The artificial pond in the garden is a small pond. Naturally, it is not cleaned or restored, this must be done by the owner. One way to keep your pond healthy is with an aerator.
Purpose and characteristics of the aerator
The aerator supplies air to the living organisms that live in the pond.
During the rain, after the snow melts, the water becomes saturated with oxygen. Enter a lake, river, sea and enrich a large body of water with oxygen. The gas is retained here for a long time due to the large body of water. An artificial pond in the country is an isolated reservoir. Water does not get here from the ground, the stream, after the snow melts, therefore the ratio of dissolved oxygen in it constantly falls.
Aerator – air compressor. The mechanism mixes air and water and supplies it to the tank. The aerator creates constant currents that circulate the water in the pool. If plants, and even more so fish, live in the summer pond, the device must be installed.
A store-bought or DIY pond aerator has the following advantages:
restores and maintains the oxygen balance in an artificial reservoir;
prevents stagnation of water and the reproduction of harmful algae and bacteria;
mix the upper and lower layers of water and normalize the temperature;
in winter, it ensures the appearance of a hole necessary for the wintering of fish.
Disadvantages:
the compressor consumes electricity and a lot of it;
You will have to lay a cable to the pond.
There are mechanical aerators that do not require electricity to operate.
The need to install an aerator.
An aerator is needed for a tank where fish are raised.
Pond aeration with your own hands is required if the following signs are observed:
the fish grows poorly, moves little, floats;
ornamental plants do poorly;
blue-green algae multiply;
the water stagnates, gives off an unpleasant smell, blooms.
The problem can be solved by changing the water more frequently if there are no fish in the pond. However, it is more economical to install and use an aerator in most cases.
Device and principle of operation
The aeration system includes:
compressor;
air diffuser with connection nozzle;
breeder with an accessory;
silicone hoses for connection elements;
Check the valves to prevent the hoses from freezing.
The compressor creates an air flow. Through the atomizer, small bubbles of gas under pressure enter the water column and saturate it.
Varieties of aerators
Bottom aerator with compressor on the shore
Before you make an air mist for your pond yourself, you need to decide on its type. There are 4 layout options.
Surface: it is very often used in decorative ponds, since they often imitate fountains and waterfalls. The pump draws water from the pool and forcibly throws it into the air. The water is oxygenated and immediately returned to the pool. It is not recommended to place such a device in a pond with fish, since the installation generates quite a bit of noise.
Ejector – a wheel with blades acts as a working element of the device. As the blades rotate, the water is lifted into the air, saturated with oxygen, and returned to the reservoir. The device effectively mixes the lower and upper layers of water, has high power, but is no less noisy.
Below – the compressor is located on the shore, and a supply pipe with a diffuser is lowered to the bottom of the pond. The air flows directly into the water column and is evenly distributed. The most effective option for a fish pond, since it does not harm the inhabitants and does not frighten them with noise.
Combined: the compressor of the device is installed on the shore, the pipeline with the spray is placed on the surface. This creates a fountain effect and oxygenation is faster.
All models run on electricity.
The wind aerator is a shaft. Above the level of the reservoir there are large blades, below the water – smaller blades or a propeller. The wind spins the windmill, the movement is transmitted along the axis to the propellers, and the water currents are mixed. This type of aeration works autonomously.
DIY aerator
It is not difficult to independently make not only a wind, but also a bottom aerator, if you follow the step-by-step instructions.
Ejector Aerator Assembly
ejector type aerator
The device will need a drain pump, a piece of polypropylene sewage pipe, a 40 cm pipe, a tee and a wire for the supply of electricity, preferably in a double braid. Assembly is simple.
The tee is connected to the drain pump by a union. It is recommended to seal the seam with silicone sealant.
On the other hand, a branch pipe is inserted into the element.
A 45 degree corner is inserted into the upper bend and the pipe is fixed.
An electrical cable is connected to the aerator. The latter must be placed in a corrugated tube.
The pump is installed at a depth of 70 to 100 cm from the tank surface. The inlet pipe is fixed so that it is above the water level; a bracket is used for this. The device itself is fixed to it.
Testing is carried out before installation.
Bottom aerator assembly
You can do it with an old car compressor with a receiver; a part of a refrigerator, a vacuum cleaner is also suitable. Tees, clamps, high pressure hoses and nozzles are required. The latter are easy to make by making small holes in plastic bottles.
The compressor is installed in a nearby shed in a protective box.
Connect a pipe to the compressor.
The tees are placed on its end to make the required number of bends. The sprayers are placed in the curves and secured with clamps.
Check the installation.
To prevent the nozzles from floating, they are pressed against the bottom of the tank with cobblestones or metal pins.
Mounting of the wind aerator
For the wind aerator, you will need plastic barrels cut in half.
For the winter, this option is more profitable. It does not consume electricity and does not suffer great wear, unlike a compressor. Making a wind vent is even easier.
8 identical squares are cut out of a sheet of iron, cubes are welded from them.
A crossbar with a bearing is inserted inside each. The second bearing is placed in front of the hub hole. Both elements must be on the same line.
An iron rod is inserted through the bearings.
The plastic barrel is cut into 2 halves – they play the role of wind turbine blades.
The leaves are attached to the top of the rod with metal hinges.
The blades of a domestic fan are fixed in the same way at the bottom of the rod.
Pick up the aerator pole and place it in the pond. The device is attached to the mast.
The aerator can be made floating by placing polystyrene and plastic cylinders at the bottom of the device.
Operating rules
Compressor pipes should be placed below frost level
The recommendations for using aerators are extremely simple.
You need to choose a device according to its power. If it is insufficient, the pond water remains muddy and muddy.
The device cable is wrapped with tape and hidden in a corrugated tube.
If the compressor is also used in winter, the supply pipe is laid in the ground below freezing level. If this option is not suitable, the hose is thermally insulated.
The technical specifications of the device indicate the lowest temperature at which the device can operate.
To measure the level of oxygen in water, special devices are used – oxygen meters. Unlike chemical analysis methods, the device indicates the current oxygen level in the field.