Does your pond need an Aeration System?

People build ponds for many reasons. Perhaps they want serenity. Maybe they want a source of recreation on their land or they could have liked the aesthetics a pond brings.

Regardless of the reasoning behind the decision to build a pond there is one fact that remains constant among owners: they want a healthy pond.

If you’re looking to improve the health and liveliness of your pond, an aeration fountain is the perfect choice. An aerating pond fountain will improve the overall quality of your pond including algae reduction, clearer water and maintaining a healthy environment for your pond's fish population.

Why You Need an Aeration System in a Man Made Pond

You might wonder why your pond needs an additional aerating fountain if natural ponds are fine without them. The answer is atmospheric diffusion.

Atmospheric diffusion is the process from which pond water receives oxygen from the air. While natural ponds generally acquire sufficient oxygen from atmospheric diffusion, the same cannot be said for man made ponds. Without help from an aeration system a man made pond will tend to fall short of the optimal oxygen level. A broadcast fountain aerator is the optimal device to add oxygen to your entire pond and create an awesome landscaping affect to boot.

If a pond does not have an adequate amount of water movement then oxygen levels will tend to drop and the water becomes stagnant resulting in many negative issues. Inadequate oxygen levels result in poor water quality and clarity, algae blooms, unpleasant odors, and even the death of fish and/or other wildlife living in the pond. Shallow ponds are especially susceptible to low oxygen levels, stagnation and massive algae bloom.

An aeration fountain will fix many pond problems and offer benefits including:
• Enhanced water quality and clarity
• Reduced algae blooms and algae growth
• Improved health of fish and wildlife
• Reduces fish kills
• Elimination of unpleasant odors
• Reduction of organic sediment
• Enhanced beauty/aesthetic value
• Promotion of natural healthy bacteria levels to digest decaying organics

Best Ways to Introduce Oxygen to Your Pond

There are a several ways to introduce oxygen into your pond water but the two most common and accepted ways are by using an aeration fountain or a pond bottom diffuser AKA a bubbler system.

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A fountain aerator is a broadcast type aeration system whereas a bubbler system provides relatively localized aeration and is commonly used in koi ponds and fish farming applications. The aesthetic characteristics of a fountain are also much greater than any other type of pond aeration system due to the fountains sprays creating an landscape ambiance that a bubbler can not provide. Fountain aerators also aid in mosquito control and fountains are the aeration device of choice specified by many State and County construction codes for permitting in new retention pond applications. Greater oxygen absorption is gained by throwing atomized water droplets into the air as the surface area contact of the water droplet with the air is greater than is the surface contact area of an air bubble with a body of water. The fountain aerator also creates a rippling effect of the aerated water which is then broadcast out over the entire pond. Most bubblers cannot create the agitation of the pond water compared to a fountain and so distribution of the aerated water is less.