Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions Vane or Diaphragm

Wood. Both style compressor will easily aerate your 1/8 ac pond.
The benefit to the DOA compressor is it has lots of pressure 60psi which will put out air down to 60+ ft deep. Disadvantage is it only puts out 1.1 cfm. NOTE: Only the DOA 2-pole PSC version and the DOA High Speed DC version put out 1.9cfm.
Diaphragm pumps are about twice a noisy as a rotary vane (current models with quiet running head). Changing a diaphragm is more difficult than changing a set of vanes. Diaphragm will not last as long as a set of vanes.

The motor bearing life will be about twice as long for the rotary vane.

Gast now makes a 1/4 hp rotary vane model that produces the same amount of air, at the same pressure, and same cost as the 1/3 hp rotary model. 1/4 hp model I prefer plus it can as an option run at 110 or 220volts. The rotary will produce 5 cfm open flow & abt 4 cfm at 14 ft deep. More air will mean you can have a larger diffuser (or multiple diffusers) which will turn over the pond quicker and less run time to do the same amount of work. Rotary vane will be slightly more money but well worth the added cost.