Every lake is unique, and affected by a variety of external environmental factors that influence it’s delicate state. Lakes and large ponds, whether natural or man-made, are finely balanced ecosystems and individual in their own way.
There are many influences such as location, age, sunlight exposure, physical form and design, water depth, surrounding lands, fish stocking, waterfowl and resident wildlife that all play their part in affecting lake water quality. Many of these factors are difficult, impractical or impossible to control but nevertheless have dramatic effects over the water quality within the lake or pond.
Some of these factors can be controlled by implementing Lake Water Management solutions such as floating fountains and other lake aeration systems. Fountains for lakes will help to control excess nutrients and increase the water circulation and surface movement to improve the lake oxygenation. They also minimise thermal stratification (temperature layering), increase aeration and dissolved oxygen content. Other benefits include a decrease in algae growth offering a string algae control and blanketweed control solution. They also disrupt prolific duckweed and waterborne insect reproduction. Floating Lake Water Features or Fountain Aerators also make impressive and attractive lake water displays within the water body.
Lakes and ponds which are neglected or poorly managed can transform from an Oligotrophic state ('new', generally low in excess nutrients) into a Eutrophic state ('old', with excessively high nutrient and algae populous) in a relatively short period.
Without adequate lake management and maintenance, once beautiful bodies of water which previously attracted wildlife now offer little or no physical or visual attraction to human and wildlife alike.
Floating Fountains are well suited to ponds and lakes, particularly in areas where the water depth is too great to install a standard submersible pump, or where the pond floor is heavily silted or clay lined. A floating fountain or lake aerator will automatically compensate for changes in water levels.
The OASE Pond Jet ECO Floating Fountain provides a 3 metre high, 3 metre diameter, single tier, 12 jet fountain display, with very energy efficient motor operation. The Pro-Jet Floating Fountains are capable of substantial ornamental display heights of up to 16.5 metres. The OASE Air Flo LM is designed to aerate large ponds or lakes, in addition to providing a voluminous, decorative water display.
A Floating Fountain can be a spectacular visual attraction on a lake or large pond and an Aerating Lake Fountain can greatly improve the water quality too.
Floating fountains are ideal for large water bodies as these are very easy to install and rise and fall with fluctuating water levels, whereas ‘static’ fountains do not. These units are simply assembled onsite, floated out to the desired location spot and anchored or moored in place. Floating Lake Fountains are also ideal for large, naturalised bodies of water as the pump motor is suspended beneath the float in open water and not sat amongst sediment on the floor. This keeps the pump from regular blockage and therefore requires less frequent maintenance.makes maintenance less frequent.
Decorative Fountains such as the Pro-Jet Floating Fountains are designed primarily to produce an impressive water pattern for visual purposes only. These types of lake fountains are built with pressure pumps to deliver high fountain jets and pretty water patterns through precision built fountain nozzles or chambers, of which there are many different types available to choose from. The Pro-Jet Floating Fountains are capable of substantial ornamental display heights of up to 16.5 metres.
Aerating Fountains such as the OASE AirFlo LM 1500 rely on a high flow rate and a wider dispersion area in order to mix oxygen with stagnant water and transfer oxygenated water over a large area. The OASE Air Flo LM is designed to aerate large ponds or lakes, in addition to providing a voluminous, decorative water display. By drawing water up from low layers and infusing on the surface, this this assists with oxygen diffusion in the water and prevents thermal stratification and promotes (through aeration) natural aerobic bacteria cultures which keep unwanted nutrient levels and algae growth down. These also produce an attractive pattern, but generally of a lower height and wider spread.
The OASE Pond Jet ECO Floating Fountain provides a 3 metre high, 3 metre diameter, single tier, 12 jet fountain display, with a very energy efficient motor operation.
LED illumination can add a further visual element to the fountain display if the unit is left to run into the hours of darkness. Special LED lighting systems specifically designed to mount around the fountain floats are available to effectively illuminate these impressive water patterns.
Floating lake fountains are supplied with extra-long mains power cables and are available with both 1 phase 230 volt and 3 phase 400 volt motor options.
Lakes, canals and larger water bodies can suffer from water quality issues if these are left to stagnate. Aeration is an important factor in lake management as this will help to increase the dissolved oxygen content of the lake whilst increasing water circulation. Lake Aerators will also help to minimise thermal stratification, mixing the colder base water with the warmer water at the lake surface assisting with oxygen diffusion, therefore reducing algal bloom which can become prolific in warmer, nutrient rich waters. Floating Lake Aerators are ideal for use in deeper water areas but also in shallower zones where stagnant water may be causing water quality problems.
