As winter rolls around the corner, cold temperatures can’t be too far behind. Pond owners everywhere should begin preparing for potential freezing weather that could affect the waters. It’s also essential to protect your pond life and keep up with pond maintenance when those temperatures reach the freezing point. Let’s go over why properly aerating your pond is vital this winter.
How Aeration Works
Aeration is the primary way to keep a pond clean and maintain your pond. It works by infusing oxygen into the pond. When introducing aeration into your pond, you will create constant water movement for both the surface and bottom areas. Without proper aeration, the pond waters become stagnant, resulting in a dirty environment. In addition, the waters will attract pests like mosquitoes, and you’ll begin to see areas of green or brown sludge on the surface.
Aeration in the Winter
Bacteria grow as part of the natural cycle of your pond’s habitat, which can result in gases. So, how does aeration help in the winter? As previously stated, aeration infuses oxygen into the pond. Depending on where you live, you are sure to see freezing temperatures sooner or later. When this happens, it traps toxic gases deep in the waters. This is harmful to your fish and other pond life. Therefore, it is essential to keep an area from freezing over. Doing this will help release the toxic gases that form in the waters.
Keeping the Ice Open
Rest assured that you don’t have to clear the ice from the entire pond. A large hole would be sufficient to keep your water flowing. However, remember that many factors affect how big or small your hole in the waters will get. Ideally, you want to have a big enough hole where ducks and other pond life can have access. Along with the size of the hole, you’ll also have to calculate how long it will remain open. Depending on which type of aerator you get, you could keep the hole open throughout the entire winter season.
The Size and Depth of the Pond
Remember to consider the size of your pond. You have to get an aeration system big enough to keep up with the surface area and depth of the water. A larger aeration system will give you a bigger hole, which will remain open for longer periods of time. You may also think about investing in a bottom pond aerator. This will keep the waters deep in the pond circulating, keeping your fish healthy, warm and happy.
A Good Strategy
Since it’s much harder to keep ice from forming in deeper ponds, try to find a spot where you can install the aeration system. This will keep the water moving on the surface, preventing ice from forming. Remember to place your diffusers evenly throughout the pond where you want the hole to form. For example, you can put them in a shallow area across from each other. Keeping even a small hole on the surface of your pond will help keep your fish and different pond life safe in the wintertime.  To learn more about aeration systems, click this link. To order your aeration system, click here.
At Outdoor Water Solutions, we offer a variety of pond aerators & solar pond aerators providing you with the options needed to pick the perfect pond aerator for your pond. We always enjoy working with clients on ways to improve the quality of their ponds’ health so, if you have any questions or would like more information on our solar pond aerators, contact us at 866.471.1614 today!
