The earth's basic air envelope is
made up of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 0.03% carbon
dioxide. There are also traces of several other elemental and
molecular gasses but they will be ignored since they have no
known effects within the pond environment. Concentrations of
these gases within water is a whole different story. The
concentrations are much smaller and are measured in milligrams
per liter (mg/l) or somewhat equivalently, in parts per
million (ppm). A typical pond at a temperature of 70O
F. will have concentrations of about 13 mg/l nitrogen, 9 mg/l
oxygen, and 35 mg/l carbon dioxide. As the air components
dissolve into the water, a point is reached where no more can
be added. This point is called saturation. The saturation
points are different for each of the gases and are dependent
upon several different factors but temperature is the most
important. As the temperature increases, the water simply
cannot hold as much of each type of gas. For oxygen, (See
figure 2.) the approximate saturation level at 50O
F. is 11.5 mg/l; at 70O F., 9 mg/l; and at 90O
F., 7.5 mg/l. Impurities added to the water (i.e. salt) or an
increase in altitude (above sea level) further decrease these
saturation levels. Four pounds of salt per hundred gallons of
water (5 ppt) will decrease the oxygen saturation levels about
1 mg/l.
Fish are remarkably well adapted for extracting oxygen from the very low concentrations found in water. The rate of oxygen consumption by Koi is closely related to the water temperature. Koi are "cold blooded", that is, their body temperature is essentially that of their environment. Their metabolic activities are basically enzyme-catalyzed chemical reactions that are temperature dependent. The metabolism and activity increase with temperature which increases their oxygen demand. There is both an optimum and maximum temperature at which the Koi live and function. At optimum temperature, oxygen consumption is high because of rapid growth and significant activity. Above this optimum temperature, the fish start to experience stress. This stress triggers their warning and defense systems which require a very high oxygen consumption. Unfortunately, as we saw above, the amount of oxygen available in the water also decreases with temperature. The combination of these two events normally limit the maximum temperature at which the Koi can survive.
Effects: The minimum limiting oxygen concentrations for a fish is dependent upon its genetic makeup, water temperature, level of activity, long term acclimation, and stress tolerance. Water with an oxygen concentration of less than 3 mg/l will generally not support fish. When concentrations fall to about 3-4 mg/L, fish start gasping for air at the surface or huddle around the water fall (higher concentration points). Bio-converter bacteria may start to die, dumping toxins into the water and compounding the lack of oxygen to the fish. Levels between 3 and 5 mg/l can normally be tolerated for short periods. Young Koi are less tolerant of low oxygen than the older, larger ones although the larger ones consume considerably more oxygen. Above 5 mg/l, almost all aquatic organisms can survive indefinitely, provided other environmental parameters are within allowable limits. Whereas the fish are reasonably comfortable and healthy at 5-6 mg/L concentrations, many people consider the efficiency of the bio-converter to be at maximum only when the water entering the bio-converter media is near oxygen saturation. Ideally, our ponds should be at or near oxygen saturation at all times.
Measurement: Pill, powder, and droplet (or combination) test kits are available. Most involve three steps and a final color metric chart. Recommended test kit range 0 - 15 mg/L. Note: Some test kits can show false readings if various chemical treatments are in the water. Electronic dissolved oxygen meters are also available. These are accurate and convenient, but quite expensive. A dissolved oxygen test kit is considered nice to have but not required for the average pondkeeper.
Source: Whenever air is in contact with the water, whether through natural or artificial means, a transfer of oxygen from the air to the water takes place until the water becomes saturated. Plants under light convert carbon dioxide to oxygen in the water. Fish, plants at night, and aerobic bacterial action consume the oxygen.
Treatment: It is not difficult to get all the air into the water that the fish need. Oxygen is continually transferred into the water at the surface of the pond and normally only a small water fall will bring the pond water to or near to saturation. Heavily populated ponds may need supplemental air and ponds with a large amount of algae may need supplemental air at night when the plants are not making oxygen but consuming it. It is very important that sufficient circulation is provided within the pond so that all areas have proper oxygenation.
Well water often has almost no oxygen content. When adding well water to a pond, use a fine spray nozzle over the surface of the pond or a great deal of agitation to add oxygen to the makeup water.
Almost all of the oxygen dissolved into the water from an air bubble occurs when the bubble is being formed. Only a negligible amount occurs during the bubbles transit to the surface of the water. This is why an aeration process that makes many small bubbles is better than one that makes fewer larger ones. The breaking up of larger bubbles into smaller ones also repeats this formation and transfer process.
A "sheet" type waterfall can provide more dissolved oxygen in a pond than the "cascade" type waterfall whose velocity is low when the water finally enters the pond. Although the cascade type waterfall provides better aeration of the water that is entering the pond, the sheet type provides better aeration of the water that is already in the pond. The sheet of water tends to shear the larger bubbles of air formed at surface entry into smaller ones below the surface. This action can occur at depths of up to three feet or more and result in oxygen transfer to a much larger amount of water than just that which is entering the pond. For most situations, the amount of water flow is determined by filtration requirements and either type will be more than sufficient to maintain the pond oxygen levels at or near saturation.
A common method of providing additional oxygen to the water is through the use of an eductor type air jet (sometimes called a venturi). An added advantage of this device is that it can simultaneously provide improved circulation of the pond water.
Air stones or similar bubble forming devices driven by an air pump can also be used to provide supplemental air. A single air stone can supply sufficient air for up to a 1000 gallon pond although pond water circulation problems may still exist. It is recommended that a backup air pump with tubing and air stones (size and quantity depending on pond size) be kept on hand in case of main water pump malfunctions. This could also be used to supply air to an isolation tank if needed. In an emergency, just splashing the water by hand or with a bucket can add enough oxygen to sustain the fish (particularly in a small pond) until the problem is corrected.
When a power loss or other malfunction causes water flow to stop and hence most aeration to also cease, several problems develop. The oxygen concentration drops and ammonia starts building up. The size and population density of the pond will determine how long before this becomes a problem but the bacteria in the bio-converter will start dying off at about the 4 hour point without circulation. After about 4 hours, it is important that before flow through the bio-converter is restored, it should be drained to remove any toxins released by the dying bacteria. The ammonia levels and nitrite levels should then be monitored closely for the next few days.
Note how this implies the importance of oxygenated water being circulated through the filter 24 hours a day. The pumps moving water between the pond and the filter system should never be shut off except for short periods during maintenance. If the pond design includes water features such as fountains or large water falls that are desired to be shut off at times, they should be provided with a pump separate from the filtration system pump.