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Oxygen is the Key to Life...Even in Ponds
Author: Terry Newhaven
In order to achieve a healthy, beautiful pond environment, it's vital to make sure your pond has enough oxygen to maintain a naturally healthy balance, complete with efficient filtration.
To check and see if your pond has enough oxygen:
- Sniff around: Ponds with low oxygenation tend to emit di-stink-tly smelly odors that result from decaying organic matter, fish waste and other decaying vegetation, all of which are factors of low oxygenation.
- Green blooms: The one thing that shouldn't be green is your pond's water. Poorly oxygenated and stagnant water serve as the perfect stage for algae blooms and provide plenty of carbon dioxide, an essential nutrient for algae.
- Fish out of water: If you have fish in your pond, watch and see if they're gulping near the water's surface or anywhere near a water feature, like a waterfall or fountain. This indicates oxygen starvation and should tip you off; if fish would risk death to get a little air, you know your pond is lacking aeration or proper circulation.
If you suspect low oxygen levels in your pond, take immediate steps to correcting the issue:
- Debris: Get rid of it. If you see a lot of leaves and junk in your pond, grab a rake and skim the surface and get it out. It takes a lot of oxygen to properly decay organic matter and that oxygen is best left to other more beneficial uses, like aerating your pond and giving your fish something to breathe.
- Shade: Provide it. Floaters like lotus and lilies are awesome ways to provide shade as the sun can suck the oxygen right out of your pond. Trees are a good idea, but just remember to properly maintain them and the leaves that may fall into the pond it helps to shade.
- Algae: Stop it. The aforementioned practices also stop algae from blooming in your pond. Adding a variety of floating, oxygenating, marginal and submerged plants all work to keep algae to a minimum by providing shade and competing for nutrients. Also oxygenating plants do just that: oxygenate.
- Filter: Clean it. Change or clean pond filters every once in a while so they're working for the pond and not against it.
Aerating the pond is the easiest way to increase oxygen content. Fountains and waterfalls increase water movement and allows the water more of a chance at contact with the air all while releasing harmful gasses and incorporating new oxygen into the pond. You could also purchase aeration devices like bubblers or spitters to break the surface of the water and encourage gas exchanges. Keeping your pond clean well stocked with beneficial plants and oxygen will guarantee the healthiest environment for your pond to establish a well-balanced natural cycle, providing a beautiful pond for you to enjoy for years to come.
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