Pond Algae Solutions Blog

How To Set Up A Hydroponic Pond

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Hydroponics…it’s a word you might hear from time to time, particularly when you’re buying a vegetable at the store. I remember the first time I came across a hydroponic tomato…I had no idea what it was. Then there were cucumbers, lettuces, and other plants, all coming from hydroponic operations, so of course it peaked my interest.

It turns out, and you probably now know this too, that plants can be grown in any number of contraptions and environments…they just need some water and a nutrient source.

Does this sound familiar? Sounds almost like a pond to me!

Nowadays, it’s getting quite common to hear about people building a hydroponic system that use a fish pond or holding tank as the complete nutrient source. You feed the fish a good healthy diet, and they in turn will feed the plants with their waste. And like any good aquatic plant, in return, the plants will clean the water and keep it healthy for the fish!
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How A Kasco Pond Deicer Saved A Whale

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As winter approaches we always get questions on how to deal with ice in a pond. It’s an important consideration if you have a dock, or similar structure, or you have fish that you might want to protect.

There are several ways to deal with ice build up with the most popular tools being some form of aeration, be it a sub-surface diffused aerator, or a surface based circulator.

Both do a good job, but if the area you’re trying to affect is rather large, then a circulator can make more sense.

Another benefit of this type of deicer is that they can be thermostatically controlled. This means that you can save on operating costs and have the device come on, only when things get cold enough for the water to freeze up.

The main goal with winter deicing is to keep ice from forming in places where it could do damage, or to keep an area open so that gases which naturally come off decomposing material in a pond can be released into the open air, and some oxygen can get into the water.

If ice completely covers a pond for a period of time, the build up of gases and lack of fresh oxygen can definitely cause issues for fish. A few years ago, there were catastrophic losses of fish in many northern ponds where aeration was absent. For those that had it, fish usually survived quite well.

Now you may be wondering just how well something like a circulator will work in cold weather. How cold is too cold?

I’m not sure I can adequately answer that last question because I don’t know where the limit is.

We currently work with the Kasco circulator/deicer and this particular device was designed to deal with ice issues in marinas in Minnesota and Wisconsin. And as you can probably guess, it can get pretty cold up there.

But perhaps the best example of just how powerful a Kasco deicer can be when it comes to ice control, is the true story that eventually became a major motion picture called The Big Miracle.

You can watch a video of the real life story below or read on to learn how a simple pond deicer saved several trapped whales.

Back in 1988, several young whales became trapped in an ice build up near Barrow Alaska. A rescue mission got underway but it was constantly hampered by the bitter cold weather and it was an ongoing battle to keep the ice open so the whales could breath.

Once word got out about the whales plight, and how difficult the ice was to manage, several fellows with ties to Kasco Marine traveled up to Alaska with a couple of circulators in hand. Their offer to help was not immediately accepted but ultimately they were allowed to try a circulator to see if it would help.

And it did an amazing job of keeping the ice open around the whales.

More deicers were brought in to help as workers cut sections of the ice out over a several mile stretch to open water.

In the end, several of the whales were saved and it truly was a miraculous effort and end result.

And one of the key tools that led to success was the Kasco Deicers

So how cold is too cold?

I’m honestly not sure, but I’m fairly confident that even in the coldest ponds in the lower 48 states, there’s probably nothing that this circulator can’t handle when it comes to ice control.

If you’re in need of a great ice management tool for your pond or lake and want a reliable way to protect your dock, boat, marina, or fish from the dangers of ice buildup be sure to visit this page today.

It’s Muck Building Time

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We aren’t quite into the heart of fall but it’s soon coming, and along with that, the leaves will begin to swish and sway towards the ground.

And let’s be honest. A pond is basically a hole in the ground with water in it.

Which means that if your pond lies beneath an overhanging tree, a leaf or two (or maybe countless more) will drop into the pond.

The problem is, you don’t really want this if your main goal is to keep a pond clear of algae and other problems.

