Pond Management Blog

Pond Aeration Facts: 7 Reasons To Avoid Pond Fountains

For years, pond owners, homeowners associations, and property managers believed that fountains were the answer to keeping ponds and lakes clean and algae-free.

Consumers are now slowly learning that fountains are not a viable solution, recognizing that they are relics of a time when people were less concerned about energy costs or detrimental environmental impact.

We have extensive experience with fountains, and can attest that they are a very poor method of abating algae, adding an oxygen supply, or promoting fish health.

Indeed, the Kentucky State Aquaculture Center States that, “Fountains will not typically provide an energy efficient or practical source of aeration/water destratification in most ponds.”

So, why are fountains impractical? The following is a list of reasons outlining the inadequacies of pond fountains:

1. Fountains are Bad at Aerating Your Pond:

By spraying water into the air, fountains rely on air-water contact for oxygen transfer. Because the water droplets’ airtime is relatively short, and their surface area relatively small, only minimal quantities of oxygen are imparted into the water.

Diffused aeration on the other hand, is a pond management alternative that emits many millions of bubbles daily, each with a longer rise time and comparably larger surface area/volume ratio—allowing it to add much more oxygen to the entire water column.

2. Fountains Waste Your Money with Inefficient Operation:

Propelling water into the air is rather energy intensive. It is for the same reason that propeller-driven watercrafts get terrible gas mileage—often below 4 miles per gallon—because moving water around requires loads of energy.

It is quite normal for a water fountain to consume more than twice the energy as a diffused air system. And thus you will be incurring that much more cost on your electric bill.

3. Fountains Cannot Mix Your Pond:

Fountains fail to mix the entire water column as they draw water from the pond's surface, and then return it to the same place that they got it. The deeper regions of the pond are typically the most oxygen deprived—therefore fountains fail to circulate (or oxygenate for that matter) the part of the pond that needs it most.

4. Fountain Manufacturers Recommend That You Use Dangerous Chemicals:

Most fountain manufacturers will recommend the use of toxic chemicals (i.e: copper sulfate) with their products to prevent algae growth and, therefore, minimize clogging the fountain mechanism. This recommendation alone indicates that fountains are inadequate in terms of pond management in general, and more specifically for the treatment of pond algae.

Not only does this chemical recommendation add a significant cost on top of the use of fountains, but it is dangerous for life both in and around the pond. Please refer to the article, “Protecting National Water Resources” for more information about dangerous pond chemicals, such as algaecides.

5. Fountain’s High Maintenance Requirements are a Burden:

In the northern climates, fountains must be removed every fall and replaced every spring as they cannot operate in the freezing winter months. During this time, they must also be stored; many consumers pay thousands of dollars annually for these services on top of the high costs of electricity and toxic chemicals.

What’s more, fountains regularly clog with algae, plant debris, and waste (i.e. plastic bags or bottles), necessitating their removal and maintenance—oftentimes by a professional that you must pay.

6. Fountains Don’t Allow You to Aerate in the Winter:

Because fountains utilized in northern climates must be removed in the winter, there is no pond mixing or aerating during these months. This allows the surface of the water to freeze over and begin to trap accumulating noxious gases that can lead to fish kills. Additionally, without aeration the dissolved oxygen level could fall throughout these months. Diffused aeration is generally the best solution to this particular problem.

7. Fountains Raise Safety Concerns Around Your Pond:

Fountains require electricity to be run into and across the pond. This represents a large safety concern to life in and around the area if the integrity of the wire is compromised.

For an energy efficient, eco-friendly alternative to pond fountains, check out the MARS Aeration System. Its patented Double Bubble™ Technology both mixes and aerates your pond with DIFFUSED AERATION—keeping it healthy, clear, and algae and odor free.