Not sure how much you learned about how to really get clarity and healthy water over the course of your journey here, but quite a few misconceptions as well as what you leanred all on your own. Been ponding now for 13 years and with much more density than you've got, have never had greenwater since inception and am definitely overstocked. The key here is sun, runoff (organics/fert getting in) and no plants. The keys for you would be to find shade (water lilies can shade and help with the nitrogen cycle, albeit modestly at best if NOT allowed to roam free which would be my suggestion), add lots more plants, and create a berm around the pond so you don't get any further rain runoff. I came for the solar aerator and what you have, imo, is woefully inadequate. For the price, I expected more and better, despite you did a good job explaining what you have and how it all worked out. Kudos for that. For a pond that size, you'd need much more aeration for any real oxygen saturation (continuous). Natural ponds work on massive surface to air agitation and the wind is the main source of that, which you'd have also. A waterfall would add so very much more than this aerator. Problem will be getting power to it and I'm not a huge fan (so far, including this vid) of solar. You'd need a much larger array and backup batteries, which only increases the cost of solar. Too, adding oxygen is NOT going to get rid of your algae issues; whoever told you this isn't understanding the chemistry and dynamics of a pond. Aeration is good, but moreso for the fish and beneficial bacteria. Any underwater plant is going to give O2 during the day but oxygen is taken in, at night. Chems you can add (algicides) take oxygen OUT of the water during it's process and next to a heron, is one of the best sources for fish loss horror stories. I don't ever recommend. Natural is the way to go. So, add shade, add lots of plants, make that berm, don't overstock, don't overfeed, keep the bottom clean (which will be problematic with a large pond as the fall is going to continuously put leaves etc into your pond; any sort of windbreak/shield could help but with time, this organic layer is going to build on you and the decay process won't keep up, thereby increasing the mulm layer every year until dredging will be necessary, which is expensive. Your aerator system is never going to solve water clarity here nor will it substantially increase O2 saturation, even if running 24/7. You found it could get iced over whereas my own smaller unit could keep a hole open, albeit it's using electric mains for power. And all ponds have algal blooms initially; it's what you do from there that will determine if it stays a problem. Out competing the single cell free floating algae is the key and to do so, you need plants---lots of them. I appreciate the time you took to examine the solar aeration system and hope this info above can actually get you closer to your goal. The many 'voices' out there suggesting dyes and chems, even aeration, are all coming from a standpoint of trying to sell you something, which I am not. If curious, visit my channel and watch/see the vids of a much smaller pond (7K) that has a much higher stocking density than yours, and see if all my advice above is effective. Good luck!
I added an aerator last year to our 1/2 acre pond which is 11 feet deep at the deepest part of the pond (Kasco 1/4 hp compressor and the Kasco diffuser). The pond was dug 70+ years ago with a grassy bank, but is now surrounded by trees/bushes which dump their organic matter into the pond and there is lot of muck on the bottom of the pond. The pond clarity was usually 6 inches or less in the summer with frequent algae blooms, and stinky and stagnant. We started the aerator in early summer, so we needed to ramp up its aeration over time to allow degassing hydrogen sulfide gas-and it was stinky.... So once the aerator was running 24/7, the pond turned green after about a week later for a week for a week's time, but then started to clear up to a little more than 2 feet after about a month (measured with a Secchi disc). Then 3 - 4 weeks later, the pond clarity improved to almost 3 feet, the clearest the pond has been since about 25 - 30 years ago. Then the duckweed happened and the pond was completely covered. A flotilla of ducks showed up and feasted on the duckweed and eventually ate it all - wow. This coming year I will add a second diffuser, which is needed because the pond is long and narrow, to enhance the mixing/oxygenation at the narrow/shallow end of the pond. Because you have a solar powered aerator, you are only aerating the pond part time, and so the aeration/mixing is reduced compared to one running 24/7. I would wait and see what happens this coming year once the aerator is running starting in early spring. Rather than pond dyes, I suggest beneficial bacteria which is good for the animal creatures, and helps to digest that organic matter, and it outcompetes the algae for the nutrition in the pond. That compressor seems a little tiny, what air flow are you getting? Mine puts out 3 scf/min. Love your videos, they are informative and lots of fun!
Thanks, it's nice to know that aeration does work, especially on such an old pond as yours. I was a little skeptical at first. With this pond only being a couple years old I should be light on the bottom muck amounts and breaking down of organics, but hoping this summer works better. I need to clean up the land around the pond to stop erosion, that's for sure. I will try the bacteria as well to battle the algae blooms. I still have about a foot of ice on the pond but will be hooking up the solar panel this weekend. In the future I will have some electricity near the pond (I don't right now) which is mainly why I went solar, so I could go to a larger electric compressor. You had me thinking on the pond pumps and I just asked the guy who sold me the unit and they are only putting out .5 scf/min. That will be something to monitor going forward.
Hi I totally understand your frustrration. I have been battling algae bllooms every year for 25 years now. Finally this year we had great results. Believe me we have researched and tried everything. I have a windmill pump for airation. We have used blue pond die in the past, to filter the U.V. rays from the sun and it has helped in past years and looks nice, but still had algae. This year I put black pond die in and it was like a miracle. (Algae died off in a few weeks) Looks natural too and is non toxic to fish or animals. Maybe give that a try Cheers
That wasn't a failure. It was just a new pond. Until you get grass established around the pond, run-off is going to cause problems. Cat tails around the edge where most of the run-off enters the pond my help.
