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What’s Better, A Pond Aerator Or A Pond Heater?

by Mark

Tammy from Iowa wrote to us recently and asked, “We have a small pond, maybe 800-900 gallons. Is it possible to have to strong of a bubbler going? We have about 15 fish and its about 40 inches deep in one spot. We live in Iowa and it will be soon be freezing. Just wondering if too much bubbling can hurt the fish?”

Answer: Tammy thanks for the question! I like to use a small aerator in garden ponds during the winter months, but I would suggest either providing a way to float the air stone or diffuser off the bottom and near the surface of the water, or moving it over to an end of the pond, or even a shelf if you have one. I mention this because you have 4 feet of water depth which is very good. It’s deep enough to allow the fish to go to the bottom and settle there when the weather get’s really cold. The water may be a bit warmer there, and ideally you don’t want to disturb that water, but only keep a bit of the surface agitated.

small pond aeratorUnlike the important use of aeration during hot weather, which is a time when oxygen can get low in pond water, in the winter you don’t generally run into that problem so the main benefit of an aerator is to keep a spot of ice open when things freeze up.

Since we’re on the topic of small ponds and winter freeze ups, let me note here that most experts suggest having at least two feet of depth in a pond in order to overwinter fish safely. If there’s any doubt about your ability to winter fish in safety, then it’s probably better to just create an indoor holding tank that’s warmer, well aerated, and filtered adequately.

Pond Heaters And DeIcers

The other option, which can be used together with an aerator, or totally on it’s own is a small pond heater. Most of these are designed to float or be kept at the surface and they’ll do a pretty good job of keeping the ice open even in really cold weather. A few models have detachable floats that keep them near the surface, but they also can be placed at the bottom of the pond to keep more of the water warmer. In most cases, the most important part of this work is really to keep the surface open so that any gases, and things that build up in the water can be released and not trapped under the ice.

Ideally I think in the coldest of conditions, a pond heater is a better choice than an aerator.  These are generally pretty affordable and all you need to do is plug them in.  It needs to be kept in mind that they won’t simply turn on once they power up.  Many of these heaters come with a thermostat built into them so that they only come up, and use power, when the water may start to freeze up.  Above that temperature they’ll remain turned off.

In Iowa we can get a few periods of some really cold weather, such as in January and early February.  If you know some really cold stuff is coming along, then I would have the heater in place and use it as needed.  If you want to run an aerator near the surface when the temps aren’t so brutal there’s nothing wrong with that at all.

Once the weather begins to warm up again, you can eventually move the air stone from the surface, or a shallow area, and back into the deeper part of the pond when the summer comes along.  In other words, we want to aerate the entire pond during the summer, and only a small part of it during the winter.  So bubbles won’t bother the fish at all if you set things up right based on the seasonal needs.

Filed Under: Q & A Of The Day

Should I Run My Aerator In The Winter?

by Mark

Tom from Wisconsin, a traditionally cold state in the winter time, wrote in and asked if it’s a good idea to use a pond aerator even in the cold months of winter? In addition, his pond is very shallow (around 4 feet deep and about 1/3 of an acre in size) so the particular aerator that would be used might be a bit different than a typical farm pond.

Answer: Tom, thank you for your timely question and it’s one that many people wonder about. The base answer is yes, it’s a good idea to aerate a pond all year round.

Many people know the value of aeration during the hotter summer months, and sometimes they end up learning the hard way that oxygen can get depleted in very warm weather and they lose a large number of big fish as a result. However it’s also a good idea to use aeration if you live in cold weather climates.

Winter Pond Aeration

Cold water aeration isn’t quite as much for maintaining oxygen but to keep an area that’s open from ice. If the pond surface is covered for an extended period of time, and particularly if the pond bottom has some organic build up, or a heavy fish load, some toxic gases can build up and get trapped in the pond, to the potential detriment of any fish.

If an ice hole is maintained, then these gases can be released into the environment and fresh oxygen can be brought in so this is an ideal transfer that keeps a pond and it’s inhabitants a good bit healthier.

Aerators are a good choice for this work because they are generally pretty cheap to operate and if you get a good quality system it should provide years of dependable service. Pond aerators tend to be very discreet in how they operate. They don’t shoot a column of water into the air, but release very fine bubbles into the water, at the bottom of the pond, and these rise up in a column and agitate the surface area just a bit to keep ice from forming.