Small Pond Folks Have A Few Viable Options

Small pond owners are fortunate in one sense. You have quite a few options.

You could have a skimmer installed to collect many of the leaves.

You could cover the pond with a net and stop most of them.

Or you might shut the pond down altogether as you get into early winter. Just drain the water, clean out the basin, and wait for next spring.

Or if you’re going to keep it open, removing leaves and debris isn’t too bad with a good pond vacuum and some sweat equity.

The thing you don’t want to do is let them sit at the bottom and rot away.

All those leaves and other organic debris will eventually turn to a beautiful, black, maybe stinky, nutrient rich muck.

And there’s no better way to grow algae.

For large pond owners, things aren’t quite so simple.

Normally you won’t be emptying the water out to clean the bottom.

A pond vacuum isn’t going to work here. And netting, well, it’s not very practical. A skimmer…sorry, no can do.

So, without a doubt, leaves and debris will surely sink to the bottom and stay there.

Limit Muck Build Up And Enjoy A Healthier Pond

For bigger ponds, the best remedy to limit muck build up, is to stop it before it really starts to become an issue.

With fresh leaves and other organic things…and this includes algae and weeds that are either killed off, or die off just due to the cooler weather, my goal is to break these suckers down as fast as possible.

Then naturally occurring bacteria can readily take care of the rest.

Enzymes Are The Key

In nature, the initial stages of breakdown are created by enzymes.

Enzymes are kind of like saliva for us humans.

They prepare the digestible parts of the plant for further consumption, either by our tummy and such, or in the case of a pond, by the beneficial microbes that reside there.

The main point is that enzymes are a critical part of the digestive cycle, and in a pond, if this material isn’t broken down quickly, muck will usually develop and it’s harder (meaning it takes longer) to get rid of than just a simple freshly departed plant.

What we’ve found in recent years, is by adding some specific enzyme catalysts we can limit muck build up quite a bit.

We use PondBiotix MDC for this and we add it right after any kind of treatment that might kill algae, duckweed, or other aquatic weeds.

Or we add it in the fall, after any existing plant life has died off naturally.

Following this, if we haven’t been using it much up to this point, we might add some good beneficial bacteria to the pond to help with the continue breakdown and assimilation of the dead plants.

MDC is too concentrated for small ponds but we also will use good bacteria here and it will go along way, in combination with some of the other things noted above, to clean a small pond up nicely.

And finally, what’s a pond owner to do if they miss this early stage of muck development and end up with the black stuff sitting on the bottom?

Since this type of muck is well established the best route to go is to use a specific bacteria in pellet form called PondBiotix ME, which sinks into the muck and degrades it away gradually.

Usually within a month you’ll see some good progress on the buildup, but there’s one thing to note. This type of bacteria works best in warmer water.

MDC however can be used in any temperature.

As I almost always point out, good bacteria, and most everything else you add to a pond, will work better when there’s good aeration going, and it will also protect fish during the die off phase of any plants in the pond.

Got any other questions about muck reduction in your pond? Share those below!

Dangerous Ponds – Do You Have One Near You?

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Last week a sad tale hit the newswire with details surrounding the death of an 80 year old Wisconsin Rapids man. He had gone out to clean some algae from a pond on his property, and when he hadn’t returned that evening his wife became concerned and went looking for him, and found him face down in the water.

It’s believed he may have slipped or fell into the water and simply couldn’t get himself out.

This story stimulated a bit of curiosity in me so I went to our friend Google and searched for more information on pond deaths and found it to be an all too common occurrence.

Take the 2012 report of an Illinois man, only 37 years old at the time, who drowned in a pond after his kayak overturned while he was investigating a local swan family. It’s thought that once in the water, the man tried to swim for shore, and was harassed by the birds, and his clothing and boots became heavy and water logged, and he didn’t make it to land. He left behind a wife and several daughters.

