There could be number of reasons you may need an aeration solution that doesn’t require mains electricity for operation. Your pond may be too far from an electrical socket, you may have run out of spare sockets, or you may just want to save money on your monthly bill.
Whatever the reason, luckily there are quite a few ways to provide extra aeration and oxygenation to ponds without the need for a mains socket connection. Although they won’t be able to provide huge amounts of water flow to larger ponds, they would be ideal for smaller water gardens or to supplement a larger ponds main aeration system.
Aeration is important in all bodies of water which hold living organisms, and just because you don’t have any pond fish doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aerate. In wildlife ponds, natural beneficial bacteria which are essential to the nitrogen cycle still require oxygen and nutrients to break down harmful waste.
Likewise, extra aeration will attract more animals to the pond, such as frogs, newts, and a variety of insects. It will also help keep away nuisance pests, such as mosquitoes, as a well-aerated pond isn’t ideal for them to breed and lay their eggs.
If you have fish in your pond, aeration is not just important, it is absolutely vital for their survival. Without aeration, fish would not have sufficient oxygen to breathe and beneficial bacteria would not be able to keep up with bio-filtration, so water quality would rapidly deteriorate.
Aeration Vs Oxygenation – What’s the difference?
Aeration and oxygenation are two pieces of the same puzzle, with oxygenation making up a natural part of overall the aeration process. Aeration comprises the movement of water, which helps nutrients and oxygen spread around the pond, whilst also encouraging gas exchange to take place on the surface water. Oxygenation will naturally be taking place when you aerate a pond, with water flow encouraging oxygen content to areas of water that may have been lower before aerating.
In terms of pond equipment, we generally categorize an aerator as something that provides both water movement and oxygenation, whilst an oxygenator is primarily designed to supply pure oxygen content and little water flow. For example, fountains and waterfalls are classic aerators, providing fantastic water flow for nutrients, gas exchange, and oxygenation to take place. Air pumps, on the other hand, create little in terms of water flow but are champions of supplying massive amounts of pure oxygen directly to pond water.
Will the Aeration Be Sufficient for Pond Fish?
If you have fish in your pond and want to aerate without electricity from a mains socket, you should be safe so long as you still have a mains-powered pump and filter box running alongside. Goldfish, and especially koi, will be far happier in a well-aerated pond, but they also require efficient water filtration so waste substances don’t slowly pollute their living environment.
Designing a garden pond without pumps and filters is looking for trouble, and is not something we recommend due to the high risk of fish death. If you have fish in your pond you should also have a quality pond pump and filter box, with extra aeration being added as a means to supplement the system – not to replace it! If you already have the necessary equipment in place, adding aerators that don’t require electricity can help save you money as well as make your pond fish more comfortable throughout the year.
If you don’t have any fish in your pond, you don’t technically need a pump or filter box if your eco-system is in balance. This type of pond is usually called a “wildlife” pond and is kept healthy with natural bacteria, plants, and a strong nitrogen cycle which will benefit from added aeration and oxygen. In this case, and since no fish are in the system increasing the bio-load (waste), you can safely add all non-mains powered equipment to help give the pond a boost in natural productivity. Extra oxygen will help power beneficial bacteria, attract animals, and water movement will allow nutrients to spread to plants more easily.
How to Aerate a Pond without Electricity from a Mains Socket
Method 1) Solar Power Fountain Pumps
- Sun-Powered Pump for Moving Volumes of Water - To keep a steady water supply for your DIY outdoor water fountain, feature or pond water...
- Versatile Pump for Reducing Operational Cost - Harness the power of the sun with our water pump & pond aerator. This weather-resistant...
- Suitable for Off-Grid Locations - Use this submersible solar fountain pump anywhere you need to pump water & don’t want to run power or...
Fountains are a great natural aerator, and you don’t need a mains socket if you go solar powered! Solar-powered fountain pumps are a good choice if you get plenty of sunlight in your garden, and most even come with rechargeable batteries for overcast operation. Although they won’t be able to power huge water displays, quality solar pumps can still give you respectable water height and enough aeration for small to medium-sized ponds. They can also be added to larger ponds as a means to provide extra oxygen alongside the main aeration system.
