Poor aeration causes anaerobic conditions, bad bacteria, odours, and nutrient buildup, promoting good conditions for weeds and algae. Aeration circulates water, oxygenates the bottom, supports aerobic bacteria, stablises temperature, and locks phosphorus in the sediment. It’s a natural, effective solution for cleaner, healthier dams and lakes.
Summary
Aeration 101 — Why Aerate Your Dam
If you’ve ever wondered why weeds and algae seem to take over dams, you’re in good company. Most problems we see in dams are because of poor aeration — it’s critical for maintaining a healthy water body. That’s where aerators come in.
When you see weeds and algae or smelly water, poor aeration is usually the answer.
What Happens Without Aeration
Over years and even decades, muck, leaf litter, and organic waste end up on the bottom of the dam. Down at the very bottom, when you don’t have aeration, the water is cold and poorly oxygenated.
Have you ever jumped into a dam where it’s warm on top and cold underneath? It’s like that, but it happens with oxygen, too. That means that at the bottom, you have anaerobic conditions that favour anaerobic bacteria.
Anaerobic bacteria are the “bad” bacteria that you want to avoid. They thrive in low oxygen conditions where the “good” bacteria can’t survive. Without getting too technical, what that means is that the bacteria that are trying to break down all that bad stuff do it very slowly… while making byproducts like methane and hydrogen that you don’t want. And in man-made water bodies, that waste builds up over time, and it ends up becoming compost fertiliser for algae and weeds to grow.
Aerobic Bacteria: The “Good” Bacteria
The aerobic bacteria are the “good” bacteria you need in your dam or lake. They can only thrive in well-oxygenated water. Aerobic bacteria break down organic waste and materials much faster than anaerobic bacteria — they outcompete the algae and the weeds for the available nutrients.
With a healthy aerobic bacterial population, you’re less reliant on chemical treatments like herbicides and algaecides — it’s a more natural way of cleaning up the water.
Stratification and Destratification: Why It Matters
Aeration is vital for getting rid of stratification in water bodies. But what is stratification? To put it simply, it’s the layering of water due to differences in temperature and density. Less dense water sits at the top of denser water. Warmer water goes on top, cooler water goes at the bottom.
This affects lots of different things: microbial populations, fish health, and even the smell of the water.
Fish
When you have a destratified water body, you won’t feel freezing cold when you jump into a swimming dam. You don’t get that shiver when you go down about a meter deep or so — the temperature difference is much less pronounced. And it’s not just good for swimming: it’s great for fish too.
That same thermocline, where you get the temperature change underneath, applies to oxygen, too. Depending on the species of fish, they might not be able to use the lower layers of the water, since there isn’t enough oxygen. You have a massive water body, but the fish can only live in the upper layers. That puts pressure on the fish, especially from birds. When fish cluster in the top layers, it’s easier for birds to get them.
Smelly Water
Poorly aerated bodies can stink. If you have irrigation water or you’re pumping water up to a tank and then using it in the house or around the garden or whatever, and it stinks… it’s not the water. It’s the anaerobic bacteria. They produce hydrogen sulphide and methane — that’s what stinks and causes the rotten egg smell.
When you get oxygen down to the bottom of the dam or pond and you really circulate the water, you can change the populations of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. When you start to see aerobic bacteria instead of anaerobic bacteria, you’ll get rid of the odour very quickly.
Additional Benefits of Aeration
Aeration is the number one solution to many problems with dams and ponds. It’s got so many different benefits, from improving microbial populations to enhancing water quality and encouraging fish to thrive.
Aeration can put a cap over the top of the sediment, protecting it and preventing its use for nutrients for weeds and algae through a combination of bacteria and chemical reactions that lock phosphorus in the sediment. Phosphorus in freshwater is one of the primary contributors to algal growth.
If you can bind it in the sediment and lock it up with iron and calcium, that means fewer nutrients are available for algae and weeds up above. It’s literally a case of you clean up the bottom, and you’ll clean up the top.
Aeration can also help precipitate iron out of the water if you’re in an area where iron’s a problem.
Ready to Aerate? Contact Us
Aeration is the number one solution for healthier, happier water. It’s great for wildlife, it’s great for the essential microbes in your water, and it ensures your system has all the oxygen it needs to thrive. If you’re ready to aerate, or if you want to ask more questions, get in touch. We’ll be happy to assess your site, advise you, and help design a solution that meets your needs.
