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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.

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!

Hi Jim...I guess my main advice would be to be liberal with the microbial...of course you want to dose at at a base level, to your pond volume...whatever the label calls for. But you also have to account for the nutrient loading too...if you have a lot of algae I would assume that is pretty high, so most often i will actually double the recommended amount for the first month or so...look for changes in the growth...any reaction or reduction would indicate you are affecting nutrient levels enough to curb the growth. I only do this for a month or two to evaluate. If I don't see significant change, after that time, or if I want to just test this early on, I'll have a phosphorous test done to see where that level is at. If that is particularly high, a phos binder may be called for just to help everything shift into better balance.

@@BirdLife365project Thanks for your quick response. I discovered I left out some important info: our pond is fed by a natural spring, about 4 farm tiles, and two overland waterways off farm fields. Even if we can diminish the compost pile on the bottom of the pond, do we stand a chance against the nutrient load coming in from neighboring farm fields growing corn (for the last 12 years without rotation)?

Reducing organic build up at the bottom of the pond is always helpful but it is a slow process, but it can be done. I would say if you are getting a lot of run off from surrounding ag fields, think about creating some vegetative buffer strips around the pond that could absorb some runoff nutrients...and for any incoming streams, I would investigate the idea of creating vegetation bogs which could help filter and clean the water a bit before it gets into the pond. Its really all about nutrient management and doing your best to curb the effects of that on the pond in whatever way is practical for you.

@@klmponds We have followed your microbial advice, doubling the dosage for the first month, added 2 aerator pads, and have kept the pond dyed. No fibrous algae pads now and for the most part the pond looks so much better. The water is clear, but has a micro thin sheet of what appears to be short strands of algae on the top of the water. Each strand is about a quarter inch long, and very thin. The strands look gray in the morning, then green in the afternoon and brown in the evening. Is this fibrous algae that can't implant on the bottom to form pads and instead floats on the surface?

Good to hear things are looking better for you. So it sounds like a form of algae...probably coming to the surface to pick up some sunlight and then dying off pretty quick. Or it could just be coming off some stuff down below as the nutrients continue to balance out. My inclination is just to keep the course for a bit longer...if you feel you want to add another round of biological it may continue to improve things, or this could be a short lived event as things continue to progress. I would say the positive thing here is you did see measurable improvement with aeration and microbes so that's where I'd keep my focus for awhile. There is no free-floating algae that is immune from this approach...although another nutrient like phosphorus could, if it's quite high, be less affected in the short term by microbial treatments.

That is always a tough experience. But, we learn as we go sometimes.

From my observations here in Iowa, I've had no problems with them thus far in cold weather. Heat is really the enemy of most of these pumps so that's a bigger concern.

Great question...I'm not sure I have a great answer but you might research Diatomaceous earth and see if that might work when sprinkled around the cabinet.

In a general sense, yes, it could. Hard to say how much really and it will vary from pond to pond. The increase in dissolved oxygen near the bottom supports this effort...and I would say if you combine aeration with muck digesting microbials, it can help. Even with those though its not a sprint. Overtime though you can work it down.

Thank you Thomas!

Thanks for the kind words! By the sounds of it I don't think you'd need to run both the fountain and the aerator...maybe figure out which is more economical and go with that most of the time. If things get really hot there and that goes on for awhile, then maybe run the fountain more or as you say at night and just avoid mixing the pond so much, which can heat it up quite a lot. I say that too because this pond isn't that large and the pump is a bit of an overkill just horse power wise. I'm assuming this is a Vevor pump or something like it...on the one hand thats probably good because it only puts out the air of a 1/2 HP...on the other hand it costs what a 3/4 HP would normally to run...so they are not terribly efficient. I have two systems that actually use a 1/4 HP pump to run 2 diffusers and the other uses a 1/2 HP...the 1/4's cost about 15 bucks a month to run full time. Keep that in mind if the 3/4 HP gets a bit pricey to run for you...it does for some people and they limit how much they run it...which is not a good idea. For the diffusers, honestly I don't know about that one...I don't think size is the only thing here that's important...I mean some systems use sticks, or tubing loops that do really well. Mostly it would come down to how small the holes actually are in the membrane..I would be more concerned with that than the overall size, and unfortunately I've never looked over the vevor kits that closely to know. I hope this helps for you a bit.

@@klmponds - Thanks for the quick reply. yeah, it's a Vevor kit. I wanted to see if I could minimize algae growth and maybe clear up some muck with it. I didn't want to spend a small fortune to test this out. I'm in Mich so hot weather isn't really an issue here, at least lately. No fish to really speak of (yet) except for minnows and a few fish that are maybe 6". Trying to find something that would clean it up a bit but grass carp are not legal here.

You're welcome. No problem...go with what makes the most sense for you and your budget. Really for water quality, algae management you should have plenty of aeration. Remember though, aeration alone may or may not curb algae...its the microbial base in the pond that's mostly affecting the nutrients...and aeration support that really well. So see how it goes. Aerate as much as you want or can afford and try to go 24/7 with something. Give it a month or so and see if you note any changes in the algae...if not, look for something microbial to add in there. An example would be our Biosphere Pro product but there are many kinds on the market. I'm thinking about a video that addresses this very topic...so you have aeration...now what? Something like that...look for that in the next week or so and it will probably give you some things to try down the road...if you need to.

The best thing to do would be to go to this page and fill in some info....if you can include an address or location so I can view the pond on google earth it will give me an idea of how to lay something out. Note two other things...the depth in a couple areas and where power is...the pond is larger enough to warrant doing an aerial mapping on it to make sure you know first, what will cover it and two how much airline will be involved to do the layout. Go here and put in some details: americanaeration.com/pages/pond-aeration-advisor

Hi Teresa...if you check out this page on the Sonar (fluridone) product...look for the image with the dosage chart on it...you are right around 24 oz on the first treatment and 12 oz on follow up treatments. Of course follow all the label directions and precautions. - amzn.to/3KyIteW

Thanks Brad!

No, it shouldn't be a problem.

It could be a form of algae near the surface...you might have some suspended stuff in the water too...just particulates that won't settle out. You could try a couple things. If you haven't tried a beneficial microbe product that may help clean some of this up. Something like our Biosphere Pro, in the 1/2 to 1 acre size...more is a bit better to start with and try treating for two months back to back. This can help if it's an algae that's popping up. For suspended stuff, look for what's called a flocculent. We have a pond clarifier liquid on our site which is used for that. As well you could consider more of a custom floc from someplace like siltstop.com

Sorry to hear your neighbor fertilized your pond. I would run the aerator 24/7 if you are able. As well use the microbes but consider being aggressive with the dosing. Take the recommended dosage rate for the product and at least double that for a month and see if that is helpful. You not only need to match or exceed the water volume of the pond, which is usually a standard dose, but also address that spike in nutrients...so be liberal with those...they will continue to be safe to use even at higher doses.

Hi George...I'll be right up front with you...we don't work with smaller ponds much anymore...that said though, I think you have probably answered your own question. If you had good success over the years, keeping predators at bay...and it sounds like you did...you'll want to rebuild that bank...get more immediate depth to hinder the waders from getting in there so easily. If the pond has shallowed out, look to dredge it or clean out some of the areas that need it to restore depth again. Depth may not solve all your problems but it is certainly the best place to start in my opinion. Thank you again for your question and I hope in some way my answer is helpful!

@@klmponds Thank you.

It will vary on cost based on the size of the sphere (size of the pond you are trying to treat). Here's a link for you if it's not in the description: pondalgaesolutions.com/collections/biosphere-pro-beneficial-bacteria