Large Ponds

Advice for large pond owners

Winter Aeration For Shallow Ponds

by

A few pond owners have contacted me recently with some very good questions on how to aerate a larger pond that’s pretty shallow. Should they do it in the winter and if so, how?

To be more specific, we’re talking about ponds in the 1/8 to 1/2 an acre in surface area and something in the range of 3 to 6 feet deep. In ponds like this, a traditional aeration package probably would help but it’s not really well suited to the depth of the pond. For a pond with some depth to it, I usually suggest moving a single diffuser from the deepest part of the pond in the summer, to a more shallow location in the winter months. This article on winter pond aeration explains it in more detail.

But in shallow waters during most of the year, you normally will need more diffusers to cover the same size of pond, as you would a single diffuser in a pond that’s 10 to 15 feet deep or greater. In other words, the deeper the pond, the less diffusers you’ll need. So shallow pond aeration kits were developed to work specifically in large ponds with shallow conditions. They use a single compressor coupled to multiple diffusers spread throughout the pond. The compressors are usually a bit less powerful and this needs to be kept in mind when using them in colder weather.

Read more

Geese, Geese Go Away

by

Last weekend the weather here in Iowa was quite nice. I really enjoy taking my old dog on a long walk around a local nature preserve and recreational area. Normally we have a pretty good time.

On this particular day I noticed something that was a bit out of the ordinary for this place. There’s a one acre lake there that’s a popular little fishing hole for a lot of locals and most days it’s crystal clear and looking great. The grounds are normally kept very clean, but not today.

I don’t really want to complain about nature…it’s not in my mindset, but let’s face it, when geese get over populated on a small pond they can create quite a mess. There was goose crap everywhere. My dog loved it…me, not so much.

During the fall around many parts of the country, non-resident geese will migrate through, or set up winter shop in local ponds around here. It’s probably the same where you are. They also like to hang out on the Mississippi River, which is only a mile or so from the pond being mentioned here. My point being that they have a lot of options when it comes to taking up a temporary residence.

So a question came to mind, how can you safely (for the geese) deter them from hanging around so much in a particular pond? This obviously is not for people who like to have them around (I generally do), but in some cases, and in large numbers, they can cause problems.

Read more

Question: Should Beneficial Pond Bacteria Be Used In The Winter?

by

One question I get asked a lot in the fall of every year is, “should I continue to use beneficial bacteria in my pond even though it’s getting cold?” It’s a great question and one that I’ll cover in the video below as well as the short article a bit farther down the page. There’s … Read more

Leaves And Ponds Don’t Mix

by

A few weeks back I talked about doing your best to keep organic debris out of your pond. In the fall this can be a challenge and in that particular video I discussed leaf netting for smaller ponds. Along with a good pond vacuum, these are just about all that a small pond owner needs. But this generated a few very good questions from large pond owners since netting and vacs just aren’t great options for them.

So what’s a large pond owner to do, since leaves and ponds just don’t mix well? You know the story. Leaves fall in the pond, begin to rot and decay, create a lot of compost and muck and this feeds a lot of unwanted growths, like algae, when the weather warms up again.

Read more

Aeration Tips For Winter Pond Care

by

Pond aeration, as you know is often a necessity in the hot weather of summer, but did you know it can be helpful in the winter too? It’s true, but it’s useful to know how to set it up correctly to get the best results in your pond and protect your fish. The video below will help you do that.

Simple Steps To Improve Winter Pond Aeration

Added oxygen is vital to protect fish and get the best results with aerobic bacteria, and it’s well documented that as water temperature rises above 78 degrees it simply cannot hold as much oxygen. Also when you have various water quality problems, such as algae, sometimes this can be directly attributed to low oxygen levels. If oxygen is insufficient, aerobic bacteria simply can’t work as well, or as vibrantly, and this is what actually keeps organic nutrient levels in check. As these rise, so do water quality issues.

Read more

Don’t Treat Weed Problems In Late Summer And Fall

by

There’s a question I get at this time of year which comes up often enough for me to want to address it here. And that is, “What should I treat duckweed, or other pond weeds with as we come into late summer and fall?”

It’s a reasonable question and one that deserves an honest and reasonable answer, which is…

Nothing at all.

I suggest to all of our clients that late season duckweed or weed problems are unfortunate but mid to late summer, or fall, is not the time to treat them. Particularly as the seasons get cooler, many of these aquatic weeds will go away all on their own. So a bit of patience can save you a lot of money if you’re smart about it.

Read more