1. Prevent Fish Kills

Without aeration, the two best sources of oxygen for a pond are aquatic plants, and air from the atmosphere. This can be extremely problematic come wintertime. When the temperature cools, thick layers of ice form, creating a sheet across the entire surface of the pond. This sheet of ice stubbornly prevents any oxygen transfer from occurring between the pond and the atmosphere. Additionally, when snowfall inevitably builds up on top of this ice sheet, sunlight will be completely inhibited from entering the pond. This will further prevent oxygen restoration, as aquatic plants will be unable to photosynthesize. As this happens, fish will begin to use up the available oxygen, and the dissolved oxygen content of the pond can fall to dangerously low levels. Over the course of the winter, without any renewing oxygen source, fish will often begin to suffocate. Come the end of winter, there’s a good chance that when the pond thaws, it will reveal a collection of dead fish.

This outcome can be avoided by way of winter aeration. A diffused aeration source at the bottom of your pond will keep the oxygen supply plentiful throughout the winter. Not only that, but it will make for a much healthier, more attractive, and all around nicer pond come springtime.

1a. Eliminate Pond Stratification And Turnover

Another problem that can plague ponds in the spring is that of pond turnover. This phenomenon occurs when the top and bottom layers of the pond mix due to a fluctuation in temperature. This causes what is known as pond stratification to dissipate. When this occurs, the layers laden with dissolved oxygen are forced to mix with the layers that are oxygen deficient. The result is an environment with a sparse content of dissolved oxygen spread out over the entirety of the pond, leaving no area with a healthy dissolved oxygen level. This can often result in large fish kills, as well as a dirty, odorous, unhealthy pond for months to come.

By employing the use of aeration year round, the layers are kept circulating under the ice throughout the winter months. This will help your pond avoid stratification, turnover, and all of the disastrous effects that often afflict ponds in the spring.

2. Avoid Pond Odors

During the winter, in the absence of oxygen, anaerobic bacteria is forced to break down any excess nutrient that happens to find its way into your pond. When this happens, it is done inefficiently and with the emission of many noxious gases such as sulfur and methane. Especially when your pond is closed off by a layer of ice, these gases can be dangerous to fish if they become too prevalent. Not only this, but when the pond thaws in spring, you will be greeted by the staggering stench of numerous months buildup of odorous gases. For obvious reasons this is a very unpleasant experience that should be avoided at all costs.

Once again, winter aeration can help solve this problem. First, it will supply the necessary oxygen so that aerobic bacteria can break down nutrient efficiently. Additionally, aeration will create a hole in the ice that will remain throughout the winter, so as to allow noxious gases to escape into the atmosphere instead of building up in your pond throughout the winter.

3. Inhibit Algae Growth

A common misconception with pond owners is that a problem only exists when the pond is covered in algae throughout the spring, summer, and into the fall. This is not the case. The pond problem actually begins when the dissolved oxygen content starts to decrease. When this happens, it allows nutrient levels to rise, algae to grow, and the overall health of the pond ecosystem to deteriorate.

Cold water is naturally able to absorb oxygen better than warm water. So, what better way to take advantage of nature in this case than to boost the level of your pond’s dissolved oxygen over the winter, when it can absorb so much more oxygen? Aeration will boost the dissolved oxygen level over the winter months, and instead of having a pond deficient of dissolved oxygen come spring and summer when less oxygen can be absorbed, you will have a healthy pond. These leftover effects should prove beneficial into the following seasons as the benefits of aeration will build upon themselves, yielding a healthy pond throughout the year.

4. Be Environmentally Friendly

The main benefit behind winter aeration is that, overall, it is much better for the environment. Because the water is kept circulating, a hole anywhere from five to fifty feet in diameter will generally form in the ice and stay throughout the winter months. As was mentioned previously, this allows gases to release into the atmosphere, which is good for the aquatic life. Now, not only the pond environment benefits, but other wildlife in the area can also be a beneficiary of winter aeration. Allow me to explain…

Oftentimes the cold, desolate days of January and February seem gray, dry, and virtually lifeless. Open water can offer a refreshing break from this both for wildlife and for you. Animals have a place to drink, fish have the necessary dissolved oxygen, and any land animals that are dependent on a water source have that provided to them. Furthermore you, the pond owner, can admire the beauty of nature from the comfort of your own home during a season when it is generally scarce.