Shallow Pond Aerators

So with the basics of winter aeration out of the way, let’s discuss more specifically the best type of system for your particular pond Tom.

Over the years a typical pond aerator would have a single compressor that sits on the shore and an airline that runs to a diffuser that sits on the bottom of the pond. Usually if a pond has something like 10 feet of depth or so, you can expect this single diffuser to work well in a pond up to about 1 acre in size. The compressors are usually around 1/4 horsepower. Then as ponds get bigger, you’ll see the compressor get a bit more powerful and additional diffusers will be used to cover the increased area.

This changes though in a shallower pond. Ponds of say 6 to 8 feet or less don’t benefit as much from a single diffuser package. The area this single release point of air would help is diminished somewhat. In other words, the deeper the pond, the more area a single release point will help with.

So the answer to this is to use some smaller diffusers, and usually a bit smaller compressor (stronger compression isn’t as necessary in shallow water) and spread the release points of air out a bit more. Something like a 1/2 acre size pond that’s 6 feet deep might have four small diffusers working in it, rather than one large one. And the coverage and total aeration will be much better with the specially designed system.

Using Shallow Pond Aeration Kits In The Winter

The final part of this answer is fairly important because we want to make sure we keep that spot of ice open in the water. This is less likely to be achieved if we keep the diffusers spread out a great deal, such as we would in the warmer months. So my suggestion is to move these diffusers into a tighter pattern in order to concentrate the agitation caused by the released air at the surface. This is particularly important when you run into really cold weather such as you’ll often seen in northern states like Wisconsin.

In the end, the tighter you make the pattern of released air, the colder the conditions it should be able to help with. In climates that have more moderate conditions, the diffusers could either be spaced a bit wider just as a precaution to any icing that might occur.

Simply put, pond aeration is one of the most powerful tools that a pond owner can use to keep a pond in a better looking and healthier condition. And although you don’t have to do so, using it year round can be very helpful to maintaining fish health and vitality, no matter what season you’re in.

Here’s a helpful video from our sister site at Pond Algae Solutions that discusses shallow pond aeration in more detail.

Filed Under: Q & A Of The Day

A Pond Design That Will Float Your Boat

by Mark

canoe pond

This pond building design idea was sent to us by Becky Butz-Butler who did a masterful job of converting a simple canoe into a great looking small pond.

Arranged to blend in with their deck and backyard, this pond appears to be “docked” to the deck with tie down ropes and a simple marine motif. The ample use of plants helps to keep the pond water in better condition and a small submersible filter can be added to keep the water cleaner as well.

This just goes to show that with a little bit of creativity, you can create a beautiful small pond out of just about anything and with proper accents, they can be blended into an existing backyard or deck area very nicely.

Filed Under: Pond Building Tips, Small Ponds

Pond Pumps And Quick Fixes To Keep Them Running

by Mark

If you want moving water in a pond, which basically means things like an active waterfall or an effective filtration system, a key component in all of this is the pond pump. Nothing really moves without a good pump.

Unfortunately like any mechanical thing, a pond pump can fail, become damaged or broken, or just not operate very well at times. Sometimes they may need to be replaced or upgraded. But before you go and toss your current hard working pond pump, make sure it’s really on it’s last leg. If the problem is minor one, or the pump just needs some simple cleaning and maintenance, you may be able to get get by with your current installation without spending any more money.

Let’s cover a few quick and easy fixes for a problematic pond pump.

Give The Pump A Good Cleaning

Pond pumps have just about everything go through them at some point in the cycle of water circulation. This includes debris such as leaves, algae, dirt, and anything else that might end up in the pond. All of this gunk can take it’s toll and end up blocking or plugging up part of the pump inlet. If this isn’t clear, you won’t be able to get the full volume of water running through the pump and your flow rate will drop.

A simple solution if things aren’t working quite right is to make sure the pump is clean and free of obstructions. To clean a pond pump you’ll want to unplug the device from the power supply, remove it from the pond (if it’s internal) and take the various pieces apart while checking for blockages in the intake or any part of the assembly. To clean it, simply use your existing pond water. Avoid using any harsh chemicals. Clean any pre-filter if one is included, and then put everything back together.

Pond pumps will vary somewhat in their construction so be sure to use the owners manual as a reference and follow their additional recommandations for cleaning and maintenance.

