Most pond waterfalls aerate the area beneath and around them, but they cannot provide oxygen for the whole pond, nor should they. That job is belongs to a water aerator. If you maintain your pond not only for the beauty of the waterfall but also for plants and fish, you will want to establish whether it gets enough oxygen to sustain the latter, and if necessary, install a new aeration system.
Five Signs That Your Waterfall Pond Needs More Aeration
- Your fish spend a lot of time near the waterfall, especially during warm weather. Pond fish enjoy waterfalls and are naturally drawn to them. But if your fish keep swimming around the area around the waterfall, they might do it because they don’t have enough oxygen in the rest of the pond.
- Algae are thriving. Ponds that are not aerated often have stagnant water and lazy fish, and these in turn can foster algae. The organic debris that gathers in the water, coming from outside sources as whereas from the fish, fosters algae, which can quickly take over your pond.
- There’s a lot of muck at the bottom of your pond. Well-aerated ponds promote the growth of beneficial bacteria that break up the muck. Without the bacteria, muck accumulates more quickly.
- Your fish are dying although the water is healthy and no predators are killing them. Most pond fish might be small, but they need plenty of space to grow and move freely, anywhere from one square foot of surface area for a tiny 2-inch fish to ten square feet for a 8-inch fish. You should not wait for your fish to drop dead before adding more aeration to your pond.
- The water looks bad. Aeration systems keep the water circulating, preventing stagnation. Stagnant water is loaded with algae, weeds, and other floating debris that makes it foul.
If you observe one or more of the signs above in your pond, consider adding more aeration.
What Aerator Should I Buy? It depends on the size and type of your pond. A simple, small, backyard pond with half a dozen fish in it doesn’t require more than an entry-level
Pond Aerator under $500 dollars that runs 24/7/365 and requires minimum maintenance. Living Water Aeration’s AirPro Diaphragm Compressor is an affordable choice for small and shallow ponds with a surface of 1/20 acres or lower and a depth of maximum 12 feet. The kit includes tubing and two stone air diffusers. If you have a larger pond with hundreds or even thousands of fish in it, you will want to use a more powerful system with multiple diffusers. A great choice is the
AirPro Rotary Vane Pond Aerator Kit designed for ponds that are between 3 and 9 acres. The kit includes six dual-head air diffusers and 800 feet of weighted tubing.