And in case you might be thinking that drownings and such happen only in larger ponds, the unfortunate fact is that small ponds can also turn deadly.

Small Ponds Have Risks Too

In 2014 a toddler in Ohio, accidentally fell into a backyard decorative pond. CPR was administered on the 18 month old boy, but he could not be revived after transport to a nearby hospital.

And of course, in recent years, there have been many more tragedies. And they don’t just include people. Pets as well will often inadvertently end up in the water and if they have trouble swimming or there’s no easy way out of the pond, they too can fall victim to drowning.

Winter Pond Dangers

Summer time is the most common season for drowning deaths, but we can’t forget that winter has it’s risks too. Thin ice that won’t hold the weight of a person, or animal, may be hard to gauge and once one falls through, it can be harder to extricate yourself. Once again, most reports indicate children of various ages, and pets, as the most likely to fall victim to thin ice.

Here’s a quick run down of some tips that discuss how to safely get out after a fall through the ice.

Toxic Algae Can Also Be A Problem

Every single summer reports come along announcing toxic algae blooms in ponds around the country. These are usually in mid summer or late season issues that come with ample heat and sunshine and very aggressive blooms of blue-green algae. These algae create toxins in the water that if ingested can create a number of physical issues.

Pets or livestock appear to be the most commonly affected by these blooms and this story of a hunting dog in Oleans NY came out lucky after some rapid assistance from a knowledgeable veterinarian. Many pets, as well as some wildlife, simply do not recover from the toxins.

Fortunately dangerous blooms are not all that common overall and they don’t occur throughout most of the year. As the weather cools down, these algae will rapidly drop in numbers and won’t be a problem. During the warm summer months however it’s a good idea to be on guard and watch your pets closely. Be sure to provide a source of fresh water on your walks or outings to avoid have them drink from a nearby pond.

As we’ve noted in other posts here, blue-green algae doesn’t have to be an issue in community ponds. Historically it has been readily controlled with ultrasound systems, reduced with beneficial bacteria supplementation and aeration, or outright killed with an appropriate algaecide. If a pond has shown a history of having problematic blooms, it’s one of the few occasions in my opinion that may warrant algaecide usage during the peak of the summer season.

Awareness Saves Lives

It’s unfortunate that so many people have had to suffer the loss of loved ones or beloved pets to pond related accidents. And while one can’t guard against every tragedy, the fact is that we often take for granted the threats that exist around us. Ponds are every where, and it’s likely you might have one near your home now. We see them everyday and often recreate in and around them often, mostly without giving a lot of thought to the risks related to them.

Usually there are no problems at all, but it only takes one instance to change your perspective on things forever.

If possible, it’s a good idea to not work in or around a pond alone. Have someone with you that can offer help should you find yourself or another person in a bad situation. Do not leave pets or youngsters unattended around water. Remain aware that even in a small pond, a person can slip and become injured or incapacitated, and pets can get into the water quickly and easily and may not find a clear way out.

Use common sense around winter ponds, and if possible stay off them unless you know without a doubt that the ice is thick enough to support your weight. Keep pets and children away from frozen ponds and teach them if possible to avoid this risky environment.

And when it comes to algae issues, know that you can’t always tell a toxic bloom from a harmless one. It’s a good idea overall to avoid having your pet drink or swim in a pond if you see green tinted water in particular. It may not necessarily show up visually as well so if a pet does go in the water and shows odd symptoms afterwards, be sure to get them to a vet immediately. It very well may save their life.

A pond can be a beautiful place to be around, and they don’t have to be a dangerous thing. But they do deserve and warrant a certain amount of respect and awareness in regards to safety.

The Wrong Way To Manage A Pond

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A recent article from a Sauk Valley newspaper discussed the ongoing algae problems in a community park pond. I wouldn’t say though that the story came out with a happy ending.

There are several notable steps the city took to help work against the algae issues and most were pretty good to start with. Let’s cover those first.

