Caring For Very Large Ponds, Aerators and Bioaugmentation Using Microbe Lift Products

I got a request for suggestions on a pond of 1 acre in size. Consideration was being given to using a redundant swimming pool as a pond filter. Whilst not impossible it is not really feasible to create a pond filter to handle such a large pond and the simple fact of creating the filter may create more problems than solutions. Because I have had quite a few requests about larger ponds I decided to summarize an excellent but long report produced by the Otterbine company ...

In essence the water quality issues within large ponds is addressed by the following 3 approaches ...

• Control of nutrient input

• Removal of nutrients using plants

• Addition of large quantities of air using aerators or large floating or anchored fountains. The one non-negotiable issue is the addition of large amounts of air ... failure to do this will almost certainly create a minor disaster in very many cases.

Large ponds are not just bigger versions of small fish ponds and need completely different understanding because you cannot use UV and pond filters to achieve crystal clear clean and healthy water. Oxygen is the secret as well as intelligent planting and design ... take a look at larger ponds on better golf courses and the like.

Of course your pond is not a normal garden pond. Trying to install an artificial pond filter is not recommended ..... pond filters need cleaning and need large amounts of oxygen to work otherwise they work AGAINST you. You will also have ineffective flow through the pond filter (how can you make sure all water from all areas actually goes through the pond filter?)

Certainly do not compact gravel ... this will trap solids that will rot away in an anaerobic way creating smell and possibly other problems. You could use some around edges mixed with soil for planting purposes

You should concentrate on following

Creating maximum aeration of the mass of pond water using large aerators or fountains that will create 2 vital effects

1 for waste in ponds to beak down large amounts of oxygen are needed and this process adds significantly to wind effects

2. Water is circulated even in large ponds.

You may want to place 2 large fountains in your pond ..... you can buying floating aerators also to do this

Without oxygen added in this way your pond will accumulate debris that will settle at bottom and become breeding ground for weeds and other undesirable inhabitants. You pond will gradually silt up. The oxygen is required to break down organic debris as well as normal nitrification process

Algae blooms and fish deaths without added oxygen will happen in summer .

Bio-augmentation is the process of using incremental amounts of the correct bacteria and other enzymatic mixes to bio-degrade the various nutrients in pond water that create poor water quality problems. All bio-augmentation products work best in well aerated ponds. Pond nutrients fall into 3 classes ... carbon (organic) and nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients. All these compete for the available oxygen in any pond and must be removed as effectively as possible for clean healthy water to occur. Excess of any nutrients promote algae and weed growth and allow excessive amounts of pond sediment to build up.

Ponds of all sizes without pond filters really do need bioaugmentation treatment and whilst I do not advocate these as a substitute for a working pond filter they do find important use early in the season even when a pond filter is available. The selection of the right bioaugmentation product is important and the the range most advocated in the USA is that produced under the brand name Microbe-Lift produced by Ecological laboratories Inc. Part of the product range includes natural cleaners for bird baths and vinyl pond products. By using these non-chemical cleaners wildlife and birds come to no harm. The same company produces a fountain cleaner. Click here to see competitive prices from three different suppliers on the web