Tag: Atlantic Water Gardens

Blog / A-O Pro Tip – Hiding a Skimmer with Demi Fortuna

A-O Pro Tip – Hiding a Skimmer with Demi Fortuna

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Welcome to our new series, Learn From The A-O Pro’s! This is a video series hosted by Atlantic-OASE where our water feature contractors share their expertise in the field! We’re collecting all the helpful tips and tricks our contractors gave us while creating their water features and sharing them with you! Our first A-O Pro Tip: hiding a skimmer on the edge of a pond in a unique way!

Kicking off our first Learn From The A-O Pro’s series set of videos, we’ll show you tips from the build in our new Sandbox at Atlantic-OASE’s headquarters in Aurora, Ohio. Contractors from Art of the Yard, Alpine Custom Hardscapes and our very own blog-writer, Demi Fortuna, owner of August Moon Designs, came to Ohio to dig in the dirt. After the 5-day building palooza, they created 3 incredible water features including a pond and waterfall with a custom copper bowl fire feature, a pond-free waterfall and a formal fountain hardscape.

A-O Pro Tip #1 – Hiding a Skimmer

Our first A-O Pro Tip of the series comes from Demi Fortuna, Director of Product Information at Atlantic-OASE and owner of August Moon Designs. He shows us a tip on how to hide an Atlantic Skimmer on the edge of a pond.

Watch the A-O Pro Tip video here!

Demi explains that he would rather not see the skimmer anywhere in the pond so, he shows us how he likes to hide a skimmer by turning it sideways. He turns the skimmer so it’s perpendicular to the viewpoints from the pond, directing the water to come into the skimmer from the side. By doing this, you can accelerate the water coming in the skimmer due to the narrower channel.

When you install a skimmer sideways, it’s important to make sure you have enough liner to go around the skimmer. Once positioned, you can start rocking around the skimmer. Then, Atlantic Rock Lids come into play. Place the Rock Lid on top of the rocks that have capped the skimmer. Atlantic Rock Lids look great when placed on top of other rocks to blend in better. With this tip, you’ll never see the skimmer face at all!

Want to be featured in the next A-O Pro Tip Video?

Do you have some unique and helpful tips and tricks on installing water features? We’re looking for the next A-O Pro to be featured in our video series and we want to visit you! Tell us what upcoming water feature builds you have planned and what A-O Pro tips you have for us and we’ll send someone from the Atlantic-OASE team out to video you and your work!

Contact your Regional Sales Manager to learn more on the A-O Pro Series. Not sure who your Regional Sales Manager is? Contact us at marketing@atlantic-oase.com. 

Stay tuned for more A-O Pro Tips here on the blog and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube so you don’t miss out on all the Learn From The A-O Pro’s videos!

About the Author:

Caitlyn Winkle

After graduating from the University of Akron, Caitlyn joined Atlantic-OASE in the fall of 2019. Caitlyn manages the social media and online content for the company. She also supports the Atlantic-OASE Professional Contractor (APC) Program and Marketing Departments in creating marketing and advertising strategies and plans.

Blog / Introducing: The Learn From The A-O Pro’s Series!

Introducing: The Learn From The A-O Pro’s Series!

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Introducing the latest project happening at Atlantic-OASE: The Learn From The A-O Pro’s Series! In this new series we meet with some of our most valued contractors to learn how they work. We get to see the behind the scenes, in-action, tips and tricks for how they build their water features!

What is The Learn From The A-O Pro’s Program? 

Learn From The A-O Pro's Logo

The Learn From The A-O Pro’s series is a new video program at Atlantic-OASE where contractors share their expertise in the field. Once a year, we will be selecting contractors to come build in our new SandBox to show us how they create beautiful and unique water features. 

Throughout the rest of the year, we want to visit you at your builds! Tell us what awesome projects you have planned and we’ll send someone from the Atlantic-OASE team to come visit you! Big or small water features, we want to video all your tips and tricks for how you build. 

