It may take a gradual start of the aeration if you have an old pond with fish involved. So lets say it takes about a week to get up to 24/7 operation. Oxygen levels increase and start to support beneficial microbes in the pond that will gradually help to reduce the nutrients feeding the algae. It is often a slower process, but I usually suggest running aeration for 30 to 60 days before doing anything else to treat the algae. In some cases, it has cleared up in just a week or so...other ponds take longer...and in other ponds aeration alone may not be enough if nutrients are excessively high.

Hi...we don't work with small ponds much anymore but I would suggest looking at something like this. It slightly exceeds your gallon volume and will handle the depth easily. This is a 4 stone model - amzn.to/3Yv7M8i ...you could also look at the 2 stone for ponds up to or near 1000 gallons.

You're welcome and thank you for the kind words!

I figure about 3 billion eggs. Add them when you can and who knows, it may work. Or consider this instead: edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA028 . Good luck!

So some of this will depend on just how cold you get...you may need to run the aerator pretty much full on to keep some water open. I do think rocking piston pumps do best running continuous anyway...they are designed for that...and the starting and stopping on a regular basis seems a bit harder on them. They are efficient to run so you won't save much starting and stopping them as well. I hope this helps for you!

How big is your pond?

@klmponds 5,000 galons. Aprox 80x4x3 I just put some string across the area that the Heron is flying in and out of. Also fishing line around the edges where I have seen him enter the pond to try and trip him up. The pond is pretty muddy, and they're not that many fish. I'm surprised it has drawn him in.

@@tsafaI think that's a good thing to try. I don't know that there's any great solution. It could be migrating and will move on when it can't catch any more or just has a harder time of it. Your pond is a bit big for any kind of covering which is what I was hoping you might be able to use. So the fishing line is probably the next best option.

@klmponds if the fishing line doesn't work, then I'm going to run some netting around the edge. The cheap Landscaping type. As far as I can tell, the Heron must land on land and walk into the water. I don't think they fly directly into the water. I installed the fishing line, but the problem I foresee is that the deer are not going to see it and knock it out sooner or later. They might see the netting.

Most are probably of me speaking. They are the fastest and simplest way to respond and share answers to questions that I get in regularly. They are intended for the informative content and will likely never be some kind of polished production. Thanks for the question!

Not really any favorite brand...5 and 1 test strips are good to have...you would want to watch ammonia build up too so those would be good to have on hand. Amazon should have some that are pretty affordable.

You're welcome! A winter sanctuary sounds nice!

It would really depend on how deep the pond is. If you're around six feet deep or so, I would suggest going with a surface aerator. Many fish farms uses these to maximize the dissolved oxygen level in their ponds. I might even use this in deeper water if you get really hot for sustained periods there as I suspect you do. The other option is sub-surface diffused aeration which would be more economical to run, but I'm not sure it sets up quite as well as a surface aerator does for fish farming.

This isn't really how an aerator works...a submerged pump would move water...circulate it, but if you aren't breaking the surface tension of the water, oxygen isn't coming in as much from above...thats typically how a diffused aerator works. If the pump you have can be set up to propel the water up into the air...ie, a fountain, then yes, that would aerate the water.

This is a great question. I have never found a simple test, even for small ponds, that would really tell you this. If you do find one, please let me know about it. A lab could probably check something like this but usually they are looking for the bad guys like e-coli for example. We would want to know about the amount of nitrifying bacteria, or those that help break down and convert nitrogen based nutrients. Generally all ponds will have beneficial bacteria eventually establish itself in a pond. These are naturally occurring. What supports them and their vitality is typically where most people focus...ie, making sure dissolved oxygen levels are good (which can be tested)...making sure the water has some decent mineralization, which the bacteria use in their processes...this can also be tested. And just good general water chemistry...with a pH this isn't too high or too low. If those things are in place the bacteria will have what they need to at least function well. Chemical applications like copper algaecides will knock down or kill off good bacteria in a pond...so it makes sense to use some supplementation after a treatment like that. I generally am pretty liberal with my dosing of bacteria, mainly because its very safe to use for the most part...but underdosing when you are trying to affect nutrient levels isn't going to work. If you overdo it the worst effect is usually cloudy water for a time. But it clears up when you stop treating. I would say too because these bacteria do use oxygen in their processing...again you want to have aeration going not only to help them but also to protect fish if your DO levels are already pretty poor. I hope this helps somewhat, even though it doesn't directly answer your question very well.

For aeration as I'm normally talking about, no...those produce air...sump pumps, pump water. I have heard of some people trying them with a fountain type set up, which would propel water into the air. I have no idea how long they lasted but typically you want a fountain to run at least 8 to 12 hours per day and that's day in and day out.

