First and the most important is saving our pond and fish during the summer months when thermal stratification occurs, aeration keeps the zone broken and the toxic gasses out of the pond while replacing the gasses with oxygen allowing more fish to use the entire pond since the oxygen is deeper in the pond. Winter time we can move an aerator closer to the shore line to maintain a hole in the ice for wild life to get a drink and to allow those toxic gasses to escape and not build up under the ice endangering our fish.
The main reasons for aeration are important, we can also benefit from the water movement created by the bubble column. We can use this movement to help distribute our pond dye, keep the water moving to move our beneficial bacteria’s throughout the entire pond and keep the pond from being a stagnant pool.
But wait there’s more…
Remember with added oxygen we increase our Bactria level to consume nutrients, and phosphates are one of the culprits that lead to algae and plant growth. With the proper amount of oxygen the phosphates are sort of neutralized and charged magnetically to the bottom of the pond so they can be consumed by plants or algae.
I know this sounds too scientific but that’s the nature of oxygen. How else can the moving water and bubbles help our ponds? Nutrients abound in the pond and lake ecosystem which is the source for algae and weeds growth, this much we know and can regulate the nutrient load with aeration, pond dye and beneficial bacteria’s.
What I’m leading into is using up more of these nutrients to our benefit and the pond ecosystems benefit. Plants along the shore line and intermediate water depths will also help to consume nutrients along the shore line but what about out in the water? Picture this floating island with plant roots dangling in the water column, their hungry too and will help to pull more nutrients from the water column.
Placing the floating island directly over the diffuser, this would be right above the boil of water and bubbles, doing this would push these nutrients right to the plant roots on the floating island so they can consume the nutrients being push from the bottom of the pond. <–Although my island is not that all that pretty, it is functional to hold plants for pick from customer orders local to Erie, Pa.
Another benefit of aeration is the increased oxygen of course but with the increased oxygen the fish are less stressed, able to breathe easier and not worrying about finding oxygen but can go about their business to eat and grow bigger.
Part of the fish support is to have structure or habitat for them to either hide from the big guy or a place to ambush their prey. I know it sounds vicious but that’s the way of nature. In the past most folks would toss in Christmas trees, bundles of branches and the like, to create these structures but over time they will break down into more unwanted nutrients.