Building in the SandBox

Art of the Yard, Alpine Custom Hardscapes, August Moon Designs and Atlantic-OASE staff in front of a pond-free waterfall

To kick off the first year of the Learn From The A-O Pro’s Series, we were joined by contractors from Art of the Yard, Alpine Custom Hardscapes and August Moon Designs to come build in The SandBox. 

Art of the Yard, Alpine Custom Hardscapes, August Moon Designs and Atlantic-OASE staff standing in a formal fountain hardscape

Together in a 5-day long demonstration of building techniques, our APC’s (Atlantic-OASE Professional Contractors) created 3 incredible water features. A unique designed hardscape area with combined Atlantic and OASE products. An outstanding Pond-free feature and a one-of-a-kind pond and waterfall showcasing a Copper Bowl with custom fire feature. 

We videoed the entire event and grabbed some helpful water feature tips and tricks to share with you! Watch the introduction to our series below. We gathered some of those tips in our first video but, the full version of each tip will be in coming soon in other videos! Visit our Instagram and YouTube for more coming soon!

Want to be an A-O Pro?

Are you a pro at installing Atlantic-OASE products? Do you have some great tips and tricks to share with other contractors? We want you to be an A-O Pro and feature your projects in our next Learn From the A-O Pro’s video! Tell us what upcoming water feature builds you have planned and we’ll send someone from the Atlantic-OASE team out to video you as you work and get some great A-O Tips along the way!

Contact your Regional Sales Manager to learn more on the A-O Pro Series. Not sure who your Regional Sales Manager is? Contact us at marketing@atlantic-oase.com. 

What To Expect?

We want to come out and film you and your team at the job site! What will you expect when a member of that Atlantic-OASE team comes to visit? This is what you can expect for each A-O Pro’s event:

  • We’ll film video of you and your team working on your water feature project
  • Film your A-O Pro tips while your project is underway
  • Shoot photos of the completed water feature
  • Film a fireside chat with our Atlantic-OASE staff about your business

Along with the photo and video content, which we’ll give to you after we’ve edited it, contractors will also receive:

  • A complimentary TT-Series Pump or your choice (TT7500 or lower)
  • A Learn From The A-O Pro’s Series custom jacket
  • Photo & video content from your build
  • Social Media exposure for your business

Stay tuned for more blogs on the new Learn From The A-O Pro’s Series and read more great water feature articles here!

About the Author:

Caitlyn Winkle

After graduating from the University of Akron, Caitlyn joined Atlantic-OASE in the fall of 2019. Caitlyn manages the social media and online content for the company. She also supports the Atlantic-OASE Professional Contractor (APC) Program and Marketing Departments in creating marketing and advertising strategies and plans.

Blog / Celebrating National Pet Day with Your Water Feature’s #1 Fans

Celebrating National Pet Day with Your Water Feature’s #1 Fans

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April 11th is National Pet Day and we’re celebrating the best way we know how – by showing the internet the cutest furry friends loving their water features!

This pup parading through his new pond

Liquid Landscapes Inc. wrote an article in POND Trade Magazine about building a water feature for his client, Stella, to play in! Read it here.

Because who are we kidding? The real reason we install ponds are for our pets!

Art of the Yard creates ponds for all wildlife, pets included!

Hawksley loved visiting Atlantic’s water garden at the old building in Mantua!

Waterfall loving dogs

Big or small, all of our contractor’s dogs love their waterfalls!

Little white dog standing on a waterfall

American River Waterscapes‘ cutest mascot!

Our Atlantic-OASE Staff have some water feature loving pets too!

Tyson & Moose are some happy and hydrated hounds!

Cooper loves playing in his mini fountain and pond!

Bailey is always hanging by the pond!

Thor treats his fountains as his own personal drinking bowls!

Brewster loves his bubbling fountains!