I appreciate the question. So you really want to it an aerator the size and depth of your pond. Get that done properly and you'll have a system that covers you well. There are all kinds of prices ranges now of aerators and while I do think you want to get a decently good one, you don't have to pay top dollar for such a thing. Normally I would caution anyone from buying the super cheap imported stuff that's getting peddled these days. They'll work, some for a good while, but others don't run very long, have overheated and started fires, or can't be updated once the seals and gaskets wear out. But I respect how people want or need to spend their money with all that said. For a good value for the money, I would take a look at the EasyPro line. Good company, good aerators, and they aren't super expensive. americanaeration.com/collections/easy-pro-sentinel-pond-aerators

In our evaluation of using ultrasound to control algae blooms, the number we're looking for is less than 200 ppb, or 0.2 ppm. Above this some algae can grow quite rapidly making it hard for the technology to keep up. For general algae issues, the numbers vary a bit by source but 0.08 to 0.10 will kick off some periodic blooms. I think the number could be a bit lower to see some algae...but phosphorus levels are usually the limiting factor of just how strong the bloom might be...higher phosphorus = larger and more persistent algae blooms.

This is a pretty old video and we don't work with that aerator (or small pond aerators in general) anymore so forgive me for a more generic response. The purpose of the check valves is to protect the pump from water coming back up the line. They would work anywhere between the diffuser and the pump. That said, all of the diffusers we work with now have check valves built into the diffusers themselves.

@@klmponds ok, thanks

So I think manual removal is useful because it also removes nutrients with those plants...they don't get to recycle back into the water. But at some point, the microbes should lessen the algae growth to so noticeable extent. If not, tinker with the dose to see if a bit higher amount will help. Many I think underdose with microbes just by following the label directions.

It would depend on the pump model. Let me know on the brand and model number and I can give you more information.

@@klmponds OLF400D-140BS-A

If I got the code right, this is coming up as a Vevor pump...a chinese import. If vevor doesn't have the rebuild kit, I'm not sure who would. There were pumps early on they sold that did not have kits...not sure if this is one of them or not. Just curious...how long have you been running the pump? A fair number of people had theirs crap out pretty early on, some caught fire, etc. That's the word on the street at least.

There is a reply on the page for that pump, at the bottom...someone asked about rebuild kits and as of spring of 2024, they said they don't sell parts separately. They'll replace the pump within 12 months but after that, you may be out of luck.

Good question...the diffuser is facing up as it's shown in the image. The tubes would be on the top of the black base. This particular aerator is for small ponds so the tubes aren't elevated. On the larger pond systems all the diffuser membranes, whether they are plate shaped, or tube shaped, would be elevated up above the weighted base by at least a couple of inches.

I would say it comes down to the oxygen holding capacity of water. Above 78 degrees, water starts to lose it's ability to retain oxygen. As temperatures go up the saturation point of dissolved oxygen also drops. This can take you closer to a threshold, where if you cross it, fish can start to suffer and die pretty quickly. It can be precipitated by weather events, algae and weed growth (and die off), among other things. In winter, the biggest risk is just having ice completely cover and lock up the pond from air and gas exchange at the surface...if this goes on too long, then sure, fish can die from that. But it doesn't seem as common as the risks you see in the summer. Aeration can be helpful and protective in both of the seasons of extremes.

So if you have a spot around 10', if you get a diffuser there it will cover about 3/4 of an acre at that depth. As you lose depth you lose the range of coverage...so I'm thinking if you could get another (second diffuser) down to 10' or near that, you're at about 1.5 acres now...and a third diffuser in a more shallow area could cover the rest. Some of this depends on the shape of the pond too. To really be sure it would be best to contact me through the site and send over an address so I can view the pond from google earth, just to be sure. But I'm going to suggest probably a 1/2 HP pump with 3 diffusers would do. Something like this one as an example. americanaeration.com/collections/easy-pro-sentinel-pond-aerators/products/sentinel-1-2-hp-aeration-system

@@klmponds how can I contact you

Try this page, it your input will come to me. americanaeration.com/pages/pond-aeration-advisor

@@klmponds done!

What you need here is a biological filter (which you may have but depends on the media) and prime the tank with some beneficial bacteria...microbes. You have to take care of the nutrients that are coming from the waste. Filtering is good and all, but there may not be enough biological activity to break down the nutrients in the waste. Take a look at the 2500 dispenser system on our site, or the PondBiotix SP product...both of those are what I'm talking about as far as microbes. They may help...I say may, because nothing is a silver bullet. If you have re-circulation with the pumps and such you may also want to investigate a UV light...this would be specific for green water algae.

They could eat them...I would normally feed the fish first, then after apply the pellets. Kind of lessens the chances of consumption. That said, if they did eat them, it would not hurt them, and second they would poop out a lot of that bacteria anyway. Not the most direct route to the bottom I admit, but its not a huge thing if they eat a few pellets.

