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Why is it important to aerate my lake during the summer? – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on August 21, 2009 by thepondguy

Airmax® Aeration

Pond & Lake Q & A

Q: Why is it important to aerate my lake during the summer? – Eric in Texas

A: Though the hottest days of summer are nearly behind us, your pond or lake still needs proper aeration – especially as we approach fall, when temperatures shift and your pond water will turn over. An aerated pond is a healthy pond, and a healthy pond is one you’ll enjoy all year long.

Why Aerate?

Ponds and lakes go through two stages of life: Stage 1, when the pond has just been excavated and Stage 2, when the pond has had a chance to become established. During Stage 1, which may only last a year, the pond is virtually nutrient-free. It has little or no leaf and plant debris, the fish have produced little waste and the environment has leached almost nothing into the water. It’s like the honeymoon stage of your pond – all the beauty with little maintenance.

After a season or two, the pond enters into Stage 2. Nutrients, like leaves, plants, fish waste and plant fertilizers, build up in the pond. You’ll start to see large amounts of algae and weed growth. Under the surface, the water column becomes murky with debris; at the bottom of the pond, muck will start to develop. This decomposing organic waste adds even more nutrients to the water – which can cause even more algae and weed growth. Talk about a vicious cycle!

At the same time, all those decomposing nutrients create a rise in toxic gas levels. Ammonia and nitrites build up in the water while the oxygen level plummets, especially in the deeper depths of the pond. Because ponds without aeration can become thermally stratified, the toxic gases created on the bottom build up in the cool water underneath. A change in temperature, a heavy rain or sometimes even high winds can turn the water over allowing the toxic, oxygen-deprived water at the bottom to mix into the top layer leaving your fish without oxygen and causing a fish kill.

The Solution

Many pond owners will turn to fountain aeration or surface aerators to churn the water. While fountains are aesthetically pleasing, they will only draw surface water, leaving the bottom of the pond uncirculated and doing nothing to eliminate toxic gases underneath.

A bottom bubbler, however, will circulate the entire water column from the bottom up and eliminate the thermal layers that form in the pond or lake. In a permanent state of motion, the action caused by the bubbler will continuously vent gasses and provide oxygen to the bottom sediments, allowing the beneficial bacteria to break down the toxic gasses and muck and give off a little oxygen in return.

The best option for a bottom bubbler is the Airmax® Aeration system. In combination with aerobic muck-eating bacteria, like MuckAway™ Pellets or PondClear™ Packets, the system can eliminate up to 5 inches of muck per year – and keep your pond or lake healthy no matter the season.

POND TALK: Why do you aerate your pond or lake?

Filed under: Pond & Lake, Pond Clear, Aeration, Turnover, Water Quality, MuckAway | Tagged: , , , , , | 8 Comments »

What’s the difference between PondClear and MuckAway? – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on August 14, 2009 by thepondguy

Pond clarity results with MuckAway and PondClear

Pond & Lake Q & A

Q: What’s the difference between PondClear and MuckAway? – Barry in Oklahoma

A: We can summarize the difference between the two in one sentence: PondClear works to remove excess nutrients from the surface down; Muck Away works to remove excess nutrients from the bottom up. Seems simple – or is it?

In general, water clarity problems occur when excess amounts of rotting vegetation, leaves, twigs and fish waste accumulate in the pond or lake. These tiny particles are either suspended in the water column, or they settle to the bottom of the pond.

PondClear packets, which are made of beneficial bacteria, are designed to break down waste and suspended organics in the water column. Imagine thousands of hungry bacteria, which multiply every 20 to 40 minutes, swimming through your pond or lake and gobbling through the excess nutrients. After just a few weeks of use, chemical-free PondClear will begin to clear up your water and dissipate any lingering odors.

PondClear comes in easy-to-use, pre-measured water-soluble packets that you simply toss into your pond or lake every two weeks. One pail of PondClear will treat a quarter-acre pond for up to six months. It’s safe for use around horses, livestock, birds, fish, pets and wildlife.

MuckAway pellets, which are also made of beneficial bacteria, are designed to sink to the bottom of a pond or lake to digest the detritus, which are their natural food source. As the bacteria start to work, the muck will begin to break down, noxious odors will dissipate and the water clarity will improve. It’s great for spot-treating troublesome areas, like beaches and shorelines.

When used as directed, MuckAway will break down up to 5 inches of muck per year. One pail of MuckAway will treat up to 16,000 square feet of pond. It’s safe for use around horses, livestock, birds, fish, pets and wildlife, too.

Whether you use PondClear or MuckAway, be sure to use when water temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you use an algaecide or herbicide treatment, wait at least three days before adding the beneficial bacteria.

POND TALK: What successes have you had with beneficial bacteria in your pond or lake?

Filed under: Muck, MuckAway, Pond Clear, Water Clarity, Water Quality | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 29 Comments »

What Can I Do To Keep My Pond Clear? – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on May 1, 2009 by justinmcleod

Picture of a Pond.