You won’t need a mains socket here, but you’ll need to make sure you choose a quality pump with reliable solar panel displays. A pump that provides higher GPH will give you both better fountain height and water flow, and you’ll likely be looking at pumps in the range of 50-400 GPH for solar models.
Batteries aren’t essential but are a great way to keep aeration going during overcast weather and during the night. Most battery packs will be able to give you a good 4-6 hours of constant operation when the sun is away, which is what you should aim for in a quality model. For a full list of our top solar fountain picks, check our dedicated article on this here!
Method 2) Solar Power Aerator Pumps
- Solar energy powered, energy-saving and environmentally friendly
- Optimal oxygen level and keeps fish and pond-life healthy
- Rippling effect of air bubbles Prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs
Solar aerators are not the best way to create water movement but are great as standalone oxygenators or to supplement a solar-powered fountain pump. They also work well in fish ponds where you may want to provide extra oxygen content alongside your mains-powered pump and filtration system. In terms of wildlife ponds without fish, the additional oxygen an air pump provides helps beneficial bacteria function more efficiently and also attracts wildlife to the water, such as frogs and newts.
Since these pumps are solar powered there is no need for mains electricity, so they can be installed anywhere around the pond. When purchasing you’ll want to look for a large solar panel, a battery pack if you want night time operation, and a large air stone diffuser for maximum oxygenation. You can pick up solar air pumps in both floating and ground standing varieties, and although both are suitable for oxygenating water, we find the larger panel capacity of ground-standing models provides much better oxygen compared to floating models. For more information on air pumps and aerators, check out our main air pump article here.
Method 3) Natural Pond Plants
A third method of providing oxygen to pond water is with the addition of natural pond plants! Although plants won’t be able to provide the same level of aeration as dedicated solar pumps, they can still increase oxygen content a fair amount in larger numbers. The best plants to choose when looking to oxygenate pond water are submerged species, such as hornwort, as these are capable of adding oxygen directly to the water. Plants that have foliage above water will simply release oxygen directly into the atmosphere, so they aren’t ideal for oxygenation purposes.
As well as providing oxygen, plants have the added benefit of improving water filtration by absorbing excess nutrients from waste, such as nitrates and phosphates. These nutrients are left behind as bacteria work to break down harmful substances into their inorganic compounds, and without pond plants, they act as natural fertilizers for nuisance algae and duckweed. Adding pond plants means they can compete with nuisance algae for the nutrients, controlling their numbers and improving water clarity. This indirectly helps to improve oxygen in the water as algae blooms can cause huge reductions in natural water content as they grow, die off, and spread.
Fish will also benefit from pond plants, as they provide a means to hide from predators and de-stress when needed. Goldfish also love to eat most submerged plant species, so the plants can’t become invasive and take over the pond. For more information on the best plants for ponds, check our main article here.
Method 4) Aeration Windmill Systems
A final method of providing aeration and oxygen to ponds is by installing a heavy duty windmill aeration system. These types of aerators are designed for massive ponds and lakes, being able to aerate water bodies as large as 2-3 acres in size. They operate completely from wind power, and have been optimized for high air output even in low wind conditions. The aeration takes place via a 1/2″ airline which is placed at the deepest point in the center of your pond, with a powerful compressor which can produce 4.0+ CFM of air at upwards of 30 PSI.
Although very expensive and obviously overkill for smaller garden ponds, they’re an ideal long-term solution for larger ponds and lakes, as they can operate without the need for mains AC power which isn’t always available at remote locations. Since most open bodies of water have plenty of natural air currents, however, these aerators can function all year round, with the only cost being the initial investment. They also are able to aerate from the bottom to the top, which means they can aerate even the deepest points of water so oxygen is spread evenly across all layers, reducing algae, and improving bacteria and fish health.