It’s difficult to quantify or qualify the benefits of winter aeration, but rest assured that this one step can lead to a healthier pond, safer and happier wildlife, as well as much needed stress relief come the spring and summer.

Excuses are a way of life for much of the human population. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but at times it can have problematic consequences. Pond aeration is no exception to this rule. Here’s a breakdown of the top 5 reasons that you should aerate your pond today. Not tomorrow, next week, next month, or once the birds fly south so you don’t bother them. Today.

1. It takes awhile for aeration to kick in.

There are no miracle workers when it comes to getting rid of your algae and making your pond healthy. You can use chemicals, such as copper sulfate. That will certainly sterilize your pond in no time. Be advised, though, the algae will return more swiftly each time and with a fierce vengeance. Oh, and you’ll be slowly killing any sign of aquatic life in your pond. Aeration is the safest and most environmental way to make your pond look (and be) healthy. Unfortunately, it takes a little while to undo all of the bad in your pond and instill some good. So, the sooner it gets started, the better, and the longer you’ll have to sit back and enjoy the scene of aquatic bliss before you.

2. You won’t like the way your pond looks in the dog days of summer.

Buying an aerator on August 5^th will do very little to clear up your pond by August 10^th when you’re hosting that birthday party. Buy it on May 5^th instead. Better yet, buy it on March 5^th. I’ll tell you what, give it to yourself as a Christmas present and get things rolling so your pond is the talk of the town come summertime when everyone is hanging around outside. The bottom line here is that it takes time to break down the algae-forming nutrients that have been building up in your pond for years, and the greater head start you give your pond before the hot, humid, suffocating days of summer arrive, the better it will look.

3. Think of your fish!

Imagine the pain that you would feel if you were forced to walk around gasping for air all day long. What if you were struggling to breathe, and every minute was a fight for survival because there simply was no oxygen in the air? Would you want the person in charge of your ecosystem to “get around to it next week?” No. Emphatically, no. You would want to breathe today, yesterday, or even the day before that. Fish kills happen because of pond owners that put off aeration for too long and eventually it ends in catastrophe to the tune of dozens, hundreds, thousands of dead fish. All the more reason that you should aerate your pond today, yesterday, or even the day before that.

4. The right aerator will be an investment, not a burden.

It’s true, making a commitment to aerate your pond can be expensive. However, the right aerator choice will only be a noticeable entity in your bank account once—at its initial purchase. This differs from chemicals, which tend to make medium-sized dents in your pocketbook numerous times a year, adding up to one gigantic dent over multiple years. A reliable aerator that will stand by you in sickness and in health, through good times and bad is the one that you want to find. In this case, you’ll pay the initial price of the aerator and then ideally be able to watch it work its magic over the next umpteen years. Then you can join in poking fun at the dilettantes who are still pouring thousands of dollars into their pond each year in the form of chemicals.

5. It feels good.

What’s better than checking something off of your perpetually growing to-do list? Pull the trigger on your aerator, check it off the list, and feel one of the many weights on your shoulders lift. Feels great, doesn’t it?

Instead of thinking in “what ifs” or racking your brain for reasons why an aerator simply won’t work this year, try thinking of reasons why it can work. You and your pond will both be very happy.

Believe it or not, the below freezing days of winter are coming to an end! With warmer temperatures comes the ability to enjoy your pond. This Spring Pond Checklist is designed to help give you a head start preparing your pond for a beautiful growing season.

Spring is one of our favorite times of the year; birds are singing, flowers are sprouting and the sun is shinning – perfect conditions to enjoy your pond. But beware, without taking a few critical steps early, your pond enjoyment could be ruined by flooding, fish kills, and algae!

