Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? When should I stop aerating?

bz - generally speaking, the further south one lives the less need there is for aeration in winter. Snow accumulation on ice is th emain problem causing winter kill in northern US. BZ where you live the snow build up is your main enemy for causing winter kills. The build up of harmful gasses under the ice is due primarily to plant death and accumulative organic decompostion due to lack of oxygen production which in turn are due to lack of light penetration and abundant snow cover over the ice. Take note that aeration will not remove ammonia from the water. Aeration will allow some benthic gasses such a methane and hydrogen sulfide to escape during ice cover.

Aeration can increase the chance of open water during ice cover that allows sunlight penetration and microscopic and or benthic plant activity. Snow removal from the pond produces the same benefit. A PB forum member WOOD proved that snow removal was adequate for a northern Canada trout pond with 3 ft of ice cover during winter of 2004-05. See his post below.