Pond & Lake Q & A

Q: What can I do to keep my pond clear? – Kara of Florida

A: When I ask my service customers what their top three goals are for their pond, clear water is almost always at the top of the list. Clear water is aesthetically pleasing and is a sign that your pond is healthy and balanced. Across the board, your first step towards clean and clear water is to aerate.

Airmax Aeration keeps the water in motion, allowing it to stay oxygenated while venting toxic gasses and clearing the water. Beyond aeration, there are a few easy steps to follow to clear up that water:

Start by finding the source of the problem. Dip a clear glass of water out of your pond and begin the diagnosis. Match what you see to the following problem/solution.

  • Pea Soup Colored Water: This is typically caused by a heavy bloom of planktonic algae. When treating for planktonic algae you must be very careful. Treating too big of an area at any one time could cause oxygen levels to deplete to a point where your fish could die. We highly recommend to have an aeration system running when treating for this type of algae. To help with this issue in the future, you must limit the nutrients that are entering the pond. Do this by limiting organics such as grass clippings, twigs, leaves, branches, etc. from entering the pond. Be careful of fertilizing around your pond as this too will cause algae blooms. Using Nutri-Defense will help bind any nutrients currently in the pond and begin using PondClear or MuckAway natural bacteria to help break down any organics that have already gotten into the pond. These bacteria work by eating any suspended nutrients and bottom muck in the pond to help keep your pond clean and clear.
  • Milky Gray or Chocolate Milk Colored Water: Most often this problem is caused by heavy runoff laden with silt and sediment. Aeration will typically take care of this problem within a week or two. If the problem persists, the soil in the water is probably clay. In this situation, apply a double dose of Nutri-Defense to try and help flocculate the suspended particulates.
  • Stained Brown/Black Like Tea or Coffee Colored Water: This color water is usually a result of heavy leaf litter on the pond’s bottom. When leaves sit for long periods of time, they can release tannins into the water column causing brown/black colored water. Use a Lake Rake to rake out the bulk of the material, and follow up with MuckAway to help accelerate the decomposion of the remaining leaves. As always, we recommend to aerate.

The recurring theme that we see here is that aeration is key when trying to solve pond problems. In nearly every case, your pond will greatly benefit from the use of Airmax
Aeration. Aeration Systems will help create an environment for aerobic bacteria (like bacteria found in PondClear or MuckAway) to thrive. This aerobic bacteria will decompose organics at accelerated speeds and will help reduce the sediment at the pond’s bottom.

Filed under: Aeration, Pond & Lake, Pond Clear, Water Quality | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Season-Long Algae Control with the ClearPAC – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on August 1, 2008 by thepondguy

ClearPAC - Season-Long Pond Care in One Convenient Package

Q: Is there any one product that I can use to get my pond cleared up? I have tried numerous products from my local feed store with little to no success. Please help! – Jason of Indiana

A: One of the best ways to maintain your pond all year long is to get a ClearPAC. The ClearPAC is a collection of products that come in one package designed to make the maintenance of your pond as simple as possible. The following is a list of the products that are included within the ClearPAC and what their purposes are:

Algae Defense – The Algae Killer*: Algae Defense is an algaecide that once sprayed onto algae, within hours the algae is dead. It is very fast acting. If algae is present in your pond, we recommend using Algae Defense to kill off the algae before starting the rest of the package.

Pond-Clear – The Natural Bacteria: Pond-Clear is one of the best products used in the market today to help keep your pond clean and clear. These easy-to-use water soluble packets, once toss into the water, go to work immediately to breakdown muck, remove excess nutrients and eliminate noxious odors. Pond-Clear will naturally improve a pond’s water clarity by attacking suspended organic waste. This powerful bacteria can breakdown as much as 5 inches of muck per year! We recommend using Pond-Clear every two weeks throughout the season when water temperatures are above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nature’s Blue – The Pond Dye: This super concentrated pond dye works great at giving your pond a long lasting natural blue color as well as filtering out sunlight. This quart is so concentrated that it is equal to many other pond dye gallons out on the market.

Nutri-Defense – The Eco-Enhancer: Nutri-Defense works to bind up excess nutrients and sinks them to the pond’s bottom to make them unavailable as a food source for algae. Nutri-Defense also helps stimulate the Pond-Clear natural bacteria. Once Nutri-Defense has settled the nutrients to the pond’s bottom, Pond-Clear goes to work to break them down further. Pond-Clear and Nutri-Defense are a fantastic “one-two punch” to keep your pond clean and clear.

The ClearPAC is a great way to keep your pond clean, clear and healthy all season. We always recommend to add an aeration system to help further enhance the performance of the ClearPAC. (Click here to read more about aeration). The ClearPAC comes in two different sizes, the 1/4 Acre ClearPAC and the 1/2 Acre ClearPAC. There is enough product to treat the ponds for up to 6 months!

*Algae Defense cannot be shipped to the following states: California, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Washington. Algae Defense will be omitted from orders going to these states.

