Why It’s Important To Aerate Fish Ponds
Greetings from the world of waterscapes! Why is it important to aerate fish ponds? Most of you probably know that your fish need plenty of oxygen to survive. But you may or may not know that oxygen in your water also affects your water quality. Still water with little to no dissolved oxygen is a great place for algae, mosquito’s larvae, and anaerobic bacteria (bad bacteria) to thrive.
Anaerobic Bacteria
Anaerobic bacteria produce acids and release hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide and methane which are all toxic to fish and friendly insects like dragonfly larvae that live in the pond. They also release phosphorus and nitrogen which, aside from being toxic, also directly feed algae growth.
Maintaining a clean water feature is all about balance. In the natural cycle, your fish, plants, and insects work together to break down the sediment in the bottom of your pond. Low oxygen and high phosphorus, nitrogen, and anaerobic bacteria makes it harder for this to happen.
Aeration
Many of you may think your waterfall is all you need to properly oxygenate your pond. In some cases, this may be true. If you have a shallow pond with a small surface area then your waterfall may maintain your balance well. If you have a pond deeper than 20 inches or with a medium to large surface area, you will have enough oxygen for your fish, but probably not enough to properly aerate all your water and keep your entire pond as healthy as it should be.
To compensate for lack of oxygen you can install an aeration system in your pond. The added benefit of an aerator is that it keeps the water at the bottom of your pond constantly moving. This movement keeps debris from settling in the bottom of your pond. This lets it move through your filtration system instead.
When you properly oxygenate the bottom of your pond, its can help bind up to 97% of the phosphorus and nitrogen in the water. This makes it easier for beneficial bacteria, insects and fish to break those elements down. This improves you water quality tremendously.
Please reach out to us with any question you may have. Catch you downstream.
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