Check Your Water Level

Pumps of all kinds need a reasonable amount of water to work right. All pumps are rated for GPH or gallons per hour flow rate, and one of the common reasons that they may not work well is if the water level in the pond becomes too low or in short supply. If you have a skimmer in place and the water level falls much below this intake, you’ll never get enough water to keep the system operating normally and this isn’t good for the pond pump. One early warning is when the pump is emitting some odd noises or excess noise.

Be sure to check your water levels, particular in the hot summer months when evaporation can increase and regular topping off of the water level will need to be maintained with more frequency. Some pond owners use an automatic system for keeping the water level constant.

Listen For Odd Noises From Your Pond Pump

It isn’t always going to be a low water level that causes some odd noises to be emitted from your pump. But these sounds can be the first indicator that something is not quite right. Many pumps will vibrate a bit while in operation and if you find that these vibrations are causing some rubbing or bumping against the skimmer box, or basin, you can always cushion these with some rubber matting.

Once again the owner or operational manual for the pump is the best resource for troubleshooting or the suggested steps for routine maintenance and often times, a quick review of that literature will uncover ways to keep the pump running more quietly and efficiently.

Storing Your Pond Pump In The Winter

This won’t apply to everyone of course but in climates where the pond may freeze over in the winter, it’s often suggested to turn the pump off and actually remove it. This applies to submersible pumps in particular. Storage should be maintained in a warmer setting with the pump submerged in a water bucket, which keeps all the gaskets and seals in good shape.

Editor’s Note: As always, be sure to contact the pump’s manufacturer on what they recommend for off season storage. Some pumps are best submerged while others may not need to be.

Why would you want to remove it during cold weather? Well the truth is, that during the colder months sometimes it’s best not to circulate the water too much in a small pond. Fish will often find the warmer bottom water to be more comfortable and the added circulation from the pump will hinder that somewhat. Also should a pond pump ever freeze up, a great deal of damage can occur internally and you may never get it working right again.

If you do decide to keep the pond open and operational during the winter months you’ll want to continue to monitor and clean the pump as needed, despite the cold weather.

Filed Under: Pond Accessories, Small Ponds Tagged With: Easy Pro, external pond pump, mag drive pond pump, Matala pond pump, pond pump, pond pumps, Pondmaster pond pump, quick fix, submersible pond pump, Tsurumi pond pump, water flow

Pond Side: Outdoor Furniture Tips And Advice

by Mark

Although it’s sometimes an after-thought, many pond owners love to spend time around their ponds and relax once in awhile.  With that in mind we wanted to cover a few tips that might help you select the best outdoor furniture for making this precious time as comfortable as can be and we wanted to insure that you’ll get great value for the dollars you might spend on chairs, tables, or other furniture around your pond.

Choose Your Outdoor Furniture Wisely

The problem a lot of people have when it comes to any furniture that’s used outdoors is that they go strictly for a “look” and don’t take into consideration the maintenance, quality, or versatility of the furniture itself.  When you avoid considering different materials that best suit your environment you may end up with furniture that does not keep up with the wear and tear, fading, etc. that comes to your patio furniture.

There are so many “looks” that can be found within each kind of material of outdoor furniture that you should first consider your needs, the material that will fit your needs, and then find the “look” within those materials. Have you thought about which kind of patio furniture will hold up best on grass?  Which material will hold up best when getting splashed on by you pond or pool? What will last longer when constantly exposed to sun?  Which kind will take most of your time to maintain?  Popular outdoor furniture materials include wicker, wooden, aluminum, and wrought iron.  Getting to know these kinds of materials may help you in your decision when it comes to choosing the best outdoor furniture for you.

Wicker Furniture

We often assume that wicker furniture is made from wooden or natural fibers, but these days you can find wicker furniture in synthetic materials.  Wicker actually refers to the style in which a material is woven.

If you are going to have your wicker furniture exposed to sun and other elements you will want to think about a plastic wicker.  A natural fiber wicker will last longer if it is in a covered area so it won’t be exposed to elements that will swell the materials or fade it.

With the synthetic wicker you will find a lot of options.  You can have any color you can imagine.  All wicker is light weight and doesn’t scuff up as easily like other outdoor furniture.  It does trap dust easily, but can be taken care of with a simple wipe down with a rag.  Wicker furniture typically sits best on a hard surfaces but can be enjoyed on a grass surface as well.