Here is our checklist for preparing your pond for an enjoyable spring and summer:

1) Check over your pond

With spring comes rain. Check your spillways for blockages – often trees can fall or beavers can dam-up spillways preventing the free flow of water. Any blockages can cause flooding that can kill surrounding plants, cause fish kills and damage electrical infrastructure near the pond among, other things.

Check the pond banks for signs of erosion – spring rain will exacerbate this. A short-term prevention method is laying sod on the bare banks. For the long term, consider planting native prairie grasses in the worst effected areas; they will not only help to prevent erosion, but will also act buffer to limit algae fueling nutrients getting into your pond.

2) Avoid Spring Fish Kills

If your fish are still alive, they’re lucky to have survived the arctic winter. Unfortunately, it only takes a spring without sufficient aeration for their luck to run out.

As temperatures increase, the different layers of the water column will begin to mix. As a result, the water at the bottom of pond then becomes warmer and, initially, the level of oxygen increases.

Bacteria at the bottom of the pond will then wake up from their cryogenic state and begin rapidly consuming the nutrients (leaves, waterfoul excrement etc.) that are present at the bottom of the pond. Before too long, oxygen levels plummet and a mass fish kill can occur.

By installing aeration early in the spring season, you will begin to mix the different layers of the water column while directly adding oxygen. We recommend the MARS 1500 Aeration System as the Patented Double Bubble Technology is specifically designed to Mix and Aerate (add oxygen to water).

3) Get Ahead of the Algae Game

As spring gives way to summer, the increase in temperatures coupled with the nutrient runoff of fertilizers, waterfowl excrement, leaves etc. from spring rains becomes a toxic combination. Inevitably algae blooms will occur that create pond odors, mosquito infestations and poor water clarity.

Give your pond a head start by boosting levels of beneficial bacteria, such as Triplepoint blend Pro-biotic. When used with proper aeration, bacteria will begin to consume nutrients and prevent them from fueling algae blooms when summer arrives.

To the uneducated pond owner, winter aeration may seem like a waste of time and energy. It is too cold in the wintertime for algae to grow and mosquito’s to proliferate. Moreover, the top of the pond will often freeze in northern climates – so you can forget about poor water clarity and pond odors!

In some respects, this conventional line of thinking is understandable. Conventional technologies, like fountains and circulators, cannot function in below freezing temperatures – pond managers have no choice but to take them out.

However, the time and costs of removing, storing and replacing equipment can often erase much of the potential power cost saved by not aerating in winter. Moreover, this conventional approach fails to take into consideration any potential benefits of aerating in the winter.

By aerating with the MARS 1500 Aeration system you can prevent winter fish kills and give your pond a head start for the summer. While at the same time attract winter wild life and prevent your dock or boat from becoming damaged.

Here are four reasons the pond experts at Triplepoint believe winter aeration is a good thing for your pond:

Reason #1: Prevents Fish Kills

When the surface of your pond freezes, fish are essentially sealed away from their oxygen source, and once they consume all of the oxygen in the water, a fish kill from suffocation will occur.

Fish can also die when the pond turns over in the spring. In northern climates, your pond becomes stratified during the winter months – where layers of the water column separate into different layers of temperature and dissolved oxygen.

When the ice melts and temperatures increase, these different layers mix with each other. As they mix, the overall water temperature increases and bacteria that lay dormant all winter begin to aerobically break down organic material. In this process, the bacteria consume oxygen – and in a matter of hours can deplete dissolved oxygen levels to the point where fish suffocate and die en masse.

The MARS 1500 Aeration system can prevent fish kills because it adds oxygen to the pond all winter long – keeping an opening in the ice and ensuring your fish have the oxygen needed to breath. Moreover, because the MARS utilizes patented Double Bubble Technology™ it not only adds oxygen, but also mixes and circulates the water column at a rate of 2,200 gallons per minute. The MARS will turn a typical 1-acre pond over 4 times a day! This ensures that spring turnover does not take out your entire fish population.

