Aeration Systems in Lakes and Ponds

Fountains in Ponds and Lakes

An aeration system in a pond or lake has a very important purpose. It helps equalize the level of oxygen between the top and bottom of the water. This is important for the health of the fish, as well as for the health of the food the fish eat. An aeration system or fountain has the additional benefit of aesthetic beauty.

To understand the science behind an aeration system, it is necessary to realize that in nature, a lake tends to divide into layers or strata. A warmer, oxygen rich layer exists toward the top of the water. A colder, oxygen poor layer exists towards the bottom of the water. Fish require oxygen to live, they breathe dissolved oxygen through their gills. Proper oxygen levels help the algae that die decompose properly. This helps the food chain in general. Otherwise, decomposition occurs in a different manner and creates hydrogen sulfide, which is a gas with a rotten egg smell.

What happens in a summer storm, is that in the suddenness of the storm, the water from the skies pummeling the lake forces the rain and water down to the bottom of the lake. This cold water being forced to the bottom stirs up the stagnant water at the bottom. That sudden change of water layers and oxygen levels can be too much for fish that are accustomed to living at a certain comfort zone. They can suddenly die off due to the rapid change of environment.

Installing an aeration system helps keep the oxygen levels of the lake or pond more equalized. Thus, a sudden storm will not affect an aerated lake as much due to the fact that the layers are not as diverse as before the storm. Thus, aeration systems can be installed in private lakes and ponds for both lake health, and beauty.