The biggest problem you’ll have with these systems is the installation process, which will require more than one pair of hands. If you aren’t experienced with these types of systems it may be best to hire professional contractors to install to minimize the risk of damage, as there are a lot of different aspects to take into account during construction.
Once it’s up, however, it’s up for the long haul! Many manufacturers also provide lengthy warranties in case of problems, which is always nice to see for maximum peace of mind.
I’m in process for establishing fish farming along Lake Victoria shore. I’m very much interested with your advice and I would like to receive more information from you and if possible support of resources. The project area is in remote rural. Any suggestion or arrangement you prefer, it is highly appreciated
Hi John,
I’m happy to hear you found the article helpful!
Unfortunately, my expertise lies primarily with garden ponds and koi keeping. Although I have some knowledge of fisheries and large-scale aquaculture, they’re certainly not my specialities, so I’m afraid I’m probably not the best person to speak to in this regard. Sorry about that!
Good advice for fish farming activities
l have a 75000 gal. Pond that creates algie big time, my question is how many C F M will I need to make my water clean. These pond is all cemented and is in SAn Diego Ca. Tha as you know we have biutiful wether. I will realy need your help by the way I can not use any chemicals, I use these water to water 43 acres of lanscaping. I will really apreciet your help. THANKS
Hi Jamie,
An air compressor that diffuses at 4.0 CFM or above should be sufficient at that scale. You could also make use of several smaller 1-2 CFM aerators and simply place them strategically where you see the most stagnant or algae-laden waters.
well i have my pond for 2 years now, it doesnt have aerator or filter, just plants… and my mollies and guppies are ok.. still multiplying( i have to give away some fish). as long the sunligght hit the plants the water will be oxygenated and for aeration, it’ll be present as long as ur pond iz outdoor coz theres wind..
Hi Rod,
Yep, plants are indeed a great addition to ponds! They provide a natural cleaning service by sucking up nitrogen compounds, and also oxygenate during sunlight hours (as you say!).
Glad to hear your pond and fish are doing good! Thanks for the comment.
Hi, I live in a suburb of Gauteng South Africa, I am trying to turn our pool into a natural pond. I started by stopping all chemicals and a month later added some water lilies, dwarf papyrus and a few other plants that I could put on the steps and champagne seat. The pool is about 7000-8000 liters, we have a pump and filter. The water is not clear and it is driving my husband dilly. I would love to see fish and other life in the pond but have no idea how to go about it. I have made my first mistake. Our local aquarium suppliers sold me two Plecos (very expensive) and i have just found out they will not survive the winter. Please help!!!!
Hi Andriana,
Unfortunately, that info is correct. Plecos will require a mild/tropical climate to really flourish outdoors year-round and will not survive cold winters. If you could return them and pick up some hardier fish species, it would probably be best, as the only other alternative would be bringing them indoors during cold weather into a heated aquarium. I have a list here of the most common pond fish choices, and have included temperature and water quality information so you know what you can stock – https://pondinformer.com/best-pond-fish-types/
Regarding the low water clarity, it could be due to any number of reasons. Have you performed any water quality tests recently? If not, a good first step to finding a possible cause is to perform a water quality test, looking specifically at parameters such as ammonia, nitrites, pH and KH (alkalinity). For example, if you perform a test and notice your ammonia is higher than normal, it could mean you have too much organic matter (waste) in the water which is causing increased tannin levels or even causing a bloom in bacterial growth – both of which can cause cloudy water.
Here is an article with some further information and some test kit recommendations if you’d like to take this route – https://pondinformer.com/best-pond-water-test-kit/
I have a natural wildlife pond in my yard it has water lilies and other types of vegetation growing, and frogs, birds, deer, racoons use it daily. My question is it has minnows living in it naturally, naturally as I did not place them. So has me thinking fish can survive so I recently bought 3 goldfish which I released into it and instantly I could not see them bc the water is too murky with recent rain, and after getting my dog to swim it realized it’s deeper than I realized. My question is if minnows and goldfish survive in it without an aerator pump can I add a few fish like blue Gill, sun perch and bass to have to fish on those easy going days-or must I add an aerator which I don’t really want to do.
