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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.

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

thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

So there are test kits for small ponds and aquariums, here's one example - amzn.to/3V311Kq . Problem is in ponds with more depth you are best off using a meter with a probe of adequate cable length to reach down into the pond.

There is no middle man. When we started putting our PondBiotix line together, we sought out the best formulas we could find. Those cost more to make. That said, if you look around online at other muck products in the 25 to 30 pound range...there are some that are quite a bit more money than our PBME.

Not necessarily...it depends on the size of the pond/lake and where you are placing it, but in small to medium sized pond you could guide the fountain out using the mooring lines which are often used to secure the fountain in place.

There are couple of ways to secure it...you might want to check your product manual for the suggestions they'll make...but opposing landlines are one common way to secure position. You can also use opposing lines attached to anchor blocks...cinder blocks, etc...and that should keep it in place if they are heavy enough.

I'm not going to claim to be a turtle expert but I would say as long as your pH is reasonable...6.8 to 7.5...ionizers or any type of copper related product should be safe to use. Turtles have something in their favor over fish...if oxygen drops low enough they can come out of the pond and still breath. So the main consideration would be copper toxicity...and again, that's related to pH levels mostly.

Yep...well said!

Hi Robert...thanks for the questions. The sub surface aerators are fit to a pond based on it's surface size and the depths you have to work with. Larger ponds would typically require more diffusers to cover them or affect them properly. Moving a diffuser around to attempt to compensate for not having enough, or the proper amount in a pond isn't going to work very well. You are attempting to turn the entire pond volume of water over at least once per day or a bit more in some cases. You couldn't move the diffuser around enough to really do that adequately. The start up process is important but I normally only do that if we are introducing aeration in for the first time, or if the aeration has been down for an extended period of time. Several weeks or months for example. Being off for just a few hours or even a few days shouldn't be too much of a problem.

There are some out there. The manufacturers I deal with generally don't sell them individually...in other words they only sell them as replacements for confirmed customers. But, Thomas makes one of them and is a good company overall. What you will typically look for is a pump that will put out somewhere close to 2 cfm's...then you'll be in the ballpark of the commercial systems.

Yes, both the piston ring and the piston cup would need to be oriented properly...up and down sides are different. The easiest way to get this right is to pay attention when you take the pump apart initially...assuming you are repairing it for the first time, they'll have it right from the factory. Depending on the brand you are working with most will have decent instructions to work with too.

Now it did still have a bunch of 1-inch bass and brim but they cleaned out the rest pretty much

Sorry, missed your question...there is a black canister attached to the pump...the replacement filter goes in that. Its probably removed from the pump in this video...it would go on one of the intake or "in" ports. The other intake port would be plugged.

I've seen a lot of creative coverings over the years. Only a couple things to keep in mind...keep the pump dry...keep the box well ventilated...I now do not work with any that don't have small fans in them to exhaust the heat out of the box...they are cheap but useful. And finally keep the inside as clean as you can. Dirt and crap getting in there will really shorten the pump life...so a very light prefilter material over the intake vent area can help with that. All cheap and easy to do. If the pump gets wet, your screwed, if it overheats, your screwed...about as simple as that.

The aerator should help with the odors over time...if things hang on, try some beneficial pond bacteria...that will help with odors too.

This is actually a great question! In a pond with no aeration, or circulation, you can bet that the deeper you go the cooler it will get...the warm water will be near the surface in the spring and summer months. So ideally you'd want to check to see what the temp is lower in the pond. Much of the work done by the bacteria will occur at the bottom. In a pond that is well aerated...the varying layers of temperatures will basically even out so you could check the temp at most any depth and it should be pretty close all around. When we think about spring and warming temps as well...I think it's ok if you are close to the rated temps for using a product...it may be a little slow to start but as the pond warms up, the bacteria will activate out of dormancy and start working for the greater good.

Hi Alan...I'm not sure if you are asking about using peroxide as a treatment for algae...(hydrogen peroxide is not typically thought of as a byproduct of orgranic decomposition) but in essence, yes, its presence would add a bit of oxygen to the water for a short time. It may not be sustained for very long at all and is probably not going to help all that much. Lots of variables could be involved though...temp of the water....amount of plant growth, etc.

Lots of variables here that aren't mentioned but I would say this...any aeration can be helpful for something. If fish are a major priority surface aeration can be really protective. You may find if the pond has some real depth to it...say six feet, or deeper just as an example, it may be better to go to the bottom.