Wooden Garden Furniture

A look we all of have gotten used to is wooden garden furniture.  You should be especially aware of the elements your outdoor furniture is going to be exposed to as that can be your main guide to what kind of wood you invest in.  Cedar is a good wood because it is insect and decay resistant.  Other popular woods include cypress, pine, and teak.

Wood is definitely a high maintenance material.  Making sure it has a proper finish on it initially is important.  Then, cleaning it with warm water and a mild soap on a regular basis will help to keep it clean and looking good.  Make sure you dry the furniture completely as to prevent build up or mold.  When it comes to extreme weather it is going to benefit you to put the wooden garden furniture away to keep it from being exposed, especially from snow.  Even teak (which will pretty much withstand anything) will have a much longer lasting life if you take these same precautions.

Aluminum Outdoor Furniture

Aluminum outdoor furniture has become one of the hottest, most popular trends today.  The reason being: durability, versatility, and reasonable cost.  You can find most any style that you are looking for with an aluminum frame.  There are cushioned chairs, sling chairs, hard back chairs, tables and more. Aluminum is rust free, which makes it a great option to have next to your pond or other water source in your yard.  There is no limit to the style if size of the pieces of furniture either.  People love having options, and you get options with aluminum outdoor furniture.

Durability is always something to look for when you are seeking outdoor furniture.  Aluminum outdoor furniture is manufactured in two different ways.  Hollow or frame, and casted.  The framed aluminum furniture is very popular.  Though it is hollow in the middle, it doesn’t lack in its quality.  It is very sturdy and will last for years. It is light weight furniture and may be blown around in harsh weather if left out in the elements.  The finish on aluminum outdoor furniture is sprayed on by the manufacturer, and then baked on to make sure it adheres to the aluminum.  This method results in furniture that can withstand a lot of use, with out worry about chipping or scuffing.  Framed aluminum outdoor furniture should easily last you ten years or more if you have taken the time to maintain it.

Casted aluminum has all the same great qualities of framed aluminum except that it’s most likely that you will only have to go shopping for casted aluminum outdoor furniture once in your life.  Though all casted aluminum furniture will last much longer, if you get a set that is put together by a craftsman, rather than a mass manufactured set, you will pay more but the quality of the product and overall attention to detail will be much greater.

Maintenance for aluminum is quite simple whether casted or frame, usually requiring a wipe or spray down a couple of times a year.  Some people go further to put wax finishes on their furniture to help maintain its finish, but following the manufactures suggestions will be the best bet there.  It is always a good idea to take your furniture out of extreme weather.  However durable your furniture is, it’s going to last longer if it is exposed to less.

Wrought Iron Outdoor Furniture

Wrought Iron outdoor furniture is a classic, sturdy, and long lasting choice.  There are also many different styles and option with wrought iron.  It is easy to update and keep trendy by simply changing out the outdoor cushions, which usually accompany your wrought iron furniture.  If you are looking for an elaborate style with your outdoor furniture, nothing beats the classic look that wrought iron can bring.  Wrought iron outdoor furniture is often paired with tiles, glass, or granite which you cannot achieve with many other materials often used for patio or outdoor furniture.

Wrought iron outdoor furniture is, however, very heavy.  If you are going to be pulling chairs towards or away from a table often, wrought iron may not be the material you would like to use.  It also can rust; therefore you will need to keep up on maintenance, like applying a sealant on a yearly basis.

Make a choice

There are a lot of options out there.  You should be able to find what you are looking for!  Have no fear!  Now that you know the details of your options, you can make a choice that will be best for you, for your level of use, and the environment that your outdoor furniture will be in.

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Filed Under: Pond Decor And Landscaping, Small Ponds Tagged With: aluminum outdoor furniture, casted aluminum outdoor furniture, framed aluminum outdoor furniture, Garden furniture, outdoor cushions, outdoor furniture, patio furniture, teak garden furniture, wicker furniture, wooden garden furniture, wrought iron outdoor furniture

Floating Plants: A contribution to your Pond

by Mark

 

There are many water plants that will play important roles in the health and wellbeing of your pond.  One of the major players is going to be floating plants.  Floating pond plants play many roles that help with maintenance, but contribute to the health of the wildlife surrounding your pond.