Hi Michelle,
This is a difficult question to answer, as it would really depend on a range of variables. For starters, do you know the volume of the pond (gallons/liters)? If not, do you have a rough estimate of size and also an estimation of the deepest point? Finally, would it be possible for you to run a water quality test, specifically looking at ammonia, nitrites, pH and KH? These parameters may limit your fish choices or stocking levels, as some species do not do as well as others in certain conditions.
More info:
https://pondinformer.com/best-pond-water-test-kit/
Hi there, I also have quite a large natural pond in my new property (Essex UK) it has lots of reeds growing in it which I will remove some as they are covering a lot. We have ducks an moorhens nesting around it but my concern is there is no other pond dwellers around! No frogs/newts/fish just the odd water boatman. The water is clear but I can see at the bottom there are many many leaves from the over hanging trees and it sometimes has a bit of a smell ( it has pipes connecting it to other natural ponds in the area so when the weather is dry and the water moves less I feel it stagnates a little). I’d love to put fish in it but which aerator/ plants could I use to make it more inhabitable? It is around 10m x 75m and no idea how deep! And no power nearby. Thanks
Hi, I’m in the process of making a small wildlife pond, I was going to use pebbles from my local beach to put in it but I’m worried about the salt content of them? Will this affect the water? Or any oxygenating plants I put in? Thanks, Colin
Hi Colin,
The bit of salt on the pebbles shouldn’t be enough to shift your pond too much, though that does depend on how many gallons your pond is. If you’re concerned, you can thoroughly soak and rinse the pebbles to minimize the amount of salt on them. If the salt content is significant, you may consider just making it a salt-water wildlife pond! There are plenty of halophyte plants that you can use, which are really neat plants that are specially adapted to saline conditions, and in fact rely on the salt, and live in places like salt bogs.
I’m not sure what your location is or what species would be native to your region, but here are a couple of resources that you may be interested in. One is a research study that explores the ability of halophytes to soak up salts and thus restore ecosystems: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/589341/
The other is a list of some halophyte species and their different classifications: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halophyte
I think your best bet would be to do an online search, type in your location and halophyte species so that you can get more precise results than I’m able to provide you with.
Hope this helps, and best of luck!
Hi
Thank you for this informative article.
I moved house just under a year ago. The previous occupants emptied out the pond as they left. Over the year it has slowly filled up with rainwater. We have seen a couple of newts in it and our dog enjoys drinking out of it. We’ve not been too concerned about this over the winter with cool temperatures, high rainfall and strong winds however as the warmer weather is coming we are worried that the water may become toxic to our dog.
I’ve never had a pond before and haven’t a clue how to maintain it. I have no intention of adding fish to it. My priority is ensure the water is safe for my dog to drink and I would like to encourage wildlife into it. Would it be sufficient to just add some oxygenating plants to it?
It’s a small pond, no more than 2.5-3 cubic meters and it gets a fair bit of sun. I am in the UK.
Many thanks
Hayley
Hi Hayley,
Adding oxygenating plants will certainly help! I would also advise keeping any debris cleaned out of it, such as fallen leaves, sticks, grass clippings, etc. You can add some beneficial bacteria, as well, a good review of which can be found here: https://pondinformer.com/best-beneficial-bacteria-ponds/
These will help keep algae and harmful bacteria under control, lending to cleaner and clearer water. If these methods are enough to keep the water clean, perfect! If not, you can try adding a small filter to both clean it and help move the water about so it doesn’t stagnate. Some more information on filters can be found here: https://pondinformer.com/best-pond-filters/
Hi Beckie
Thank you so much for your help. I will take a look at the info you suggest.
Thanks again
Hayley
Hi Hayley,
No problem! I hope that it helps!
