Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Aquamats - do they work?

Anyone use Aquamats? Do they work as advertised for water quality? They look interesting but could be very expensive for my 2 acre pond. I was thinking of making small PVC frames and loosly attaching some snow fence to it to try to accomplish the same thing.

I'm not impressed. Submergent aquatic vegatation does the same thing. And you're right they are very expensive. what you propose would work similarly but why not let aquatic vegetation work naturally for you at no cost?

What kind of vegetation could I use that is easy to control and doesn't spread too much? I don't want to wind up with a plant problem.

Rob,

Regardless of what you do aquatic vegetation will find your pond. You do have a point if you are elluding to the fact that some or very evasive. That said, if possible, if you do not have any at this time, you might want to introduce what you want to make it the predominate vegetation that would crowd out any that you do not want that would show up later.

Unfortunately I am not a plant expert. Hopefully someone will come on and advise you. I do know of a hatchery that sells hundreds of species ofaquatic plants in Richmind, Illinois and they might be able to advise you. It's called Keystone Hatchery and I would ask for Mike Robinson. Phone is (815) 678-2537

Honestly not trying to plug someone here, but Mike has been very helpful to me in the past and he is very knowledgable. I have only purchased fish from him, but they were outstanding in quality. On one occasion he was to sell me some bluegills that he had gotten from another supplier. They didn't pan out as hardy as planned and although he could still have sold them to me he declined.

Back to the aquamats. I believe they were produced for small aquaculture settings that could use more material for nytrifying bacteria to adhere here to. I don't believe they were designed for larger outdoor ponds. I also would think they would probably clog with algae in those situations.

You can do a search .. but here are some very good threads:

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=000008

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=000018

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=000007

Thanks! I do use the search function but was looking for threads with Aquamats in them. These are great threads. I am a little worried about introducing plants that may get out of control yet want to create a successful pond after renovating it later this year. This should help a lot.

I have a fair amount of experience with Aquamats.

As fish habitat, I think they are too short. I think they would work much better as fish habitat if they were 3ft to 6 ft tall. As attached growth accumulates as thick layers on the ribbons or fronds, the "fronds" collapse to the bottom. When the growth sloughs the fronds will usually "stand up" again.

Aquamats can accumulate a lot of algal and microscopic growth that does filter the water. Amount of filtration is dependant on the number of Aquamats; more is better. Most pondowners do not use Aquamats properly. When the mats are thick with growth they should be removed and the attached growth should be washed off with a hose. Removing growth from the pond reduces accumulated pond nutrients and allows for more colonization by the mats. If the mats are not periodically removed and cleaned the nutrients recycle within the pond and the primary benefit is negated.

Underwater vascular plants provide almost the same function as Aquamats. Aquamats do not multiply; pond plants multiply and spread, sometimes too fast. Both have pros and cons.

Aquamats are great for what they were designed. They were originally designed to be a substrate for denitrifying bacteria. The main use was in water treatment plants. Great product, great use. Very successful.
They are nice for fish cover, but probably not cost efficient. If your goal is to cleanse dirty water, look closely at Aquamats. If you want to attract fish, think it through.

I too am fairly knowleable with Aquamats. My experience is that algae does accumulate on the mats and yes they should be removed and hosed off. Has anyone ever pulled one out of the water? It seems like it weighs a ton! I removed 40 for a pond customer, cleaned and replaced them. They are alot of work but are supposed to work well. Most people I have dealt with complained about the expense and thought they were not doing much. Weigh the options and ask questions before purchasing any.

We use a mat material called geotextile or filter fabric under some pond liners and as a protection under structure on liners. It is similar to what the aquamats are made of and it floats. Cost is about 8-15 cents per square foot and it floats and can be cut with scissors. I want to try to attach some long strips to a paving brick with holes in it and place as fish structure. Unfortunately it won't be for a few months.
Robert B

Strips of geotextile fabric sounds like a very good idea. However, if you just attach strips to a heavy object they may just get weighed down with algae and lie on the pond bottom. I'm thinking that loosely attaching strips to a PVC frame may work better. Easy and cheap.