
If
you are using a windmill or a high pressure dual-piston compressor then the compressor
can actually be oplaced quite far from the pond, sometimes up to 900 feet or 1
km away although as you can imagine this requires laying out some 3/4" airline
which can be a messy job if you need to bury your tubing. Better to try and get
the system as close to the pond as possible although I want you to understand
that you can go a long distance with the right tools and products.
A
round pond like a big bowl with a single deepest area and an equally proportional
interior grade may require only one diffuser placed at the deepest point. This
will provide a nice even circulation but the diffuser doesn't necessarily have
to be in the center so look at the entire pond as a whole because raising fish
can add additional points of concern when using aeration such as overheating the
pond with aeration. There are thermostat controls to automatically tun on aerators
when temperatures drop below a certain level, this helps prevent fish kills as
trout are very susceptible to warm temperatures.
An irregular shaped,
often kidney shaped or bean shaped, pond with more variations in depth and shoreline
slope may involve the installation of one or more diffusers but again, this is
not always the case. Balance the need for aeration by looking at the existing
condition of the pond, do you have algae, are fish dying? Sometimes even in a
large pond we only add a single aeration station...it all depends and there are
no hard a fast rules to go by...although pond stores will try and often sell their
biggest aeration package they can!
Small Pond (up to 10,000 gallons) Aeration System - $575
Includes shipping
within continental USA.
System includes the linear compressor, 25 feet of weighted airline,
one bottom diffuser, clamps and connectors and instruction manual for the complete
installation.
Item # PR-KPA1-3
Ideal for ponds up to 10,000 gallons or koi/fish ponds
with up to 100 pounds of fish.
Oilless AC linear diaphragm compressor: 2
CFM @ 1PSI and 1.5 CFM at 2 PSI :: Max Op. Depth = 8 feet :: USES ONLY 50 WATTS
- 1 Year Warranty
Large Pond (up to 20,000 gallons) Aeration System - $845
Includes shipping
within continental USA.
System includes the linear compressor, 50 feet of weighted airline,
two bottom diffuser, valve control, clamps and connectors and instruction manual
for the complete installation
Item # PR-KPA2-3
Ideal for ponds up to 20,000 or koi/fish ponds with up to
200 pounds of fish. . Oilless AC linear diaphragm compressor: 3.7
CFM @ 1PSI and 3 CFM at 2PSI :: Max Op. Depth = 10 feet :: USES ONLY 90 WATTS - 1 Year Warranty
LARGE
POND AERATORS
FOR PONDS & LAKES UP TO 3 ACRES OR 10 MILLION GALLONS |
| If
you are a do-it-yourself aeration system type of person then you likely only want
to buy diffusers, tubing or pumps. If you are like most of us who want a complete
turn-key aeration system that is cheap and easy to install without having to go
to the hardware store for plumbing bits or have Uncle Jimmy build a wooden compressor
shack then we recommend these fully complete systems. The pond size these simple
systems can aerate depends mainly on the depth and shape of your pond, if you
are unsure if these systems will be adequate for your pond then send us an email
before you buy.
These pond aeration systems are complete and ready-to-go
packages including everything you need: lockable heavy-duty aluminum cabinet,
efficient rocking piston air compressor, base mounted quad-diffuser airstone synergistic
diffuser assembly, 6 foot power cord, GFCI receptacle, 3/8" weighted tubing
which is self sinking so the installation of your diffusers from the boat is easier
because everything sinks out-of-sight and in to place! To keep from bringing theelectricity
to the lake, the compressor can be located up to 1,000' away with the addition
of our high PSI 5/8" poly black plastic tubing airline which connects to
the compressor outlet.
The included noise-reducing, fan-ventilated, weatherproof,
heavy-duty steel cabinet can be installed easily on a post, pier or boat house.
Instructions are included, and the entire unit can be shipped Ground. 115V/60
Hz.
Medium Pond (up to 1.5 acres) Aeration System - $1450
Includes shipping
within continental USA.
Aerates ponds 1/8 acre with a 3-5 foot depth (125,000
gallons)
Aerates ponds up to 1/2 acre at 9-12 foot deep to (1 million gallons)
Aerates ponds up to 1-1/2 acres with a 15-20 foot depth (7 million
gallons)
Full system includes: 1/3 HP single piston compressor, ventilated
and lockable cabinet suitable for post mount, single micro bubble diffuser assembly
with four air stones, all clamps and connectors, 100' weighted tubing, instruction
booklet.
Item # PR-DA1AW
Large Pond (up to 3 acres) Aeration System - $2150
Includes shipping
within continental USA.
Aerates ponds 1/4 acre with a 3-5 foot depth (225,000
gallons)
Aerates ponds up to 1 acre at 9-12 foot deep (2.5 million gallons)
Aerates ponds up to 3 acres with a 15-20 foot depth (10 million
gallons)
Full
system includes: 1/3 HP double dual piston compressor, ventilated lockable steel
cabinet suitable for post mount, two micro bubble diffuser assemblies with 4 airstones
on each each, all clamps and connectors, 200' weighted tubing, instruction booklet.
Item # PR-DA2AW
|
Buy
pond aeration systems
|
Ratings
and Reviews of Disc Diffusers & Airstones
|
Solar
Pond Pumps & Fountains For Aeration
For more information on pond aeration visit the following ten pond aeration websites.
Please note that we are not specifically endorsing any particular way of treating
ponds or any particular business. Due dilligence in all things!
1.
Pond aeration - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pond_Aeration
2. The Role of Aeration in Pond Management edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA021
3. Flash animation: Dugout Aeration www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/flash/dugout/en/dugout_e.htm
4. Canadianpond.ca - Pond aeration systems www.canadianpond.ca/homea.html
5. Low oxygen & pond aeration www.ca.uky.edu/wkrec/LowOxygenandPondAeration.htm
6. Quality Pond Aeration www.qualitypond.ca
7. Rittenhouse www.rittenhouse.ca
8. Lake aeration systems www.vertexwaterfeatures.com
9. Windmills
for Pond Aeration www.outdoorwatersolutions.com
10. Wiki Water Gardens wikipedia
Water Gardens
The
pond report also has information on:
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a pond and the seasons | pond
algae control | solar aeration systems
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