Reason #2: Gives Your Pond A Head Start Next Summer

Because cold water is better able to absorb dissolved oxygen than warm water, winter aeration can often be twice as effective as summer aeration at raising the D.O. of your pond.

The MARS 1500 Aeration system transfers 18.7 lbs of oxygen into a typical 1-acre pond per day – that’s 1,683 lbs of oxygen over the three months of winter!

When spring arrives your pond will be full of oxygen and ready for the upcoming growth season. When it becomes warm enough in the spring for bacteria to begin breaking down the nutrient material on the bottom of your pond there will be plenty of oxygen for them to breathe. This gives your pond a head start for the summer and will help to ensure that it is well prepared for the algae season.

Reason #3: Attracts Wildlife

The cold and desolate days of winter can sometimes seem lifeless and dry. Winter aeration with the MARS Aeration System will help remedy this by maintaining open water on the surface of your pond. Open water typically attracts waterfowl that seek safety from predators on the open ice. As a result, you can enjoy the beauty of nature as you look out over the pond – giving even further utility.

Reason #4: Protects Boats and Docks From Freezing

Pond or lake owners who have boats and/or docks face a real risk of damage as the water freezes over the winter months. When ice freezes and expands around your dock or boat, it begins a low crushing action and causes permanent damage. Ice also tends to shift slowly over time. As the water level below the ice attached to your dock fluctuates, it can rip pilings out of the bottom and render your dock useless.

By installing a MARS aerator under your boat or dock you can avoid potential damage due to water freezing. The patented MARS Double Bubble Technology™ is powerful enough to maintain an opening in the ice as large as 50 feet in diameter all winter long.

For more information on the MARS Aeration system, visit our home page and watch the video on Eco-Friendly Aeration.

Pond turnover is a phenomenon that would go largely unnoticed if it weren’t for the sometimes awful consequences. Mild turnover can leave your water cloudy for a couple days.

Severe turnover can kill thousands of fish, and leave your property smelling like a month-old rotting egg.

What is pond turnover? How does it affect my pond? How to I prevent turnover from occurring?

The purpose of this blog is to answer these questions—helping the average homeowner to find a solution to their pond turnover problem.

What is Pond Turnover?

Pond turnover is a term used to describe the mixing of the stagnant, or ‘stratified,’ waters in a pond.  Stratification is an occurrence whereby the water separates into three distinct layers—like a layer cake—each with its own different temperature and dissolved oxygen levels.

The upper level, known as the epilimnion, is composed of warm, lighter water that has high dissolved oxygen content – this is where fish tend to dwell.

The middle layer of a pond is known as the thermocline; in this ‘transitional’ layer, water temperature and dissolved oxygen level become lower with depth.

Finally, the lowest layer of a pond is referred to as the hypolimnion. This layer is the coldest and most oxygen deprived of the three, as it is sheltered from any atmospheric conditions by the above two layers.

Pond turnover is when weather conditions favor the mixing of these layers. As the epilimnion is cooled by the fall air to a temperature below that of the lower layers, it becomes denser and sinks—mixing the layers together into a uniform temperature and density.

The exact opposite occurs after winter—and the cycle continues annually.

Sometimes cold rains and heavy winds can provoke an additional mid-summer turnover, as well.

How does Turnover Affect My Pond or Lake?

Organic matter like dead plants and fish, leaves, etc. sink to and accumulate in the lowest level, the hypolimnion, because gravity naturally pulls it there.

Unfortunately, this layer has little to no oxygen that would help aerobic, or oxygen breathing, bacteria break down the material. Instead, anaerobic, or non-oxygen breathing bacteria do the job.

Not only are these bacteria seventeen times slower than their aerobic counterparts, they also release toxic gasses like methane, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia as they digest.

This toxic gas gets trapped in the hypolimnion, and is released all at once when the levels mix.