We hope you celebrate National Pet Day with your furry family members! And if you don’t have a water feature for your pet, give your pet the best National Pet Day gift and install one for them!

About the Author:

Caitlyn Winkle

After graduating from the University of Akron, Caitlyn joined Atlantic-OASE in the fall of 2019. Caitlyn manages the social media and online content for the company. She also supports the Atlantic-OASE Professional Contractor (APC) Program and Marketing Departments in creating marketing and advertising strategies and plans.

Blog / OASE Filtral UVC

OASE Filtral UVC

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The OASE Filtral UVC is the ideal all-in-one solution for excellent water quality in smaller ponds and water features. Three sizes of Filtral UVC – 400, 800 and 1400 – clean and clear ponds and fountains up to 1400 gallons with a combination of mechanical and biological filtration paired with ultraviolet clarification. The units are so effective that they qualify for the OASE Clear Water Guarantee when sized as directed.

OASE Filtral UVC filter and fountain pump

The advanced pump, housed in the compact case, moves water silently and efficiently, using minimal wattage, and is thermally protected and grounded against stray current leaks.

Inside of the OASE Filtral UVC

Double filter foams coarse and fine, filter pebbles and bio-media in the case provide excellent mechanical and biological filtration that quickly clears ponds up to 1400 gallons and is easily cleaned. The ultraviolet clarifier operates at a frequency that keeps organics from building up in the water for a year at a time before needing to be replaced, and operation can be monitored via sight glass from outside the pond.

Closeup of diverter of OASE Filtral UVC

On the return side, water is circulated in one of two different ways – via fountain head or through a side outlet, which can divert water to an optional decorative spitter or spout.

Lava Nozzle

Lava Nozzle

Vulkan Nozzle

Vulkan Nozzle

Magma Nozzle

Magma Nozzle

The fountain head comes with three inserts that create different patterns in water from 10” to 24” deep. The Lava insert throws out a clear dome of water, the Vulkan a double tiered fleur de lis display and the Magma a directional arched spray of five individual streams. All can be adjusted via the ball joint on the telescoping tube that also varies the height of the fountain head. A valve shunts water between the upright tube and a separate side outlet, to accommodate a variety of water return options.

Watch the beautiful nozzles in action below or click here!

Setup is simple. Select the water return option you prefer, fountain head, hose or both, then drop the unit into the pond. The 15’ cord allows for a good deal of flexibility in location, and the swiveling ball joint allows perfect vertical alignment even on sloped bottoms.

Maintenance is as easy as setup. The sloped top of the case allows debris to slide off, keeping the intake holes clear. When the flow slows, just pull the unit from the water and rinse off the filters. A grounding plate protects from stray current, and the pumps are thermally protected for long service life.

About the Author:

DEMI FORTUNA

Demi has been in water garden construction since 1986. As Atlantic’s Director of Product Information, if he’s not building water features, he’s writing or talking about them. If you have a design or construction question, he’s the one to ask.

Blog / The Wearing of the Green – Algae in the Spring

The Wearing of the Green – Algae in the Spring

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Yesterday was Saint Patrick’s Day, when we mark the anniversary of his death by celebrating the Green Isle and all things green. What better time to talk about green water, right? Here are some interesting facts about that wonderful plant, algae, we all love to hate, and maybe even some more reasons to love the green!

pond algae

Algae are not plants. Many are single cells with a simple chloroplast, the machinery behind the magic of photosynthesis. They share that capacity with plants, that wondrous ability to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar using the power of sunlight, but they don’t have stems, leaves, roots or organs. Neither are they bacteria, though it is thought it may have arisen when a bacterium stole a chloroplast from a cyanobacterium, creating the first algal cells over one BILLION years ago. The term ‘algae’ actually refers to many entirely different lineages of organisms, some of which are multicellular, others which thrive under the ice cap, or are red or purple in color, or live inside corals, or lichens or even the fur of polar bears.