Since the pond had a lot of sediment build up in it, and it was a good bet this stuff was pretty nutrient rich, they dredged the pond and removed much of this organic debris. If you can do this, and make note that this is much easier in a small pond, then it’s a good step to take. Muck reducing bacteria can help here too but it won’t be as fast as dredging.

In addition, they took steps to hire a landscaper and pruned some of the trees that overhang around the pond. This is a proactive step to at least lessen the amount of leaf debris that can fall into the pond. And they are working to create some grass buffer strips around the pond to help with run off. For a larger pond like this, both of these issues (leaves and run off) represent the major influences that affect nutrients in the water.

And finally, a fountain was added to the pond to help aerate and circulate the water. This is a very powerful and important step because stagnant water is highly prone to algae and other problems. Adding oxygen to the water is the best way to stimulate naturally occurring microbes that will help keep the pond cleaner.

Before going further, let’s always remember that nutrients directly affect algae growth. The higher the nutrients, the more algae you’ll usually get.

When you think of an algae problem like this, it makes sense to do all of the things that were noted above. The city was wise to take these steps.

But then the algae came back quickly.

This isn’t an unusual thing.  

You see it in ponds all the time.  A small pond owner cleans out everything, vacuums all the muck out, fills the pond again with water, and in days, algae starts coming back.

This big pond wasn’t really all that different.

What must happen after all this clean up work is done?

Well, first you have set the stage for a much cleaner pond overall, but one element remains missing.  You still want to either allow naturally occurring beneficial bacteria to repopulate the pond, or you’ll want to add it to the pond yourself to help jump start things.

These little microbes have to build up in enough density and number to begin to outcompete algae for any nutrients that remain in the water.   And when they reach a certain point in number, then algae will often begin to regress or disappear, simply because the available nutrients are going down.

But rather than add good microbes to the pond to help keep the pond cleaner, the city was guided to do something completely different.

They killed the floating algae with copper sulphate.

Now granted, they no doubt wanted a quick fix, and that’s understandable.  Certain folks probably had to justify getting that fountain and dredging all done and there’s an expense to that, and well, it doesn’t look so good when algae comes back so fast.

But if they understood why it was blooming so well, and that in the very early stages, it can grow back faster than bacteria can get established, then they would know that using an algaecide, and particularly copper sulphate isn’t the best way to go forward.  

You see, those copper based chemicals actually kill good bacteria right along with the algae, so in effect, they are sterilizing and removing the only thing that could help keep the pond cleaner, and lower in organic build up.  

It’s a shame really, because they’ll be dredging again in just a few years if they keep this up.

But this city isn’t alone.  This old “tried and true” method of algae control us still used widely by a lot of folks.  

That doesn’t make it sensible, however.

In my mind, algaecides should be held back as the last resort IF YOU HAVE TO USE THEM, and in most cases you don’t.  If someone tells you otherwise, they haven’t witnessed the results we have over the last 10 years…most likely because they remain stuck in an old way of thinking.  And that is the chemicals are the only answer to an algae problem.

Simply stated, they are not.

So the moral of this story is that you can do a lot of things right when it comes to pond algae control, and still make a bad decision here and there, that could make it a lot harder to keep a pond clean than it has to be.

To learn about our standard protocol for dealing with algae problems in small ponds, visit this page.  And for large ponds, you can click here for more information.

Pond Aerator Pumps Are Not Indestructable

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After years of being in the pond business, it could be said that we’ve sold A LOT of pond aeration systems. From small backyard koi pond aerators to mulit-acre lake packages, and just about everything in between.

In that time, we’ve learned, and observed, what it takes to keep these systems up and running for the long term and I wanted to share a bit more about that today.

This post was inspired, you might say, but a recent customer issue.  The aerator had been running pretty well for about a year, and then the pump quit working.  Since it had stopped completely and they had fish in their pond (and it was warming up) the customer wanted to resolve the issue quickly.  