So, how does this turnover affect your pond? It does four things:

1. The toxic gasses released poison the fish, causing a fish kill
2. Aerobic bacteria are given access to organic matter once locked at the bottom, quickly sucking all the oxygen out of the water and suffocating your fish
3. The odor of the released gasses fills the surrounding area, including your home, with rancid odors
4. The mucky hypolimnion clouds your water, causing your pond to appear very dirty

How Do I Prevent Turnover From Occurring?

Two things need to happen in order to prevent the ill effects of pond turnover.

The first thing you need to do is mix the layers of your pond to keep them from stratifying.

The second thing you need to do is provide oxygen throughout the entire pond, promoting the consumption of organic matter by aerobic bacteria.

Not only will the air avoid the production of toxic gasses, but it will also ensure that your fish are given ample air to breathe. Both of these are important to avoiding fish kills and noxious odors.

In order to properly Mix & Aerate your pond at the same time, you need the MARS Aeration System. The MARS’s patented Double Bubble™ Technology is specifically designed to do just that, as efficiently and effectively as possible.

As an added benefit, the MARS will also freshen and clarify your water, and reduce algae at the same time.  Visit the Triplepoint Home Page to watch an introductory movie on the proven MARS Aeration Technology.

Do you dread changes in the wind because the smell of your pond or lake wafts into your home? Do you avoid gatherings or cookouts down by the water because of its unappealing odor? You’re not alone.

We’ve all walked past stagnant, a stinking pond and lake at some point in our life (and a lot of times we wish we hadn’t!), but have you ever wondered where that smell is coming from…or how to stop it?

Let’s first look at the causes of pond or lake odor. The smell you notice comes primarily from three sources:

1. Rotting Plants, Fish, and other Organic Matter:

When something rots, it smells—this is a simple fact of life that has us routinely taking out the trash and hunting through the refrigerator for foreign smells.

But, what occurs in lakes and ponds that make the odor so pervasive? It’s the lack of oxygen.Many rotting things in your pond are digested by aerobic (oxygen breathing) bacteria, and this occurs both quickly and largely without odor.

If given enough oxygen, these hungry little bacteria will clean all the odors and decaying matter out of your pond. Unfortunately, this is not what happens in most ponds—stagnant water instead has the tendency to develop into distinct temperature layers.

Water warmed by the sun remains toward the surface, and cooler, denser water stays on the bottom. Being sealed in by the upper, warmer layer, the bottom layer receives no oxygen. Eventually fish and bacteria use up all the available oxygen in this area, and this is when things get bad.

What happens is that all inanimate organic matter (dead fish, leaves, grass clippings, sticks, fish waste, dead plants) sink to the oxygen-less, or anoxic, area at the bottom of the pond. Here, the only breakdown and digestion that occurs is done by anaerobic (not oxygen breathing) bacteria.

Not only are these bacteria seventeen times slower at breaking down organic matter than aerobic bacteria, but they also produce nasty smelling pond odors as a byproduct. These odors include the rotten egg-like hydrogen sulfide, methane, and ammonia.

Ever see bubbles rise to and burst on the surface of your pond? That’s likely anaerobic bacteria, releasing their pungent pond odor byproducts.

2. Turnover:

Pond or lake turnover is often a reason why your water occasionally smells really bad. It occurs at least twice a year in the spring and fall (sometimes more if there are heavy rainstorms) where the upper and lower levels of your water body mix together.

The resulting solution is low in oxygen and high in noxious gasses (and this very dangerous for fish and can result in a massive fish kill). On top of this, all of the bad odors and decaying material once trapped at the bottom are mixed into the water column all at once, making your water smell quite awful.

3. Odor Producing Algae:

Certain kinds of algae simply smell bad. Ponds with heavy concentrations of cyanobacteria or chara algae, for example, will emit a musty, earthy odor.

So not only will your pond look bad because of the large algal blooms, but it also smells bad because of the algae!