Most fans pull air out as the heat builds up in the cabinet. The new Kasco ground cabinet is a bit different but still the idea is to evacuate the heat out of the cabinet.

Yeah, for sure if the pond needs microbes, they can be really helpful...not every pond does. In terms of how often you should add them, some ponds do best with monthly treatments and others can have just a few to start a season and not need another until the next year. It varies a lot from pond to pond.

I will make a point and try to do that in the future.

Hi James...so across the board, no, the threads/ports are not the same on the different types of pumps. On most rocking pistons though like your Thomas, the port/thread size should be 1/4" fpt. I hope this helps for you! Mark

I used to use it...but really only for small ponds, which I don't work with as much anymore. I think for the money you are just as well off looking for dried barley bales. For larger ponds, pellets have been easier to work with.

Not sure about extract, but barley straw just produces hydrogen peroxide as it decays, unless you get barley for free, probably best to just skip it.

I agree, while there's nothing wrong with trying it...and it does work fro some folks...its best to get it cheap for testing and I think the actual straw would hold up better than an extract.

Its a tough call, but no doubt the problem with pool filters is mainly the media...so if that's changed out...it very well might work out the way you want. Basically you just need a way to hold media in place and for the water to run through it slowly. If you look at a typical bio filter or bio-falls, some are nothing more than a basin to hold media where the water fills and eventually overflows. The media is the key. Lava rock could work, as could many other things with some porous cavities and such. Its worth researching that area and picking something you'd like to try. But I'd give it ago in this case.

Dye is OK if the algae or weeds are submerged fully but it may not be enough all on it's own. The only downside to dye is that if it's applied too densely it can affect the base of the food change for fish. I have always looked at dye as a possible add on but more than anything I'm looking to lower and balance excess nutrients, often through a combination of aeration and microbial supplements.

Definitely, barley is worth looking into. Most research has shown it's most helpful as a retardant to algae growth rather than a treatment...so it needs to be applied ahead of any blooms for the best effect. For small ponds, I think pellets or liquid concentrate can be fine, or the bales...for larger ponds I like to suggest people look close to home for dried bales from a farm direct source...you'll get it a lot cheaper that way.

Thanks for the question. I'm not sure I would stress too much about it...pH doesn't have to be perfect to be alright...and I don't get too concerned unless I'm pushing over 9.0 or such. There are commercial pH reducers and stabilizers which may be helpful. And while I might try them, if the pH doesn't hold near neutral I"m not prone to fighting with it too much. By the way if a small pond has any kind of concrete involved and its unsealed, it can leach lime out and raise the pH that way. I just wanted to mention that for people to check.

Check the link in the description (at the bottom). That will take you to the page with all the solar aerators and the pricing is shown there for each. Keep in mind, airline requirements may vary by pond size so that could affect the price a little bit too.

Good point...in some cases every little bit could help.

Thanks! As you can see in the video, the transducer head is not too large. You could likely fit it in about a 10"x10"x10" box. The weight is around 15 lbs.

Thank you...you are correct...they can be used with fish...IF the pH is relatively neutral. Testing alkalinity is also important. As the instructions with the device clearly note you want to check pH and alkalinity first. If its too high the copper will likely precipitate out too fast. Too low and copper will build up and can become toxic to fish. I error on the side of caution with advice when they are not my fish:)

Some...in my testing with a 1/4 HP pump which would typically be used to power a single diffuser and sometimes up to 2 of them...the sound ouput ranged from about 60db up to 65db in the brands we carry...this was taken with a meter 2' away. It drops off as you get farther away of course. I have a video on my channel showing this testing. Search, How Loud Is A Pond Aerator and it should come up.

There is audio...unfortunately its only on one channel. Your left ear might love it.

Thats pretty poor longevity. As far as pumps go, I might suggest reaching out to Performance Pumps and see what they have to say about it...one of the best I have ever run into...and the people know how to set them up. This video is pretty old and we don't work with small ponds anymore but I figure they are still around.

That would be my preference if it's easy enough to do for someone. If the pond is small enough it usually is. Larger ponds and lakes...its not usually as simple.

@@klmponds As you said, if you act fast, you get them before they become an issue. But if you are careless and let them strive, take responsibility and do what's environmentally more healthy. Since the 1960s we've seen how chemicals have ruined our lives and environment. Please avoid promoting chemicals when there are more friendly methods.

You'd be surprised how often I hear this...sometimes its tough to deal with the neighbors!

I agree with you...this is a big pond, and the other challenge is not much depth to work with. If you would want to email me through the website I can take a look at it and at least try and offer some suggestions - americanaeration.com/pages/pond-aeration-advisor

Well stated!