It was suggested to have this pump sent in for repair and during the inspection and repair, well, let’s just say this pump  had appeared to have gone through a battle.

It was absolutely filthy with dust and dirt, and to make matters worse, we found small rocks and stones inside the motor housing.  I’m not talking about inside a cabinet that normally goes around the pump, I’m talking inside the pump!

In discussions with the customer, we never did figure out how the rocks got into the pump, but they noted it was put under an open shed, on a board of plywood.  And generally this should have been fine.  In this particular case though, it looked like the pump may have gotten caught in a flood, or at the very least was placed in a very dusty or dirty area.

After all this, it wasn’t really such a shock to find that the pump only lasted a year.

Tender Loving Pump Care Works Best

Let’s get one thing on the table right up front.  The pumps that power pond aeration systems are not necessarily cheap.  Even the small compressors will cost several hundred dollars.  But they are worthy of the expense in the sense that they are uniquely designed to run these air generating systems continuously.  24/7 operation is the norm, and in many cases they will run for years like this without any long down time.

If…they are cared for properly.

And caring for them adequately isn’t really all that complicated.

When you set up one of these systems, you can purchase a weather proof cabinet with the packages and most people do that.  Unless they have an existing outbuilding or structure to protect the compressor from the elements.  Some people use home made boxes as well, and they will work too with proper considerations.

Basically the pumps need to be kept dry and free of moisture.  Second, as they run, they will heat up a good bit, especially the rocking piston type compressors, so really good cross ventilation is required to avoid over heating.  All the cabinets we sell come with cooling fans in them, and even when you go without a factory cabinet it’s a good idea to have a fan on the pump at all times.  

The cooler you keep them the longer they’ll last.

Air intake is critical to these devices.  And clear air is a must.  So be sure to keep the air filter on the intake clean and fresh.  You want to minimize any dust or dirt and debris from getting inside the pump.  The air will go right into the piston chamber (on rocking piston systems) and if it get’s too dirty in there it can make it harder for the pump to run smoothly.  In really bad cases, like we noted above, it could jam up the pump altogether.

Most of the systems have a paper type filter (some may be foam) that can be replaced as needed.  If the area where the compressor is kept is pretty dusty, changing this out every 3 months is probably about right.  Some folks can go longer than this, but be sure to keep an eye on the filter cartridge.  Replace it if it’s dirty.

Apart from the air filter, the only other real maintenance that may come up every few years is that the seals on the piston and piston chamber (rocking pistons again) will wear down and need to be replaced.  It’s an easy process for the most part and can be done with a few simple tools.  You can tell the seals are wearing down because some air output will be lost and the bubbling in the pond will not be as robust.  If it it’s not producing bubbles at all, then you know a seal is probably leaking pretty badly by that point.

On linear compressors, the diaphragms are the air generating component and these too will eventually wear out and need to be replaced.  Again with a few minutes of time and some simple tools you can be back up and running quickly.  

For Long Lasting Dependable Service, Keep Your Pump Protected And Maintained

In simple terms it really comes down to this.  If you don’t have an acceptable, fairly clean, protected area to place your aerator pump, it’s probably best to just get a factory cabinet with the aeration kit.  These are designed to protect and support the daily operation of the system.

If you have an existing building or structure, or a way to protect the compressor from the elements, then be sure to provide adequate ventilation and even a cooling fan at all times.  Remember the cooler you can keep the pump, the longer it will likely last.  Place the pump on a clean base or elevate it on a platform if necessary to keep the pump from getting exposed to dirt, dust, or moisture.

Change the air filters regularly.

Replace the seals or diaphragms as required to keep air output at adequate levels.

And probably the simplest thing of all, (except for some fella’s myself included) be sure to read the owners manual that comes with the system so you know how to care for the pump and were to get replacement parts.

Rest assured that most aeration systems on the market today are very well made.  With some simple maintenance and attention, an aeration pump should run trouble free for years.  They are designed, and best used, running continuously, and will do so if they are properly cared for.