The Solution to Lake and Pond Odors:

Now let’s look at the solution to pond and lake odors. The fix for pond and lake odors is Eco-Friendly Aeration with the MARS System, which targets the causes of odors by doing the following things:

• Oxygenating ALL areas of the water column so aerobic bacteria get to the organic matter and  do its work without odors

• Mixing the entire pond from top to bottom, avoiding layering and stopping the harmful and odor producing effects of turnover

• Prevent algae by breaking down the organic matter before algae has the chance to use it to fuel its growth

The MARS Aerator’s patented Double Bubble™ Technology both mixes & aerates your pond—keeping it healthy, clear, and most importantly, odor free!

Here’s a situation that pond owners run into time and time again—we’ll use Dan as our example.

Dan loves the pond on his property; he loves to look out over the fish swimming around, frogs leaping into the water from the edge, and birds fly in to rest.

With the best interests of his pond in mind, and hoping to get rid of a little excess algae, he contracts a ‘pond company’ manage his pond.

When the company arrives for their first ‘treatment, ’ Dan walks out to observe and is surprised by what he sees—two men wearing protective suits, gloves, and a mask are navigating a boat around his pond, spraying an unnaturally deep blue liquid all across the surface.

When Dan inquires about what they’re spraying, they respond with “copper sulfate, it’s a chemical algaecide.” Concerned about his pond and the wildlife living in it, Dan then asks if it’s safe, prompting the pond company to respond, “uhh sure, it’s perfectly safe…”

Dan then asks the next logical question, “then why are you both wearing hazmat suits?”

Encounters like this are leading pond owners nationwide to give up use of harsh chemicals like algaecides to manage their pond. Just like Dan, they are gaining the awareness that chemical treatments are not really ‘treating’ at all—they are actually devastating your pond’s natural ecosystem.

This is only one of many reasons why pond owners are avoiding algaecides:

1. Algaecides Cost You a Bunch of Money:

Algaecides themselves are costly, costing as much as 80% more than safe, environmentally friendly alternatives. Not only are they expensive, but many states also require algaecides to be applied by a licensed technician because they are so dangerous.

So, in addition to paying for expensive chemicals, you also have to pay for a professional to apply them roughly every two weeks.

Pond owners sometimes pay thousands and thousands of dollars to control algae, unaware that cheaper, more environmentally friendly options exist.

2. You Can Never Stop Using Algaecides:

In order for algaecide to be effective, it must be in your pond in a specific concentration that is tough to maintain. Algaecides are weakened as water flows in and out of your pond, and they also leach into and accumulate in the soil.

If you want to maintain algae prevention, you can never stop applying the chemical. Unless you use a eco-friendly pond management alternative, quitting use of algaecides will lead to much larger algae blooms than you began with, because:

3. Algaecides Don’t Treat the Causes of Algae in Your Pond:

Algae require nutrients to grow, just like we need food, and these nutrients are constantly flowing into your pond from the surrounding environment. If you take care of these nutrients, you get rid of the algae.

Algaecides do nothing to affect the nutrient, as they only treat the visible symptoms of the overall problem by killing the algae itself.

This algae, in turn, sinks to the bottom of your pond and decays, releasing its nutrient to fuel even larger algae blooms in the future. The more algae you kill with chemicals, the more decaying matter will build up in your pond—sometimes leading to the need to dredge (remove sludge) at a huge expense.

4. Algaecides are Extremely Toxic to Your Health:

Copper sulfate is readily absorbed through the skin, and has been classified by the EPA asbeing in toxicity class I – highly toxic –requiring the signal words “DANGER – POISON” on its container.

According to the Extension Toxicology Network, accidental ingestion just gram quantities of copper sulfate can lead to some very nasty (and deadly) effects.

Having such hazardous chemicals sprayed onto your property is an absolutely unnecessary risk.

5. Algaecides Damage Both Your Pond and its Surrounding Environment:

Algaecides upset the natural balance of the water body: phytoplankton, the base of the food chain, are greatly reduced and no longer support small aquatic life; sediment-dwelling insects are killed by the accumulating poison; and plants, serving as both fish food and habitat, are killed by algaecide’s photosynthesis disruption.

After your pond’s ecosystem has been debilitated, the highly water-soluble algaecide is flushed out during a rain event, becoming a hazard for downstream organisms.

