@Belindab77 there are as many types and brands of aerators as there are ponds I have found. They are all basically just an air pump with hosing that attaches to an air stone or diffuser of some type. It can be as simple plug them in and drop the stone in the pond. If you're trying to hide your airlines, you may need to do a bit of digging or hiding, depending on your situation. How many stones you use is dependent both on the air pump (how powerful is it and how many ports does it have) and the size of your pond. You could have multiple air pumps I suppose but it's simpler to have one pump with multiple ports. When we were shopping for a new aerator we looked for one that could stay outdoors - some pumps are meant to be housed inside or at least under some kind of cover. Ours can stay out in all kinds of weather.
In your climate I would run the aerator all year round. Will it keep your fish alive if the pump goes out? It will help, but again a lot depends on the type of fish, how many, how big, how hot it gets and for how long you are without a pump. Remember your pump is doing more than just circulating water - it's also filtering. So your fish may have enough oxygen in the pond but can still be harmed by poor water quality that can happen quickly if your filtration is not functioning.[/QUOTE
