Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? Temp Tests&Stratification

LMB as with most all fish, avoid water with low oxygen. Lower DO concentrations tolerated by LMB: LMB quit eating at around 3ppm DO. AT 1.5ppm DO LMB will beach themselves; at 1ppm DO, mature to med sized LMB will die in abt 11 hrs. LMB will display strong avoidance of water with 1.5 ppm DO.
Temperature tolerance of LMB in epilimnion as asked above. LMB like warm to relatively warm water. Young LMB have been reported to feed readily at 95 degF which is near their upper leathal limit. Their prefered temp if available is 86 to 89.6 deg F. Northern (Ontario) LMB prefer water temps somewhat lower than mid to deep south LMB. Ontario LMB become sluggish at 82 to 86 deg. Upper lethal temp limit of LMB is 94 to 97.5 deg F depending on fish size, brood stock and acclimated temperature.

Best and cheapest ways to avoid summer kill?.
In my opinion best way to avoid it is to prevent DO loss in the hypolimnion. So if the pond rapidly or quickly turnsover the upwelling deep water has DO it. Turnover effects will be minimal since the pond is continually or frequently mechanically destratified. This means prevent an expansive hypolimnion deficient in oxygen from forming.

Only way to feasably do this I know of is to destratify with bottom aeration (air injection). This is much, much cheaper and more efficient than trying to pump/move water which weighs 8 lbs/gal. vs air which is almost weightless compared to water. Done properly, I can air lift 250,000 gal per hr with 1/4 hp. Explore how big of an electric water pump it would take to do that.

Destratifying large hypolimnions of larger bodies of water becomes more complex because it takes more hp. more diffusers and longer running times.