This loose conglomeration of not-quite-plants is home to anywhere between 72,000 and 1 MILLION species, depending on who’s counting. Multicellular macroalgae come in three different colors – red, green and brown – and we know them mainly as seaweed, like kelp and sea lettuce. But the vast majority are microalgae, the little one-celled devils that make water green (or red or pink or brown), and there are tens of thousands of species of them.

Why do algae matter? Because the world runs on algae, in just about every sense. Need oxygen to live? Many of us do. Algae create 50% of all the oxygen in the atmosphere. Ever get hungry? You’d be a lot hungrier without algae. All seafood is ultimately sustained by it, the base of both marine and freshwater food pyramids. The Koi in your pond could live directly just on algae. And, since every land plant descended from algae, and every land animal depends on land plants for sustenance, either directly as an herbivore or omnivore, or indirectly as a predator of herbivores, you could say we all owe our existence to algae. On a more approachable level, the oil that powers our cars and industry is mainly the product of the decomposition of immensely deep beds of dead algae. And going forward, the biofuels of the future will be directly produced by – you guessed it – algae.

So the next time you see that tinge in the water, instead of shaking your shillelagh in frustration, maybe you should celebrate ‘the wearin’ of the green’!

Check out our blog for more articles on spring, algae and other helpful tips and tricks the water garden industry here!

About the Author:

DEMI FORTUNA

Demi has been in water garden construction since 1986. As Atlantic’s Director of Product Information, if he’s not building water features, he’s writing or talking about them. If you have a design or construction question, he’s the one to ask.

Blog / Re-Create It! Glowing Copper Bowls

Re-Create It! Glowing Copper Bowls

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You asked so, here it is! A step-by-step guide to installing the Copper Bowls from the front of the 2020 catalog!

What You’ll Need

Re-Create It!

Here are the steps and approximate times, except for the excavation, which only the contractor will know for sure, as digging times always depend on soil conditions.

Step 1

The Eco-Blox reservoir measures three blocks side-by-side, plus one block and a vault set in the opposite direction, (3×16”) = 48” x 44” (28”+16”). Excavate reservoir at least 18” larger than needed, with vertical sides, to allow for easy backfilling, at least 66” x 62” x 24” deep. The Eco-Blox are a little less than 18” in height, but you’ll want the reservoir about 6” deeper to allow room for gravel to hide the plumbing.

Step 2

Grade the soil surrounding the reservoir to create a sloped shelf 2’ wide all the way around, from grade to 6” deep at the edge of the reservoir, the same height as the Eco-Blox. The inward-sloping shelf will return all the splash back into the reservoir. Tamp the shelf, then level and tamp the bottom of the reservoir, adding sand or screenings if necessary. (15-20 min)

Step 3

Install 12’x25’ geotextile Underlayment in excavation, 15’x20’ EPDM Liner over geotextile and the other 12’x25’ geotextile Underlayment over liner to protect against abrasion, recommended but, not shown. (5-10 min)

Step 4

Drill 2” hole in discharge panel at top center of pump vault on flat, perforated side, with the center of hole at 19.5” from bottom of vault. Connect pump to elbow with approximately 11.5” flex pipe. Install close nipple into other end of elbow. Place pump in vault ensuring that elbow aligns with discharge hole in vault. (5 min)

Step 5

Drill 7/8” hole at Auto Fill indent in vault on side most convenient to plumb to water supply or sprinkler zone and install Auto Fill with one of the three included adapters for either ½” rigid, ½” funny pipe or ¾” Garden Hose Thread (GHT). (5 min)

Step 6

Set 4 Eco-Blox and Pump Vault on tamped level floor of reservoir. Vault will sit higher than Eco-Blox. Fold Underlayment and EPDM Liner up around reservoir covering top. Backfill evenly all around in 6” lifts so blocks do not shift while stepping fill in to tamp firmly all the way around. With tamped fill to top of Eco-Blox and shelf, unfold Liner and Underlayment and spread over shelf as a splash skirt. Begin filling reservoir. (15-20 min)

Step 7

Mount elbows and male adapters to bowls with silicone or Teflon tape, with the elbows into the center inlets. Alignment doesn’t matter for 36” bowl, but elbow in center inlet of 30” spillway bowl should point to 9 o’clock with spillway at 12 o’clock. Pull Light cords through male adapters from the inside out. Install Cord Seal Fittings around cords following instructions. (5-10 min)

Step 8

Install male adapters to valve with silicone or Teflon tape so valve can be easily replaced if ever damaged.

