Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? Going backwards without aeration

Good luck moving forward Keith

Bummer about the fish kill Keith. I have faith that if you keep looking a new and better pond will be in your future.

It's amazing that a pond could decline so fast! I was considering aeration in my mudpond. Can someone help me understand how it can destroy the natural ecosystem

I think there might be a misunderstanding. The pond deteriorated quickly after the aeration was removed, ultimately, resulting in the fish kill. The pond was a thriving ecosystem for the period of time the aeration was in place.

I understood that the problem occurred when he turned off the ventilation. But was the pond just as bad before he started with aeration? Does that mean that if you start with aeration, you can not stop?

Sorry! Looks like I am the one that misunderstood!

I will let Keith tell his own story ,,,,,

I will say that IMO, if you introduce aeration to a pond to improve water quality and then establish an ecosystem based on that improved water quality, I would expect that bad things could happen if you take the aeration away.

I'm not a pro. Just my thoughts.

Haab, the pond was worse before installing the aeration system (look at the photos in the beginning of this thread), and Bill D was right that the pond deteriorated quickly after removing it, and that it was a thriving ecosystem while in place. Long story short it took a lot of work to rehabilitate this pond and IMO the aeration system contributed to it remaining a healthy BOW. Removing the aeration system simply allowed it to go back to it's natural condition in a highly eutrophic BOW.

Yet I also think this is a very wise statement by Bill:

And thanks guys for the kind words and well wishes! All is good and I'm excited for the next chapter ahead. Including building a front porch, a deck in back and a 30x40 outbuilding/workshop. This time I'll be able to call it mine .