Using Air Pumps To Control Oxygen In Ponds
Did you know that everything that lives in your pond needs a constant supply of oxygen in the water to stay alive? If there's too little oxygen in the water, all the fish will eventually die. Not only that, all the good bacteria and plants will also die. Below we will briefly examine how you can control Oxygen in ponds by using air pumps.
The aeration of your pond is to a large extent determined by how much oxygen can dissolve in the water. If you, to name just one example, overpopulate the pond with fish, it will disturb the oxygen balance of the pond. A similar problem will occur if there is large quantities of 'bad' algae that prevent oxygen from getting through to the water. In such a situation your pond will not be able to sustain life.
In nature aeration happens by itself without any help. Unfortunately humans often disturb the natural balance that exists in nature by actions such as placing an oversupply of fish in a small pond, feeding the fish too much or too often. Then the balance can only be restored by human intervention.
You will most often find that fish in the pond die of too little oxygen during very hot summer days when the wind isn't blowing. The problem can partially be prevented by installing water filters for the removal of 'bad' algae from the water and also water features such as waterfalls and fountains. Another way to help aerate the pond is to introduce oxygenator plants. You might also have to reduce the number of fish and to feed the existing fish less often. If the problem isn't resolved by any or all of the above, you will have to install an air pump.
Before buying any air pump, first carefully scrutinize the instruction leaflet provided by the pump's manufacturer. There are a huge variety of pumps on sale nowadays and they're not all suitable for all types of ponds. You have to select the right pump for your pond therefore. Some pumps can, for example, only work in shallow ponds. All pumps have a maximum when it comes to the cubic meters/feet of water they can aerate per minute. A pump with a small capacity in this regard will therefore not work for a large pond.
If you have a pond with Koi fish, you most likely already know that Kois need larger quantities of water than most other types of fish. A Koi pond should therefore generally be larger than other fish ponds. When buying an air pump for a Koi pond you must make sure it can handle such large quantities of water. As a general rule, your pump should be able to aerate at least 40lpm for each 1000 gallons of water.
If you install a bubbler at the pond's bottom it will also have a beneficial effect on aeration. A bubbler produces oxygen bubbles that will set free oxygen in the water while they're rising from the bottom of the pond to the surface.
Air pumps will not just serve to increase the amount of Oxygen in ponds. They will also serve to hamper the growth of so-called 'bad' algae. The increased levels of oxygen in the pond water will have a beneficial effect on everything that lives in the pond. The bio-diversity will be improved and you will have a much healthier pond in general.
The aeration of your pond is to a large extent determined by how much oxygen can dissolve in the water. If you, to name just one example, overpopulate the pond with fish, it will disturb the oxygen balance of the pond. A similar problem will occur if there is large quantities of 'bad' algae that prevent oxygen from getting through to the water. In such a situation your pond will not be able to sustain life.
In nature aeration happens by itself without any help. Unfortunately humans often disturb the natural balance that exists in nature by actions such as placing an oversupply of fish in a small pond, feeding the fish too much or too often. Then the balance can only be restored by human intervention.
You will most often find that fish in the pond die of too little oxygen during very hot summer days when the wind isn't blowing. The problem can partially be prevented by installing water filters for the removal of 'bad' algae from the water and also water features such as waterfalls and fountains. Another way to help aerate the pond is to introduce oxygenator plants. You might also have to reduce the number of fish and to feed the existing fish less often. If the problem isn't resolved by any or all of the above, you will have to install an air pump.
Before buying any air pump, first carefully scrutinize the instruction leaflet provided by the pump's manufacturer. There are a huge variety of pumps on sale nowadays and they're not all suitable for all types of ponds. You have to select the right pump for your pond therefore. Some pumps can, for example, only work in shallow ponds. All pumps have a maximum when it comes to the cubic meters/feet of water they can aerate per minute. A pump with a small capacity in this regard will therefore not work for a large pond.
If you have a pond with Koi fish, you most likely already know that Kois need larger quantities of water than most other types of fish. A Koi pond should therefore generally be larger than other fish ponds. When buying an air pump for a Koi pond you must make sure it can handle such large quantities of water. As a general rule, your pump should be able to aerate at least 40lpm for each 1000 gallons of water.
If you install a bubbler at the pond's bottom it will also have a beneficial effect on aeration. A bubbler produces oxygen bubbles that will set free oxygen in the water while they're rising from the bottom of the pond to the surface.
Air pumps will not just serve to increase the amount of Oxygen in ponds. They will also serve to hamper the growth of so-called 'bad' algae. The increased levels of oxygen in the pond water will have a beneficial effect on everything that lives in the pond. The bio-diversity will be improved and you will have a much healthier pond in general.