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Pond Aeration for
Older Ponds
Be very careful if you must aerate an older pond having
deep sediment which has become anaerobic. You can tell if you have
a dangerous condition by stirring up the bottom sediment and smell the
rising bubbles for a very distinct sulfur smell. This smell is actually
Hydrogen sulfide... or sometimes Methane... both products of anaerobic
bacteria. These gases are deadly to fish and people... so be careful.
Here's how you do it:
WHETHER THE POND IS SHALLOW OR DEEP Attach the foot valve to the air stone, and attach the air line
to the foot valve. Put the air stone (an aeration stone, a fine-bubble
diffuser) in a plastic 5 gallon bucket [see photos].
Wire the handle of the bucket to the air line. Make sure the air stone
stays at the bottom of the bucket. This is important.
By using a float (like empty plastic jugs), lower the
bucket and air stone only to a depth where you get no sulfur smell.
Below this point if the bubbles smell of STRONG sulfur odor, raise the
stone until the bubbles smell OK. You now know that the water below this
point is saturated with hydrogen sulfide and other poisonous gases. There
are no fish down there... as there is virtually no oxygen in that low water.
IF YOU LOWER THE AIR STONE TOO FAR... BRINGING UP TOO MUCH POISONOUS GASES TOO QUICKLY... FISH WILL DIE
The air stone will aerate the water to the sides and
above it. The rising bubbles will carry a certain amount of hydrogen
sulfide gasses to the surface... but not enough to harm the fish... who
are all living in the top water. Very gradually... over weeks... you can
lower (1' at a time) the air diffuser stone and bucket... and it will clean
with the rising bubbles all the water around it. Be sure to check the smell
of the bubbles. If you get into STRONG smelly water, pull the stone up
a bit.
Eventually the stone and bucket will rest on the bottom.
The rising bubbles will pull up the water from the bottom... but not the
sediment. This is prevented by the bucket. The anaerobic sediment is laced
with bacteria producing poisonous gases. The anaerobic bacteria cannot
live in an oxygen environment so the anaerobic bacteria closest to the
surface of the sediment will die... and be eaten by the aerobic bacteria
which have been happily growing in the oxygen rich aerated water.
Aerobic bacteria are the good guys. They breathe
oxygen like us and exhale co2 like us. They have a TREMENDOUS appetite...
eating anything organic... very quickly. The aerobic bacteria begin to
eat the organic sediment at the bottom of the pond... and will continue
to eat it as long as they are given oxygen. They also eat the dead anaerobic
bacteria... thereby eventually eliminating ALL of the anaerobic bacteria
in the pond and making the water fresh from top to bottom.
by JAMES GLENNON Malibu Water Resources | Ask Questions
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