Nitrates and phosphates are the nutrients in water that cause the most algae growth in your pond.  Floating plants constantly absorb these nutrients.  Thus, helping clear up or prevent murky water.  The roots of floating pond plants also prove a great place for fish and frogs to lay their eggs.  This not only protects the eggs, but keeps the eggs from taking over the visible areas of your pond.  Floating pond plants keep your pond cool which will also help keep algae away.  To have proper balance achieved you may need up to 60% of the surface area of your pond.  That may seem like a lot, but you can get many different kinds of floating plants so you can not only achieve a balanced ecosystem for your pond, but a beautiful landscape feature for you to enjoy.

Water Lilies

Water lily
Image via Wikipedia

Water lilies are among the group of hardy pond plants that many people enjoy.  You don’t have to worry too much about babysitting your water lilies once you’ve got them floating in your pond.  The only way to truly ruin one would be if it got frozen solid!  As long you are making sure to prune off dead flowers and leaves, and your lilies are getting 6-8 hours of direct sunlight a day you should have beautiful results.

Most water lilies only bloom during certain hours of the day.  The hardiest kind only bloom during the daytime hours.  So if you work, and you never see a bloom during the week, no worries, you can look forward to a weekend full of full blooms on your pond!

Another couple of things to remember about water lilies is that they don’t like being splashed.  This is something important to know, especially if you have a fountain or some sort of waterfall in your pond.  Plant the lilies far away from these water sources to avoid accidently drowning your lilies.  Also, make sure to plant your lilies in appropriate depth water.  Rule of thumb, the bigger the lily, the deeper the water!  But typically 18-30 inches of water should do the trick.

Water lilies are a classic choice that is a great contribution to any water garden as they add beauty, grace, and help achieve a healthy pond.

Water Hyacinth

If you are looking for a floating plant for your pond that is showy and will pop against the surroundings of your pond, water hyacinth is something to take a look at.  They have round or oval shiny leaves, the stalk is thick, and the flowers are large and beautiful.  The flowers typically are 2-3 inches and bloom a blue or lilac color with a yellow spot on each one.  Occasionally (or should I say rarely) you will get white blooms.

Water hyacinth is another one of those hardy pond plants: it can actually survive freezing temperatures.  So if you live in a place where you have extreme weather, this plant may serve you well.  It does however reproduce a lot, and quickly, so you need to make sure that you keep a close eye on your hyacinth so it does not take over your pond.  Making sure that you don’t throw excess hyacinths into the opposite end of your pond or even leaving it on the bank or your pond will help keep your water hyacinth under control.

Water hyacinths are distinguishable plants that provide a unique look to any water garden.

Penny Wart

Penny wart is a floating plant that works as a great filler and looks great when planted in bunches, as it can look scraggly if placed too thin.  Be aware that there are many different types of penny wart that work well in certain climates.  Some types won’t grow in warm water, but will in cool water.  Some are meant to be planted in gravel and not water.  If you are planning on ordering online, do some research at your local nursery to find out what type of penny wart would work for you.

Penny wart is a very hardy pond plant that needs minimal attention and not a lot of sunlight when it comes to growth.  When it starts growing, it doesn’t stop, so watch it carefully.  It can become very invasive and hard to remove.

Water lettuce

Another great floating plant is water lettuce.  Sometime people confuse it with water hyacinth, but the leaves are more ribbed and they bloom white flowers.  Water lettuce is a beautiful pond plant that covers your pond surface well and produces beautiful flowers for you to enjoy.  It is, however, very sensitive to cold water.  If the water gets near or below 50 degrees the leaves of your water lettuce are going to start yellowing.

Other than the sensitivity of water temperature, water lettuce is an easy plant to have.  Of course, keep and eye on it to make sure it doesn’t start to overtake the surface of your pond.  To remove it all you need to do it rake it up from the surface.

Keep up with your floating Plants

Overall, keeping control of the surface of your water by choosing floating plants that work for your environment is going to be the best bet for a healthy pond.  Making sure they don’t overgrow is going to be the most important thing you can do when maintaining these plants.  Having no sunlight available to your pond can be detrimental to your pond and the wildlife in it.  Floating plants will give back to you by helping keep your water clean and the animals in and around your pond in a healthy, natural habitat.

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Filed Under: Fish And Plants, Small Ponds Tagged With: floating plants, floating pond plants, hardy pond plants, penny wart, pond plants, water hyacinth, water lettuce, water lilies, water lily, water plants

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