Do Ineed pond aeration?

[MoonShadows]

In a 425 garden pond with 22.5 square feet of surface area and 30" deep, if I am using a fountain attached to the submersible pump do I need additional aeration? And, if so, how much?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

How many and what size fish? Any plants? Any submerged plants?

 

[MoonShadows]

No fish yet, but I plan to have about a 1/2 dozen small comets and shubunkins (3-5 inches) and let them grow. I plan to have plants and was thinking of Anacharis, Hornwort, Moneywort and Vallisnerias because I have read they are good oxygenators.

 

[sissy]

To be honest it never hurts the more aeration the better .I use 12 air stones plus one spitter and one ball valve for water circulation .You could always wait to see what happens .You may need a pond heater for winter .Like said fish and plants make a difference

 

[Meyer Jordan]

No fish yet, but I plan to have about a 1/2 dozen small comets and shubunkins (3-5 inches) and let them grow. I plan to have plants and was thinking of Anacharis, Hornwort, Moneywort and Vallisnerias because I have read they are good oxygenators.

If you use any of these - Anacharis, Hornwort, Moneywort you may not need any aeration. In addition you may seldom find it necessary to feed your fish. Once established this should be a self-supporting, albeit small, eco-system.

 

[MoonShadows]

@Meyer Jordan ...are you saying comets and shubunkins will eat the plants, and thus less need to feed them?

@sissy...when you say pond heater, do you mean I'll have to raise the temperature of the water or a heater to keep a hole in the ice for gases?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

@Meyer Jordan ...are you saying comets and shubunkins will eat the plants, and thus less need to feed them?

Although some portions of the plants may be ingested (really collateral damage), the feeding targets for the fish will be the Periphyton (alage) that will grow on these plants and the many micro-organisms that will utilize the inter-foliage spaces as micro-habitats. For omnivorous fish, this is the equivalent of 'Smorgasbord'.

 

[MoonShadows]

Thanks. I had read that Koi will eat these plants up like a snack, but the comets and shubunkins will go a lot easier on them. I knew they would eat the algae, but had no idea about the other micro-organisms...good to know.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Thanks. I had read that Koi will eat these plants up like a snack, but the comets and shubunkins will go a lot easier on them. I knew they would eat the algae, but had no idea about the other micro-organisms...good to know.

Actually Koi are targeting the same food sources as the Goldfish only, being bottom feeders, they take in mouthfuls which includes anything in the vicinity. In analysis of gut contents of Carp exposed to natural food sources, up to 80% of the gut content may be detritus.

 

[Gordo33]

@Meyer Jordan ...are you saying comets and shubunkins will eat the plants, and thus less need to feed

I have both hornwort and anacharis in my pond and haven't fed the comets and shubunkins in 4 years. They are growing and multiplying. I noticed a couple years ago when cleaning string algae from the stream the fish would swim to where the water enters the pond and feast on what was falling in from the stream. Now my grandkids pull the string algae and throw it into the pond to watch the fish eat. It's a win win. The fish get to eat and my stream gets cleaned out

 

[Lisak1]

Our fish always gather under the waterfall when I'm cleaning it off, too. They know where the good stuff is!

 

[sissy]

I have all my pumps and pond heater on switched outlets in my house .But pond heater keeps a hole open in ice for gas exchange .My son put all the outlets on switch's and put the switch's in my bedroom closets .It keeps me from having to go outside in bad weather incase anything goes wrong by the pond or weather gets bad .

 

[MoonShadows]

I have all my pumps and pond heater on switched outlets in my house .But pond heater keeps a hole open in ice for gas exchange .My son put all the outlets on switch's and put the switch's in my bedroom closets .It keeps me from having to go outside in bad weather incase anything goes wrong by the pond or weather gets bad .

OK. I do plan on using a heater to keep the top from totally freezing. I guess my concern is that since the entire pond is going to be above ground, could the entire pond freeze, but I guess we would have to have an extraordinarily frigid winter for that to happen.

To anyone......
Will the plants I am planning to have survive the winter (Anacharis, Hornwort, Moneywort and Vallisnerias) or should I take cuttings and keep them indoors during the winter to start them in the pond again in the Spring?

 

[Gordo33]

To anyone......
Will the plants I am planning to have survive the winter (Anacharis, Hornwort, Moneywort and Vallisnerias) or should I take cuttings and keep them indoors during the winter to start them in the pond again in the Spring?

we are in similar zones and the plants
have lasted the last 2 winters . My pond depth is just over 2 ft. the surface freezes a few inches. The waterfall and stream keep an opening for gas exchange. Except this year with the warm winter the entire surface has not been completely frozen.

 

[MoonShadows]

Sounds good, @Gordo33 . We are only about 50-60 miles apart as the crow flies. Thanks.