The key to pond and lake aeration is 1) aerating the deepest portion 2) aerating the entire pond evenly with enough diffusers to achieve a minimum of 4 fluid turnovers / day 3) adding enough cfm (volume of compressed air) that matches the number of diffusers. The unfortunate part of solar aeration is that they are extremely limited due to how much cfm the compressors supply. (1-2 cfm usually) They are also quite expensive compared to Systems that have readily accessible power. It’s all about mixing aka fluid turnover rates. 8-12 fluid turnovers / day is ideal for ponds less than 5 acres in size. 1 fluid turnover is the time it takes to mix the volume of the pond a single time with the installed aeration system. Undersized aeration system will take exponentially longer to achieve noticeable results. Fine bubble aeration will provide the most mixing and the non-turbulent rise rate of the bubbles settles solids out of suspension. Coarse bubbles do the opposite and are not recommended. The next component is to apply beneficial bacteria to digest the organics and nutrients that find there way into the pond. Think of pond aeration as recreating a river in a body of water that lacks both oxygenation and mixing. 3 of the membrane diffusers you installed will significantly improve the results achieved. I design and manufacture aeration systems for a living and I’d be happy to help you or anyone else out via DM. Best of luck with your project!
Hi Ryan, just letting you know I feel your pain. we have a dam that is super murky. Ive been looking at wetland/bog style filters on youtube for weeks. Also did some research on david pagan butlers organic pools. We have the same problem, too much nutrient rich run off entering the dam.
I run the dye on mine. It blocks sunlight and plants can't grow under water. Another method I haven't tried is to sink some bales of barley . Suppose to work
I’m battling weeds more than algae. Not sure what type but the pond was really low last year and d that is when the plants grabbed the chance to thrive. Will aerating help?
I don't think aeration would ever hurt. I would try a package or two of pond dye. I have a video on that stuff. It works well by cutting the sunlight going deep in the pond which weeds need to grow. Block the sunlight, block the weeds.
I heard that adding limestone to a pond isn't going to raise the pH at all, because the pH isn't low enough to dissolve the limestone. Now, i never had a pond, but i had two aquariums in the past and i was also looking into ways of getting that pH up. More current in the water raises the pH though. This is because gasses like Carbon Dioxide (which is on the lower end of pH) will get aerated out of the water. It is also a myth that when you put Oxygen in the water like in the video it will add Oxygen to the water, but that isn't true. Oxygen does not mix with water in the way we think - it's just bubbles that creates circulation. Great video by the way, keep it up. PS. To get rid of the algae / algae bloom you need to add competitive surface plants to draw out the nutrients like Phosphate & Nitrate, but also consume Carbon Dioxide. Also be patient (side note an aquarium is considered matured after a year)
Hi Ryan, Thanks for this content. I only came across it today. My pond is small but in need of help like yours was. Are you still happy with the aeration system and can you please give a status on how things are going? Thank You!
Hey Bob, yes it got much better. I'd say the aerator has done its job. Some blue dye won't hurt either to block some sunlight out. I did a follow-up video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Or9PzM0M57g.html
@@ryanhoelke Thanks for getting back to me Ryan. Really appreciate your quick response. I need an aeration system and your information is very helpful with my way forward. Glad to hear of your positive results. Best wishes.....Bob
They have smaller set-ups than the ones listed here. Just call them. I have the 2 pump system. They will size the system to your pond size. www.thedugoutdude.ca/dugout-systems/solar-aeration
Where did you buy that solar kit? Pond dye helps with the sun's ultraviolet rays which contribute to algie and also helps with birds preying on your fish.
Isuvise malih predatora i malo bilja. Dafnija ne moze preziveti ,a alge se razvijaju. Potrebno je napraviti manje plutajuce ostrvo od treseta i zasaditi bilje tako da se dobije plutajuca saksija. Alternativa tome je gusto bilje na obali.
Go to a local stream, you need underwater plants and vegitation like moss and Lilly pads to take up the nutrients. Thats why you have algae blooms. Your aerator should not be in the deepest part of your pond, maybe the 3 foot mark. "Father fish", videos.
Can you make bog gardens on all the intake zones and in the pond generally... To filter Water through plants and roots.. Using flushable bog filters with rock for beneficial bacteria and diatoms.. See ozponds
Ya, I know. You're right. I'm just squeaking by until I get it fully landscaped. It's better this year so far and hopefully will have a full perimeter of grass down by the fall.
@ryanhoelke put down some cheap, fast growing rye grass. It's cheap and grows super fast. You'll not be upset to destroy it for your other landscape needs.
I just put up a follow-up video to this one, you'll see it. I added some pond dye and with the aerator, the results have been quite good. I bought the aerator here: www.thedugoutdude.ca/
It's pretty much homemade. I bought it here: www.thedugoutdude.ca/index.php/dugout-systems/solar-aeration just call and give them your pond size and they'll size the solar system to your pond.
I thought green ponds are good for fish so why would you want to remove their food source? Athletically, maybe an eye sore. Alternately why not build a wetland filter to get clearer water even with 5 hours of air per day sunshine.