Step 9

Center 36” bowl on Eco-Rise and set them onto Eco-Blox adjusting to allow bowl to overflow into Eco-Blox while still allowing access to Vault lid. Second photo shows approximate plumbing layout, but you only need one valve, to divert flow up to the higher bowl, and the photo shows slip-by-slip valves instead of the recommended threaded valve, in case it needs replacing. Connect side-outlet of tee to valve assembly with close nipple. Rotate bowl to align elbow with cutouts in Eco-Rise and with valve, and connect valve to elbow at bottom of bowl with pipe sitting in cutouts of Eco-Rise. (5 min) Check water level in reservoir!

Step 10

Place 30” Bowl on Pedestal and set to overhang 36” Bowl. Connect through-outlet of tee to elbow at bottom of Bowl. Raise Pedestal on two 2x8x16 solid blocks to provide pipe clearance. Connect a length of pipe to supply side of tee of sufficient length to enter approximately 4” into vault through discharge hole. Use rubber coupling to attach to discharge pipe coming off pump (10-15 min)

Step 11

Plug Pump into Variable Speed Control (VSC) and VSC into an outlet. With VSC at 10 (full power), adjust flow between Bowls with valve, then set VSC to desired level. (5 min)

Step 12

Connect lights to InfiColor Smart Module using dielectric grease. Make Sure Plugs Are Properly Aligned! Do Not Use Adapters! Adapters are unnecessary unless substituting older SOL lights or an older, non-InfiColor module. Download free InfiColor App available in the App Store or Google Play and connect to Smart Module following included instructions. (5-10 min)

Step 13

Add soil under splash skirt to ensure all water returns to reservoir. Cut excess liner and underlayment if necessary (be careful not to cut away too much!). Cover exposed liner and plumbing with gravel of choice. (10-15 min)

To put the hour-and-a-half to two hour installation time suggested into perspective (not including the excavation time, because you never know how long that will take until you start digging), Kendahl and I installed everything you see on the cover into an already-excavated hole in less than two hours including photography.

About the Author:

DEMI FORTUNA

Demi has been in water garden construction since 1986. As Atlantic’s Director of Product Information, if he’s not building water features, he’s writing or talking about them. If you have a design or construction question, he’s the one to ask.

Blog / Spring Is For Sprucing!

Spring Is For Sprucing!

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It’s here! Spring! Well, meteorological Spring anyway. I personally can’t wait until the solstice, probably because it’s 23 degrees with a 40-mile-an-hour wind this morning. For those of us who endure winter without running water features, it’s time to start thinking about getting ponds started back up again.

Even if you don’t freeze for winter, Spring is the perfect time for seasonal maintenance. Pumps should be pulled, cleaned and serviced if needed. Diffusers in shallow water that kept ice from sealing the pond can be moved back into deeper water. Filter pads in pond systems can be cleaned if they weren’t in the fall. Remember to clean only half in chlorinated water. Rinse the others only in pond water, and don’t let them dry out, to preserve the bacteria living in them. Put the rinsed mats back into the bottom of upflow biofilters, to quickly reseed the cleaned mats above them.

Your plants will appreciate some attention too. They may just need pruning and feeding with Pondtabbs, or they might benefit from a replanting. If you’re careful, they may never realize they’ve been moved, but will reward you with better growth and blooms in season. To accelerate the growth of waterlilies, keep them close to the surface early in the season, so the leaves are in the warmest water. As the rest of the pond gradually warms, you can then drop them down into deeper water. 