Very good point. It's good to follow this kind of treatment with some beneficial microbes to help clean things up and reduce nutrients. I appreciate the comment.

@@klmponds it's impressive that you still reply to comments from an 11 year old video. I don't believe adding microbes is a long term solution either. They dont address issues such as phosphate levels, they will die off after consuming excess organic matter and may or may not affect nitrogen levels. The only real long term solution is a filtration plant. Although can see how bleach is useful for cleaning rocks and streams and waterfalls.

Hi Greg...good question. I think the main consideration here would be just for coverage. If you can get either diffuser deeper than 12' it will cover an acre on it's own. So the second diffuser wouldn't have to be as deep, but it could be. I would think about your pond's history...is there areas of problems or early development of algae, etc...this may often be in a shallower part of the pond. So it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some movement in that area...or you may be able to affect it fine from the two deep spots. I would not feel obligated I guess to target those deep areas necessarily, but there's also nothing wrong with doing so if they provide good coverage/movement throughout the pond. I hope this helps for you!

Thanks for the question. This will be a bit of a challenge. Keep in mind that peroxide algaecides are caustic and they damage algae on contact. So, it could also damage desirable plants if it came in contact with them for very long. You would have to be very careful how you applied it in that case. I'm wondering how much of the tub is covered with lilies...you may be able to choke the algae out with more of those in there. Or look to add some other type(s) of desirable plants in there just to try to outcompete the algae and choke it out. That would be the safest approach I think.

Thank you very much

Thanks for the question. There are a couple products you could look at. The main product is the PondBiotix ME, muck pellets. These help with old much and sludge thats in the decayed state. For fresh organics like leaves, dead algae, and dead weeds, you could apply the PondBiotix MDC which is an enzyme catalyst...it speeds up the breakdown of these fresh organics to a point where the microbes in the ME, and the pond environment can then digest the rest. I hope this is helpful for you!

Yes, absolutely. A couple of our lines such as the Kasco and Easy Pro Sentinel come with a "no-cabinet" option if someone already has an outbuilding available. No need for a cabinet then and it saves some money. The Kasco also comes with a cooling fan attached to the pump bracket and I do suggest folks have something to blow the heat away from the pump as it's running. I'm not sure what the max temp is for the environment...all rocking piston pumps get hot in operation...but as long as I've had ample space around them and a bit of ventilation and air movement it's been fine. People who build their own cabinets sometimes run into issues when they don't ventilate enough or get air flow over the pump. It will melt hose and parts sometimes in those cases...but a shed with enough space should be alright, especially with a fan included.

I have a AirMax PS 10 that I haven’t installed yet . I’m looking at locations, my shed is 8x12 so it should have enough internal space but other than gaps around the door no vents .

@@cwtex59Airmax of course includes the ground cabinet with it's systems. So if you have that, you could use it or remove the pump if your putting it inside. The cabinet works great outside for sure. And it does have a cooling fan in it. Everything is relative I guess..if it gets too hot in there you could move it outside and I've never had a pump in a factory cabinet overheat outside, I can say that much. But in general, ventilation and air flow have been the key to keeping the pumps from overheating.

Hi Dan...thanks for the kind words. So there are a couple of ways to go here. Normally aerating a portion of a lake or large water body, isn't going to do too much...it may help fish a bit in that area but for water quality, algae, it may not do much. You could work on muck reduction using peletized bacteria which can be spot treated to good effect. Another option might be ultrasound...but it really depends on the algae you have in there...the species I mean, as well as the type but some filamentous algae can be treated in areas or zones. Get in touch with me through the website at Pondalgaesolutions.com and we can dig into this a bit more if you'd like. Thanks again!

Hi Bill, I know you commented on the Kasco diffuser and have to agree, it's solid and a great performer...built like a tank. That said, with the Easy Pro did you contact anyone about it from EP? I have had just a few of these break off over the years...not a lot but it does happen and I think they've always been good about replacing them for me. The diffusers typically have a 5 year warranty. In once instance, I would say the customer may have really tried to tighten the plate down on the stem and just kind of overdid it...it created a stress fracture in the base of the plate. In one other instance I think something like a large turtle may have damaged one as you don't want to put a lot of pressure on the edge of the plate. Actually now that I think about it, we replaced 3 tops over several years so something weird was going on in his pond. Most people don't seem to hav issues with them. Anyway if you want me to check on replacement heads for you, contact me through the AmericanAeration.com website and I can see about that.