You didn't buy a pond to stare at green water. Atlan® Floating Treatment Wetlands work with nature to clean your water — plant roots and beneficial biology, not chemicals. They build fish habitat and reduce algae, and they get better every year.
Designed & manufactured by Atlan StormwaterMost pond and small-lake owners feel they have a water quality problem, and too much algae is the most common complaint. Lawn fertilizer, leaves, grass clippings, and runoff carry nutrients into your pond every time it rains. Those nutrients -- nitrogen and phosphorus -- are fuel for algae. More fuel means more blooms.
Chemical treatments kill existing algae but leave the fuel in the water, so the cycle never stops. Algae frequently rebounds within days of a chemical treatment -- the dead algae release nutrients right back into the water, feeding the next bloom. Some pond owners go on to experience fish kills from severe water quality problems, most commonly caused by low dissolved oxygen after excessive algae die-offs.
Floating wetlands take a fundamentally different approach. Plant roots dangle into the water and host dense microbial communities that consume the nutrients before algae can use them. Less fuel, fewer blooms. The system gets more effective as roots grow and biofilm communities mature -- the opposite of chemicals, which get less effective over time.
Research shows 2-3% surface coverage measurably improves fish populations. For small ornamental ponds (around 1,000 sq ft), a single Compact Square configuration gets you there. For larger ponds, placement is your lever: NC State field trials measured 77% phosphorus removal at roughly 1% coverage when islands were placed at the pond outlet. Start with a pilot island, place it well — we'll show you where — and expand each season.
Atlan® Floating Treatment Wetlands are performance-engineered by Atlan Stormwater for water-quality and compliance applications. Natural Waterscapes handles North American supply, delivery, and installation support.
Submerged root systems create spawning substrate and nursery habitat. Neal & Lloyd (2018) found 19.9% greater fish biomass and 29.8% more juvenile bluegill at just 2.3% coverage. Read the research.
Roots trap suspended sediment and their biofilm communities consume the nutrients that cause turbidity and algae. Water clarity improves progressively as the system matures.
Safe for fish, pets, livestock, and kids. No algaecides, no copper sulfate, no barley straw, no pellets to throw in every month. Nature handles it.
Begin with a single Atlan® Floating Treatment Wetlands 2-pack ($518) as a pilot island and expand as you see results. Plants sold separately. Everything bolts together with nylon hardware.
Browse our configurations page to see common island layouts built from Atlan® Floating Treatment Wetlands, from 8 to 192 sq ft. Each shows exactly how many modules you need and what it costs. Click "Add to Cart" and you're done.
Browse Pre-Built Islands — from $518
Our free calculator maps your actual pond and recommends coverage based on your goals -- whether that's fish habitat, general water quality, or aggressive nutrient treatment.
Not sure where to start? Send us a message with your pond size and what you're dealing with. We'll recommend a starting point.
Most pond treatments address symptoms. Floating wetlands address the root cause. Here's how they stack up:
$200-$500+/year recurring. Fast-acting but temporary -- dead algae releases nutrients that feed the next bloom. Copper sulfate accumulates in sediments and is toxic to fish at higher doses. Creates chemical dependency, not a solution.
$400-$8,000+ upfront plus ongoing electricity. Increases dissolved oxygen and prevents stratification, but does not remove nutrients. Helps fish survive but doesn't fix the algae cause. FTWs complement aeration -- they're not competitors.
$30-$120/season recurring. Breaks down organic waste but requires repeat applications and good oxygen levels. FTW root systems naturally host massive bacterial biofilm colonies that do the same job continuously with no repeat dosing.
One-time investment starting at $518 for a 2-pack. Removes the nutrients that cause algae, creates fish habitat, hosts beneficial bacteria naturally, and gets more effective every year. The only treatment that addresses root cause, not symptoms.
A pond owner spending $300-$500/year on chemicals plus $1,000+ on an aerator invests thousands over a 10-year period with the problem never fully solved. A single floating wetland configuration that begins working as soon as roots establish — and improves every season — typically pays for itself within a few years, and then keeps working for free.
Floating wetlands are living systems. Here's how a typical installation matures:
Install & plant. Modules bolt together with nylon hardware, plants go into the growing media, and the island is anchored in place.
Roots descend into the water column, biofilm colonizes the root surfaces, and fish move in beneath the island.
Measurable nutrient uptake and reduced bloom intensity as the plant and microbial community establishes.
Mature system, peak performance. Root mats and biofilm communities are fully developed and keep improving with each growing season.
Floating wetlands are the permanent fix, not the instant one — if you need visible relief this month, call us and we'll tell you what to pair them with.
The #1 cause of fish kills in ponds is low dissolved oxygen, especially in summer. Warm water holds less oxygen, and when excessive algae dies off -- whether naturally or from chemical treatment -- the decomposition process depletes oxygen rapidly. Large fish die first because they need the most oxygen. Warning sign: fish gulping at the surface in early morning.
Floating wetlands reduce algae biomass gradually by cutting off nutrient supply, avoiding the sudden die-off events that cause oxygen crashes. Root systems also increase surface area for gas exchange and provide shade that moderates water temperature.
For pond owners wondering about swimming safety: private ponds aren't monitored for water quality, and excess nutrients can fuel harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce toxins dangerous to pets and people. Reducing nutrient loading with floating wetlands is the most effective way to minimize HAB risk -- far more reliable than reactive testing after blooms appear.
Start with one Atlan® Floating Treatment Wetlands 2-pack for $518 as a pilot island and expand whenever you're ready.
Plants sold separately — we'll help you pick species.
Talk to a pond pro: (570) 769-9255