Debris that builds up over winter is likely to contribute to nutrients in the water, just as water warms. Algae blooms can be common this time of year, before other plants wake up and compete for nutrients. Now is the perfect time to replace your ultraviolet lamps. They may still be emitting visible light, but they decline in UV output after a year and aren’t effective. A new bulb now keeps algae at bay, right when you need it most.

One thing I personally don’t like doing is a major cleanup in Spring. My fish have had to overwinter under ice. They started their fast fat and happy, but that was four months ago. They are thin and stressed and their immune systems are at low ebb – this is not the time to mess with them. We do our major cleanup in the fall, after the leaves are mostly down. I may go in with a PondoVac and pull out some lingering leaves, but it’s more likely we’ll wait until temps are higher and my fish are feeding again (above 55 degrees Fahrenheit).

Contractors, as for the spring major cleanup money that you may be giving up, there’s no shortage of work in the spring. A quick vacuuming in addition to the steps above can be quite satisfactory all around and a lot less time-consuming, at a time when all your customers want to see you. Set up a follow-up later in the spring for your needier jobs, and have your customers work on a wish list of extras. Two trips will be better than one.

Happy Spring! 

About the Author:

DEMI FORTUNA

Demi has been in water garden construction since 1986. As Atlantic’s Director of Product Information, if he’s not building water features, he’s writing or talking about them. If you have a design or construction question, he’s the one to ask.

Blog / OASE Aquarius Fountain Sets

OASE Aquarius Fountain Sets

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Meet one of the newest products here at Atlantic-OASE: The Aquarius Fountain Sets!

OASE Aquarius Fountain Sets are the perfect product for owners of small water gardens and ponds. Four sizes of units circulate up to 1100 gallons, returning the water in one of two different ways – via fountain head or through a side outlet, which can divert water to an optional decorative spitter or spout.

The fountain head comes with three inserts that create different patterns in water from 10” to 24” deep. The Bell insert throws out a clear dome of water, the Vulkan a double tiered fleur de lis display and the Magma, a directional arched spray of five individual streams. All can be adjusted via the ball joint on the telescoping tube that also varies the height of the fountain head. A valve shunts water between the upright tube and a separate side outlet, to accommodate a variety of water return options.

Bell Nozzle

Vulcan Nozzle

Magma Nozzle

Setup is simple. Select the water return option you prefer, attaching the fountain head insert or hose and drop the one-piece unit into the pond. The swiveling ball joint allows perfect vertical alignment even on sloped bottoms.

Maintenance is as easy as setup. A ribbed screen keeps leaves from clogging the pump intake. When the flow slows, just pull the unit from the water and rinse off. A grounding plate protects from stray current, and the pumps are thermally protected for long service life.

Learn more about the Aquarius Fountain Sets here.

About the Author:

DEMI FORTUNA

Demi has been in water garden construction since 1986. As Atlantic’s Director of Product Information, if he’s not building water features, he’s writing or talking about them. If you have a design or construction question, he’s the one to ask.

Blog / Winter Pondering

Winter Pondering

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It’s almost February, the ground’s frozen and my sons are too smart to work outside with me, so it’s the perfect time to plan next year’s project. The three most important attributes of the perfect garden pond often get overlooked in the rush to dig, so I thought it might make sense to talk about them now, when all we can do here is talk anyway.

So, the waterfall is usually the first thing folks think about, followed by the pond size and the fish they want to showcase, but what I try to plan for first are crystal clear water, minimal maintenance and low operating cost. These are the less glamorous, more practical attributes of the perfect pond. Without them the charm and beauty of the water garden soon fade.

Water clarity is the most important of the three, because poor water quality is the first thing anyone notices and a constant source of aggravation. The best way to guarantee perfect clarity is to install adequate filtration, but I’m a belt-and-suspenders man – I like to minimize maintenance and safeguard against eventual overcrowding as well. 