Aeration is a great way of improving and maintaining water quality on large bodies of water.
There are different principles of aeration which can be used to tackle and prevent a variety of water quality issues, such as stagnation, green water, excessive weed growth and siltation. Dissolved oxygen is also crucial for maintaining a healthy habitat for fish and is particularly good for keeping fish stocks healthy on commercial and pleasure fisheries. Fish like Trout are particularly vulnerable in lakes with little dissolved oxygen in natural supply, so a lake aerator can often be an essential part of fishery management.
Infused Floating Fountain Aeration is a great all-round method of increasing dissolved oxygen levels. Lake Aerators such as the 5-in-1 Floating Aerator Fountain, draw water up from lower levels, mix this water with oxygen through an open throated chamber and distribute the resulting oxygenated water over a wide area. This adds vital oxygen to the water and also mixes thermal water layers, cooling the water body and preventing stagnation through thermal stratification. This method is ideal for lakes of most depths and produces an attractive fountain display whilst improving the environmental conditions too.
Diffused Lake Aeration is a very discreet method of aerating lakes, ideal if minimal equipment visibility or surface disturbance is desired. The Diffused Lake Aeration System uses a land-based air compressor to supply a high flow of oxygen to air diffusers installed on the lake bed, via weighted lengths of buried air pipe. Diffused aeration is a good choice for swimming ponds and lakes as this principle requires no electrical products to be installed in the water. For the same reason, diffused aeration systems are a good choice for use in salt water as the electrical items are protected from corrosion. Diffused aeration is considered a more effective aeration method for deeper lakes and operates less efficiently in shallow water.
Injector aeration is a very good way of tackling siltation and sediment issues on the lake bed. An air injector such as the OASE Aqua Air 250 LM features a large injection nozzle, which can be directed into an established organic biomass on the pond floor. This type of floating aerator pulls air from the surface via a Venturi air pipe and pumps oxygenated water directly into the biomass. This approach disturbs the silt and puts air directly amongst the organic waste, which cultures aerobic bacteria to digest the silt.
Debris such as leaves, pollen and dust particles can create water quality issues in ponds and lakes. The debris will eventually sink the to the lake bottom where this will decompose and affect the biological equilibrium.
Ideally, removing the debris before this presents a problem is the ideal scenario. The OASE Skimmer 250 LM Floating Lake Skimmer will assist in collecting this surface debris but will also increase water circulation in problematic, shallower zones within the lake.
The OASE Skimmer 250 LM is a high performance floating lake skimmer that will keep up to 250 m² (2690 ft²) of surface water clear of floating debris. It is particularly suitable for ponds and lakes where there are significant fluctuations in the water level, and is also easy to move to areas with a build-up of floating debris (e.g. leaves or duckweed).
Pollutants are removed via a 52 cm (20 inch) wide skimmer flap into an easy to remove, stainless steel collection basket for convenient disposal. The integrated, energy efficient pump discharges below water into the pond, aiding water circulation.
In addition to sufficient aeration and water circulation, biological lake water treatments can effectively reduce the majority of water quality issues in a natural, environmentally friendly way. Introducing 'friendly' aerobic bacteria in sufficient quantities will help to digest nutrient rich biomass and thus reduce the effective breeding of single celled algae ('green water') and filamentous algae (commonly named 'blanket weed' or 'string algae').
Biological water treatments can be used to combat a whole host of common water quality issues. It is always important to firstly test the lake or pond water parameters prior to introducing a water treatment and Water Garden Ltd have a practical selection of test kits for the major test parameters in lakes and ponds are available.
Biological algae treatments such as Viresco Aqua can be used alongside a lake aerator to eliminate and prevent regrowth of various common lake algae types. Biological water treatments are composed of only naturally occurring ingredients, such as aerobic strains of suppressing and digesting bacteria, so with no chemical content, there are no negative environmental implications when treating the water.
Silt digesters such as SediFree are dense, gritty and granular treatments that will sink to the lakebed amongst the silted areas and begin to digest the organic matter, to reduce the build-up of sludge in the lake. Biological silt treatments consist primarily of bacteria cultures that live and feed on organic waste, replicating and repopulating exponentially in the right conditions for prolonged effectiveness.