This can stress and sometimes be lethal to many types of fish, and can negatively affect animals that drink the water by bioaccumulating in their heart, liver, brain, kidneys, and muscles.

These terrible consequences are leading governmental bodies to consider banning algaecide use.

The City of Naples, Florida has banned copper sulfate because it heavily pollutes Naples Bay, and the European Union has considered prohibiting its use because it is “not compatible with sustainable ecosystems.”

For an energy efficient, eco-friendly pond management, alternative, check out the MARS Aeration System. Its patented Double Bubble™ Technology both mixes and aerates your pond—keeping it healthy, clear, and excess algae and odor free.

For years, homeowners, H.O.A’s, and property managers believed that fountains were the answer to keeping ponds and lakes clean and algae-free.

Consumers are now slowly learning that fountains are not a viable solution, recognizing that they are relics of a time when people were less concerned about energy costs or detrimental environmental impact.

We have extensive experience with fountains, and can attest that they are a very poor method of abating algae and other pond problems.

Indeed, the Kentucky State Aquaculture Center States that, “Fountains will not typically provide an energy efficient or practical source of aeration/water destratification in most ponds.”

So, why are fountains impractical? The following is a list of reasons outlining the inadequacies of pond fountains:

1.    Fountains are Bad at Aerating Your Pond:

By spraying water into the air, fountains rely on air-water contact for oxygen transfer. Because the water droplets’ airtime is relatively short, and their surface area relatively small, only minimal quantities of oxygen are imparted into the water.

The MARS, on the other hand, is a pond management alternative emits many millions of bubbles daily, each with a longer rise time and comparably larger surface area/volume ratio—allowing it to add much more oxygen to the entire water column.

2.    Fountains Waste Your Money with Inefficient Operation:

Propelling water into the air is rather energy intensive. It is for the same reason that propeller-driven watercraft get terrible gas mileage—often below 4 miles per gallon—because moving water around requires loads of energy.

It is quite normal for a water fountain to consume more than twice the energy as a diffused air system, like the MARS.

3.    Fountains are Inadequate at Mixing Your Pond:

Fountains fail to mix the entire water column as they both draw water from and spray water over the pond’s surface. The deeper regions of the pond are typically the most nutrient (algae food) and oxygen deprived—therefore fountains fail to circulate the part of the pond that needs it most.

4.    Fountain Manufacturers Recommend That You Use Dangerous Chemicals:

Most fountain manufacturers will recommend the use of toxic chemicals like copper sulfate with their products to prevent algae growth and, therefore, minimize clogging. This recommendation alone indicates that fountains are inadequate for the treatment of pond algae.

Not only does this chemical recommendation add a significant cost to the use of fountains, but it is potentially dangerous for life both in and around the pond. Please refer to the article, “Protecting National Water Resources” for more information on dangerous pond chemicals like algaecides and herbicides.

5.    Fountain’s High Maintenance Requirements are a Burden:

In the Northern climates, fountains must be removed every fall and replaced every spring as they cannot operate in the freezing winter months. During this time, they must also be stored; many consumers pay thousands of dollars annually for these services on top of the high costs of electricity and toxic chemicals.

What’s more, fountains regularly clog with algae, plant debris, and waste (i.e. plastic bags), necessitating their removal and maintenance—often times by a professional.

6.    Fountains Don’t Allow You to Aerate in the Winter:

Because fountains utilized in Northern climates must be removed in the winter, there is no pond mixing during these months. This allows the surface of the water to freeze over and begin to trap accumulating noxious gasses that can lead to fish kills.

7.    Fountains Raise Safety Concerns Around Your Pond:

Fountains require electricity to be run into and across the pond, and this represents a large safety concern to life in and around the area if the integrity of the wire is compromised.

For an energy efficient, eco-friendly alternative to pond management, check out the MARS Aeration System. Its patented Double Bubble™ Technology both mixes and aerates your pond—keeping it healthy, clear, and algae and odor free.