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Hello everyone,

I'm a beginner when it comes to ponds, located in Nova Scotia, Canada.

I recently took over the maintenance of my mother-in-law's 30-year-old pond. When I first arrived, I found that the dam had partially failed, with numerous alders growing in it, and the accumulation of muck had become substantial, resulting in an overgrowth of cattails. To address these issues, we brought in an excavator to repair the dam, remove the muck, and install new outflow culverts.

My main objective is to make the pond suitable for swimming during the summer. I've been avidly absorbing all the information I can find on pond management, and it's truly fascinating! I'm grateful to be a part of the Pond Boss forum, as it appears to be the most knowledgeable and active platform for discussions on this topic.

Based on what I've learned so far, and please correct me if I'm mistaken, the most crucial factors for maintaining a healthy pond are:

Aeration
Pond plants
pH adjustment using lime
Additional supplements like Alum

In terms of water depth, the deepest spot in my pond is approximately 12 feet, and its size is around 4000 square feet.

I would greatly appreciate any guidance you can provide. Where should I begin? Also, could you please suggest where I can have my water tested in Canada?

In an attempt to keep costs down as I venture into this pond endeavour, I decided to go with a Vevor pump. It has a power rating of 550W and 5.2CFM, which might be slightly overpowered for my pond. However, I'm hoping I can simply run it at night. My question is, how many diffusers should I use? Thinking of installing pump in shed 100" away, running 1/2" pex to pond edge, then 3/8" weighted line to two or three diffusers, looking at matala or aquascape brands.

Thank you in advance for your assistance. I'm excited to embark on this journey of pond management.

Keep costs down? Haven’t figured how to do that yet.

hahaha I'm slowing starting to understand what you mean.

Welcome to active posting on Pond Boss!!!

Is it correct then to say at approx. 4,000 square feet, your pond maybe be approx. 1/10th of an acre? (4,000/43,264)

If the pond is approx. 1/10th of an acre, I would think you'd be fine with a single diffuser.

I'm not much experienced in aeration, so let's see what others have to say.

One diffuser should be enough for your small pond. Provide a link to the Vevor pump. Aquarium test kit should be good enough for your pond needs and goals. Soft water with out adding lime would be okay for a swimming pond. Try using some marginal plants that you like and transplant from local ponds/lakes. Look at spike rush and native Iris blue flag as Iris versicolor if it grows in NS. Likely you will never need alum. Your water should be clear and not need alum as the pond ages.

Are there any places near you in NS that sell pond fish?

I believe the pond is approximately one-tenth of an acre in size. I've gone ahead with the Vevor pump that might be overkill for the task. You can find more information about it at this link:
https://www.vevor.ca/pond-lake-aera...w-5-2cfm-for-up-to-3-acre-p_010688443893
My plan is to install the pump inside a shed, and run it at night only.
100' of 1/2" Pex to pond edge then transition to 3/8" weighted line 30' to the diffuser(s)
Does that sound okay?

As for the plant life in the pond, I have been experimenting with a variety of marginals and have introduced a couple of hardy lotus plants. However, the floating plants don't seem to be thriving as expected. Currently, the pond is being overrun by string algae. I'm hoping that implementing the aeration system will help address this issue.

In terms of stocking fish, I haven't given it serious consideration due to the relatively small size of the pond. I'm still in the process of learning how to maintain the pond's cleanliness and clarity throughout the year. I would greatly appreciate your input on whether it would be advisable to stock the pond. It seems like a rather complex undertaking that I need further guidance on.
I've also found a hatchery 5 miles from the pond that has brook, rainbow, and brown trout.

Thanks for your replies!

I believe the pond is approximately one-tenth of an acre in size. I've gone ahead with the Vevor pump that might be overkill for the task. You can find more information about it at this link:
https://www.vevor.ca/pond-lake-aera...w-5-2cfm-for-up-to-3-acre-p_010688443893
My plan is to install the pump inside a shed, and run it at night only.
100' of 1/2" Pex to pond edge then transition to 3/8" weighted line 30' to the diffuser(s)
Does that sound okay?

As for the plant life in the pond, I have been experimenting with a variety of marginals and have introduced a couple of hardy lotus plants. However, the floating plants don't seem to be thriving as expected. Currently, the pond is being overrun by string algae. I'm hoping that implementing the aeration system will help address this issue.

In terms of stocking fish, I haven't given it serious consideration due to the relatively small size of the pond. I'm still in the process of learning how to maintain the pond's cleanliness and clarity throughout the year. I would greatly appreciate your input on whether it would be advisable to stock the pond. It seems like a rather complex undertaking that I need further guidance on.
I've also found a hatchery 5 miles from the pond that has brook, rainbow, and brown trout.

Aeration will not suppress string algae. Your pond might not need fish unless it becomes overrun with bugs and other insect like critters. When that happens 5-8 rainbow or brown trout in NS Canada would be plenty of fish for that small pond.

there is a plethora of different frog species that are keeping the bugs down. But why not stock a hand full of fish too, that will be fun.