Treatments such as PhosLess bind unwanted phosphates in the water. Phosphates are a key food source for algae and are present naturally, usually entering the water off the land and during heavy rainfall. Excess Phosphates can lead to algae blooms and green water. PhosLess binds this excess nutrient, starving algae of this fuel. Phosphate can be detected and measured with a good water testing kit.
Lake Dye can be used to prevent light penetration beyond the water surface. Blocking sunlight penetration stops photosynthesis and prevents invasive weeds and algae from being able to grow. Lake Dyes can also be used for aesthetic purpose, to alter the look of a water body, or to colour the water to protect fish stocks from predatory birds such as Herons and Cormorants by making the fish less visible to the predator in the tinted water. Lake Dye is environmentally safe and does not affect wildlife.
OASE BioTec filter systems can be used to process larger bodies of water such as ornamental ponds and lakes. Two or more filter sets can be used to cater for larger bodies of water and each system is coupled with an optimally matched AquaMax Eco Filter Pump and Bitron self-cleaning ultraviolet Clarifier to tackle suspended single celled algae growth. The BioTec ScreenMatic 140000 filter features a rotating screen mechanism which greatly reduces maintenance, capturing larger solid waste and transferring this debris to a collection tray. The ProfiClear Premium filter sets can be used on large ponds and lakes up to 200,000 litres. MOnce again, multiple systems can be used to treat much larger water volumes. The new OASE Bitron ECO UV Clarifiers can be used to tackle single celled algae in waters up to 240,000 litres per unit.
Larger fountain nozzles and spray rings are ideal for larger bodies of water or commercial fountain displays. Whilst creating an attractive aesthetic appearance, fountain and aeration nozzles will also assist in increasing the dissolved oxygen content in a pond or lake and assist in circulating otherwise stagnant water. All of our fountain nozzles are BSP threaded connections (British Standard Pipe Threads) so can easily be coupled to fountain pumps or standard pipe fittings.
Threaded Fountain Nozzles can be coupled with large static water feature pumps and riser pipes to produce fantastic water fountain displays.
Foaming Jet Fountain Nozzles produce thick plumes of bubbling water and are great for introducing dissolved oxygen into the water, as well as producing an impressive high volume water jet. These fountain nozzles require high flow and pressure to mix air and water, the resulting effect is often compared to a corked champagne bottle, only on a much larger scale.
Cluster Jet Fountain Nozzles combine many small jets of water to produce a single thick water column. These are superb fountains for producing 'crashing water' noise and are ideal for blocking out noise pollution from nearby roads. Cluster Jets can achieve considerable height when coupled with a high flow water pump.
Single Jet Nozzles and High Jet Fountain nozzles produce slender, streamlined jets of water and can achieve very good height. These fountain nozzles can be adjusted by angle and direction to produce arcing jets of water, as well as vertical high jets. Multiple single jet nozzles can be combined to produce larger and more elaborate water displays.
Multi-Tiered Nozzles and Tulip Jets achieve a good fountain height and spray diameter and are amongst the most intricate and attractive fountain patterns available. Multi-Tiered fountains produce a water pattern consisting of a single, central, vertical jet, with lower tiers of water jets firing out from the centre. Tulip Jets produce a single cone of water, increasing in height and spread as the fountain rises up. These fountain nozzles can be adjusted to alter the thickness of the water film.
Pumps such as the Aquarius ECO Expert 44000 with high flow rates and pressure head are ideal for use with fountain nozzles on larger ponds and lakes. Aquarius ECO Expert fountain pumps feature a wide bore top outlet, ideal for direct connection to a fountain nozzle and a riser pipe if required. These high-performance pumps also feature variable speed programmes, which can be used to create dynamic, dancing fountains. DMX compatibility also allows the option to control of the fountain via a smartphone or tablet.
The larger pumps from the OASE commercial range are perfectly suited to provide dramatic water displays, such as decorative fountains or cascades. With vertical lift capabilities of up to 16.8 metres and flow rates of up to 60,000 Litres/Hour, demanding displays can be created in ponds or lakes. Water Garden Ltd also provide a wide range of Fountain Nozzles and fittings which can be coupled to the Aquarius Universal Fountain Pumps, OASE USP & OASE SPA pumps to assist with circulation and aeration.