"Snooze" wrote in message
arthlink.net...

"FBCS" wrote in message
...
I have read lots have natural ponds/VG filter no falls and they do not
talk
of the need for an air pump/stone. How necessary is a air pump/air stone
to
the health of the pond? Do you calculate size by gal with this type of
pump
also. If not what would be a typical size for a pond, better yet, what
do
you use? Joann


Natural ponds are far different from ornamental ponds that are dug and
kept
in peoples yards. Where in nature have you seen a 1200 gal pond with a
dozen koi in it? If such a pond does have fish, they are most likely
extremely small, minnow sized fish.

The ponds most of us have, far more fish, then a pond of it's size can
naturally sustain. In nature, ponds do not have liners or concrete
bottoms,
they have dirt, so all the excess waste gets soaked into the dirt, aquatic
plants along the shores grow in the dirt and happily eat up all the waste.

People don't like having ponds with a few inches of muck sitting on the
bottom, keeping only one fish or covering the entire pond with aquatic
plants, so we have to resort to artificial means of keeping the pond
healthy.

Filters, either mechanical, biological or veggie. Water circulators,
either
water pumps or air pumps. Partial water changes, and of course regular
feedings.

My answer would be the airstone, or some other aeration is necessary
depending on fish load for night time hours. In a heavily planted pond, the
plants, especially varieties like Anacharis will dumps lots of O into the
water, but at night, they will use the O up. For the cost of an airstone, or
a t-fitting to redirect some water to splash on a rock, you almost can't not
do it.

BV.