Dear Frog,
Having a lot of trees and water plants next to a pond will keep the water cool. Each square meter of respiring plants next to the pond will remove 1 BTU/hr of heat from the pond. However, new ponds that do not have trees and water plants need this cooling too. To do this you can use water mixing.
As previously blogged, an aerator causes a circulation in the pond that removes the pond gasses. It can also regulate the temperature of a pond. By lifting the water from the bottom using diffusers a current is formed. When water is not moving, a thermocline is formed where cold water sinks and warm water floats on the surface. When the aerator is running, the entire pond becomes homogenous in temperature. If you run the aerator at night (10 pm to 4 am) when the surface air temperature is low you mix the sun warmed water loosing heat to the cool air. If through the day, you then leave the aerator off, the thermocline will form closer to the surface reducing the overall temperature of the pond. The effect is to reduce weed and algae growth.
The aerator function as an oxygenator is minimal in comparison to algae growth. Algae produce most of the oxygen in a pond; however, when too much fertilizer gasses form in the pond algae become too prolific. To limit their growth, you need to remove the pond gasses and at the same time lower the temperature of the pond.
Please understand, an aerator is expensive and needs to be used judiciously. Machinery has a limited life span; and therefore, you must establish a functional eco-system before the aerator becomes junk.
Hey froggie, summer is coming! You have your water conditioner working? Consider regulating the pond temperature using air diffusion while your plants grow. Do it at night and nobody will know you are using a crutch…
PonDoc from the pond
www.ponddoctor.biz