Filed under: Algae Control, Pond & Lake, Pond Clear, Season-Long Control | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

What Type of Aeration System Do I Need? – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on June 24, 2008 by joemejia

Q: I know I need aeration in my pond, but I’m not sure what type of aerator is right for me? - Several Customers

A: We all know why ponds need some type of aeration system (If your not sure why ponds need aeration, read the article Aeration in the Summer Heat), but there are many types of aerators on the market from Bottom Bubblers to Fountains to Windmills. The type of aerator needed for a pond depends on a few factors.

Picture of the Airmax Aeration System

Airmax Bottom Bubblers: An overwhelming majority of ponds fit into the category of Bottom Bubbler aeration. This system comes with a cabinet that sits on the shore. The cabinet houses an energy efficient air compressor. This compressor is then connected to a 4-stone diffuser plate(s) that sits on the bottom of the pond. This 4-stone diffuser creates medium sized bubbles that not only allow for adequate aeration, but also circulation. Many pond owners assume that since power is not located by the shore of their pond, that a Bottom Bubbler will not work. Just to clarify, a Bottom Bubbler can be placed up to 1,000 feet from the pond using direct burial airline. To select which sized Airmax Bottom Bubbler aeration system will work for you, click here to read about it in our online catalog.

Picture of a Decorative Fountain at nightFountains: Fountains are a great aesthetic piece for any farm pond. Fountains rest on the surface of the pond, pull water from below and push it into the air to make a decorative spray pattern. Because of the way they are

designed, they will only pull water from about 6 feet down. When a pond is deeper than 6 feet it’s best to go with both a Fountain as well as a Bottom Bubbler to have adequate aeration. When the pond has a

depth of 6 feet or less then a fountain will act as both an aerator as well as a decorative piece. Please note: Depending on your pond’s size, you may need more than one Fountain to properly aerate.

Picture of a Windmill-Powered Aeration System

Windmill: Windmills are primarily designed for decoration. If a pond is located where no power is available, then a windmill is really the only option to allow for some aeration. It is important to keep in mind that windmills only come with one stone and do not cover a large area. Also, they need constant wind

to have constant aeration. Windmills are available in 12′, 16′ and 20′ towers. Windmills do not provide continuous aeration and should not be used as a direct substitute for electrical powered continuous aeration systems.

Filed under: Aeration, Pond & Lake, Pond Clear | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Controlling Leeches – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on June 23, 2008 by thepondguy

Picture of a Leech

Q: How do you get rid of leeches?
- Richard of Waterbury Center, VT

A: The “muck” at the bottom of your pond is a great breeding ground for leeches. So the absolute best way to get rid of them would be to get rid of the “muck”. Pond-Clear Natural Bacteria is the best way to do this. Pond-Clear will eat up to 5″ of “muck” per year!

Another thing you can do in the short term is trap them. To do so, do the following:

1.) Start with a coffee can with a plastic lid.

2.) Poke holes in the sides of the can with a nail. Holes should be 1/8 to 1/4 inch in size. The nail holes should leave a sharp burr on the inside of the can (approximately 50 holes).

3.) Put about 1/4 cup of raw meat in the can (ground beef, liver, chicken or turkey giblets are recommended).

4.) Put the lid on the can and submerge it completely in your pond. A rock placed on top of the can will prevent it from falling over and will help prevent snapping turtles from tampering with it.

5.) Check the trap a couple of times a week and remove the leeches. Keep the trap in the pond until the leech numbers decrease, or you no longer catch any leeches in the trap.

Filed under: Leeches, Pond & Lake, Pond Clear | Tagged: , | 51 Comments »

Keeping Your Pond Clear – Pond & Lake Q & A

Posted on June 23, 2008 by thepondguy

Q: My pond is approximately 1.5 acres and shaped like a horeshoe with a pennisula in the middle. I have clay soil and my pond is always murky. It is 7 years old and I am frustrated that I have stocked the pond and do not catch many fish. I want a clear pond without killing my fish. -Scott of Carl Junction, MO

A: Great question! There are many facets to this questions and also please note that a pond will never be as clear as a pool. If your pond is murky, the first question I would ask you is, “Do you have catfish or koi in your farm pond?” If the answer is “yes”, then thats the issue. Catfish and koi are known as “bottom dwellers” and will stir up the bottom of a pond and no matter how hard you try to settle it out, the catfish and koi will just keep stiring it up. If you do not have catfish or koi, then we have to dig a little deeper for find the answer. What I would do next is a glass jar test. Take a clear glass jar and fill it up with your pond’s water. Wait 24 hours and either two things will happen. One, the cloudiness settles and the water becomes clear or two, the water is green and nothing settles. If the water is green, than we have to treat for algae. See Algae Control. If the cloudiness settles at the bottom and the water is clear, then the cloudiness is caused by suspended particulates instead of algae. If this is the case, a double dose of Nutri-Defense will flocculate the particulates and a regular maintenance of Pond-Clear Packets will help maintain that clear water. Also, Nutri-Defense & Pond Clear are both Safe for people, pets, fish, livestock & Wildlife.

Filed under: Pond & Lake, Pond Clear | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

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