Hi! Great Article. I was wondering if you think it is possible to transform a natural bog in our garden into a natural wildlife / swimming pond. And we have a natural bog which used to hold water (we think the embankment split in a hot summer and it lost water) – it has clay at the bottom and is about 2 feet deep and approximately 10m by 10m in size. There are some pipes through the garden that feed water into the bog. (- the garden is on a slope.)
For the natural swimming pond we would like to dig a but deeper and line if it’s needed again with only clay (puddling clay which worked really well for very long time for the bog). It would be an embankment pond as we are in the hills.
We are in hardiness zone 8B in Wales in the UK.
I have the following questions: is it possible to have a clay lined swimming / wildlife pond (good for swimming and wild life)?
Would we need some sort of filter or pump or aeration? I was hoping to keep it as natural as possible and not to need any mains power as the pond is a bit away from the house?
Would be very grateful for advice.
Hi Julia,
Sounds like a fun and interesting project! I don’t foresee any major problems here, and I think a clay bottomed pond would be fine for both swimming and wildlife.
The only thing I’d recommend is to consider some form of drainage system, so you can easily cycle the water if needed in future (i.e., to replace clay, fix damage, clean sludge etc.).
You could look into something as simple as a bottom drain for this. Although not natural, it would be hidden at the bottom and would work to pull away excessive sludge build-up on the floor which can lead to water quality problems, smells and other issues. They’re very popular in the koi hobby, and can even come with an aerator built-in, depending on model: https://pondinformer.com/best-koi-pond-bottom-drain/
Another option would be a gravity fed drainage system into a collection tank, which could work well if your pool is on a slope, but you’d still need a pump connected to the tank for suction.
In any case, adding some form of aeration will definitely help to keep the water much healthier for both you and the eco-system, as beneficial bacteria, plants, insects and amphibians will be much happier in well oxygenated conditions.
You may be able to manage without all of this, but it will likely be a lot of work to keep things healthy, especially during the early years while the system becomes established.
I have a have a half whiskey barrel with a solar air pump and a solar filtration and plenty of oxygenating plants. I would like to put 4 small gold fish in it. The water has been in it about 2 weeks. Is it possible to put fish in It
Hi Sue,
Sorry for the delayed response! We don’t recommend adding even small fish to container ponds unless they are a minimum of 50 gallons. So if your whiskey barrel pond is at least that, go for it!
Hello,
I’m in need of some advice.
We recently purchase a house that came with a pond,it has around 25 Goldfish in also frogs,it’s about 14 feet by 3 feet and the deepest part is around 2 feet deep.
I have a pump and 1 bubbler,where is the best place to put it in the pond?at the moment it is at the side and the fish seem to spend a lot of time where the bubbles are,I have a pump that has dual outputs for 2 bubbles but only one side works.
I have a lot of water lilies also which covered 3/4 of the pond,I since removed(as best I could) a good 3rd of them but the roots are very hard to remove.
I have never owned fish and want to do what’s best for their environment.
What should I do to make the pond more oxygenated?
Many thanks
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
Congratulations on your new house and pond! It sounds like you have a lovely ecosystem with goldfish and frogs. To answer your question, the best place to put the pump and bubbler is near the bottom of the pond, where the water is cooler and less oxygenated. This will help circulate the oxygen throughout the pond and keep your fish happy. The reason they are spending a lot of time near the bubbles may be because they are seeking more oxygenated conditions. You may want to check if your pump is working properly, and if it is, also double-check it’s the correct size for your pond volume.
As for the water lilies, they are beneficial for providing shade and shelter for your fish, but they can also reduce the oxygen levels if they cover too much of the surface. You did well by removing some of them, but you don’t have to worry about getting rid of all the roots. They will decompose naturally and provide nutrients for your pond. The main thing to do is to keep some open water for gas exchange and sunlight penetration. I’ll link some extra guides below which cover the topics of oxygenation in more detail:
https://pondinformer.com/pond-oxygenator-guide/
https://pondinformer.com/pond-water-oxygen-guide/
https://pondinformer.com/best-pond-pumps/