Solar Oxygenator for wildlife pond recommendation.

We are installing a small (250L) wildlife pond in our garden and would like to use a solar oxygenator.

We don't want a fountain type - but rather one that pumps air down to the bottom of the pond.

I know that they do not work when the sun 'aint shining.
Apparently they can be a bit noisy.

Does anyone have any experience with them?
Can you recommend a brand/model we might get (or avoid)?
Or would it just be a waste of money.

Thanks

 

Hi,

Think you would be better spending your money on some Oxygenating plants that you can buy online or from many local aquarium shops and garden centers.
eg - Oxygenating Pond Plants, Water Plants For Ponds In The UK

Also get some floating plants if your pond is in a very sunny position as it will help reduce the various algaes.

We run a little solar pump aimed so it justs causes some gentle natural looking ripples across the pond surface, rather than a spray which really just evaportates the water quicker.

 

Thanks for your reply.

We definitely will be adding oxygenating plants.

The place, where we got our pond liner was recommending a mini solar fountain to oxygenate.
I was assuming the additional oxygenation, as well as water movement - caused by pumping air down to the bottom of the pond, would be very beneficial.

Perhaps they were just trying to make a sale.

Cheers

 

Oxygenating plants is likely the way to go, but they'll take a little while to establish. Maybe the recommended a small, cheap solar oxygenator just to get you going until the plants get established.

 

I'm not sure what oxygenating the water really does if you dont have fish.
Oxygenating weed will eat up any nutrients in the water and help to keep it clear, but the action of adding oxygen, only, to the water, to my mind, does little.

I've put a couple of airstones in my pond on the occasion of hot weather, but only to help the fish.

But I could be wrong.

 

My understanding is it's about bacteria.

When a body of water loses its free oxygen, it becomes a perfect habitat for anaerobic bacteria, which tends to be the stinky kind, which is why stagnant ponds in nature tend to be stinky if you're daft enough to disturb them.

 

As @pete says you only need to aerate pond water in hot summer weather if you have too many fish in there.

You do not see air bubbling in natual wildlife ponds, so adding it in a domestic pond is just for your benefit and not really in keeping with a natual pond, imho, though it will do no harm if you really want it.

Fish in a natural pond will eat many of the creatures and tadpoles etc you are trying to attract.
Much nicer to sit watching the frogs, insects and birds enjoy your planted pond.
Plants like Caltha, Water Mint and Water Forget Me Not are fast growers and shoukd flower this year.

 

Now you mention it I do get the point.

 

That may be true of a very sheltered and shady pond with little life in it other than decaying plant matter etc.

Have had several smaller ponds over the years, most without any filtration or pumps etc and never had a stinky mess, though as with any ponnd, if its drained and you disturb or dredge the bottom sediment it natually does smell a bit.

Thats why having plenty of plants and creatures in there keeps the water moving around enough.

 

I have two small ponds and a cheapy solar fountain pump in each. These little guys are amazingly tough, my 3 years old one just survived the winter when the pond froze deeply. (Yes I'm lazy).

Amazon pump

I keep the fountain part on in the bigger small pond, the spray is very pretty and the sparrows find it awfully entertaining to fly through

The mini-mini pond has the same pump but without the tube, fully submerged. It just moves the water in a plop- plop fashion amongst the rocks. It must be 5 years old.

The moving water seems to look after the water quality, the water has never been stagnant or algaeish. A bunch of oxygenating plants are also bought every year as I forget their existence and clear them out together with fallen leaves.

Elodea densa

I have created some slower moving water areas with big rocks to support wildlife that doesn't like too much of a current. So far so good.

Not a good photo but shows what the spray looks like. The spray nozzle can be taken off or reduced to underwater stump if just the water moving action is preferred (like in my mini-min- front pondlet).

 

I have four ponds. One for fish with a pump and three for wildlife. No pumps or running water in these as I’m aware frogs prefer still water. All three wildlife ponds have oxygenating plants and other plants around the edges. Always clear. Frogs, newts, dragonflies all visit. Agree with you @ricky101 & @pete much prefer looking at wildlife ponds. Teeming with life and fascinating.