The two most common philosophies of pond filtration adopt different approaches. The skimmer+biofilter model removes floating debris before it sinks, but relies on cleanouts to remove heavier accumulated solids that don’t float, like fish wastes. The other school of thought targets fish wastes, with a pump on the bottom designed to capture those wastes and send them to more efficient mechanical filters, but leaves need to be netted out. Combining the two methods removes more wastes and gives better results than either alone can provide. The skimmer houses the waterfall pump and traps leaves, the biofilter removes large debris and starts the stream and falls, a smaller high efficiency pump designed to capture wastes sits in the bottom and pushes wastes to a partially buried pressure filter that’s easy to backwash.

Maintenance is actually lower with the combined systems, because each has half as much work to do, so the biofilter and pressure filter can be cleaned half as often, and major pump-down cleanouts are eliminated altogether.

Aha! I hear you say. But what about those two pumps! What happened to lowering operating costs? Well, pump operating costs actually drop if the waterfall pump only runs when you’re there to enjoy it. For example, let’s say we have a 4,000 gallon pond, 15’x20’, three feet deep at the low spot, but with 18” deep shelves all the way around, a 10 foot long stream and two falls about 4’ tall total. I’d spec a TT5000 pump in a PS4600 skimmer pushing 4000gph up to a BF2600 to start the stream, and an AquaMax Eco Classic feeding a FiltoClear 8000 to polish the water. I’d set up a timer for the waterfall to run 12 hours at 310 watts plus 150 for the other pump, which I’d run 24/7. That works out to less wattage than the one larger pump alone! (12×310 + 24×150<24×310) And, having two pumps means I never have to worry about one failing, there’s a built-in reserve.

Now that the tough stuff is designed, I can start to think about the waterfall…. 

About the Author:

DEMI FORTUNA

Demi has been in water garden construction since 1986. As Atlantic’s Director of Product Information, if he’s not building water features, he’s writing or talking about them. If you have a design or construction question, he’s the one to ask.

Blog / Never Too Late To Add Aeration

Never Too Late To Add Aeration

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Seasonal Tip – How how to install an aerator AFTER the pond ices over.


Winter presents a number of challenges in the water garden. Ice dams may divert water out of the stream. Ice drops the water level in the pond. The cold itself puts major stress on fish and plants, not to mention people. But the single most damaging effect of the cold happens when ice seals the pond off from the atmosphere.

When oxygen cannot diffuse into pond water, fish and the other animals in the pond will suffocate. Possibly even worse, toxic gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide, will build up and poison everything in the water. Luckily the solution is simple. Any hole in the ice will allow for gas exchange in both directions, keeping the pond and its inhabitants healthy over the winter.

It’s pretty well accepted these days by contractors and pond owners alike that aeration is the simplest, most effective and least costly way to keep a hole free of ice. Set at the edge of the pond in shallow water, the circulation caused by rising bubbles will maintain a small hole in the ice without cooling the water unnecessarily. But what happens if you forget to put a diffuser in before the pond ices over?

The last thing you want to do is smash a hole in the ice with a hammer! The shock waves in the closed system will transmit the shockwaves directly into the fish, stunning and perhaps even killing them. One less forceful and less damaging way of opening a hole in ice for gas exchange is to use hot water. You can pour hot tap water directly onto the ice.


For larger diffusers or thick ice use a pot or kettle with a diameter at least as large as the diffuser. Fill it with water and bring it to a boil, then set it on the ice near the edge of the pond. For very thick ice you may have to repeat the process. Once the hole is open and the diffuser set, you can relax for the rest of the winter, knowing your fish will be safe!

About the Author:

DEMI FORTUNA

Demi has been in water garden construction since 1986. As Atlantic’s Director of Product Information, if he’s not building water features, he’s writing or talking about them. If you have a design or construction question, he’s the one to ask.