What is the difference between fountain and compressor aeration?
Fountains take water from the surface layers of the pond and move them into the air, where they pick up atmospheric oxygen. Fountains help to add oxygen to the top layers of the pond without disturbing the bottom cold layers. Fountains not only add oxygen to your pond but add a visual attraction. Compressor aeration uses air bubbles that are released through air stones below the surface and give up oxygen as the bubbles rise through the water column. Airstones can be used to circulate the whole pond or be floated at mid depth to insure that colder water remains on the bottom. Compressors allow for more air movement per hydro unit as air is easy to move. There is also a higher oxygen transfer rate with a compressor as oxygen is not only added in the bubble column but as the whole pond is circulated to come into contact with surface air.
