Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions DYI Pond Aeration

I can't put hundreds of dollars in a pond aeration system. I am wanting to basically try to make a system with junk I should have thrown away a long time ago, but still have. I have an old window airconditioner and all the freon leaked out. I was wondering if I could use that to pump air to a homemahe disfuser in the bottom of my pond. My pond is small (1/2 acre) but deep (30') so I really need to help it turn over. I have been feeding the minnows, crawfish, tilapia and catfish spent grains from my brewery next to it. If I can't aerate it, I am sure the fish will stunt before they are big enough to eat.
Anyway, all thoughs are welcome, but I am not going to spend $1,000 on a pond aeration system at this tine, the pond is not mi financial priority right now, Starting up Beer production is :-)

Don't know about the ac unit, but I'm still learning this aeration stuff. I just ordered a pump for $105 a couple of diffusers for 16 ea. and a weighted hose for 70 bucks. Like you I don't have a 1000 for a system. But that little bit will do the job, the same system has been used several times on here. Good luck.
Charlie

I can swing that. Where did you order it?
Also another question. I dug my pod 30' deep, because I am using it to chill the boiling wort at the brewery. I pump water from the bottom where it is cool through a heat exchanger which cools the wort down on the way from the brew kettle to the fermenter. If I turn the pond over from the bottom, it will warm the bottom up too much I am afraid to do my chilling. If I put the air pads only 10' down, will that allow the bottom to stay cool?
Any thoughts are welcome.
And thanks for the reply Charles,

John
Texas Big Beer Brewery

Yes placing the air pads (diffuers) at 10 ft will allow the deeper water to remain cool. Be aware that the deeper water will lose its oxygen and become anaerobic / anoxic (no oxygen) and then water will become acidic and contain hydrogen sulfide which may affect the piping - equipment. Air conditioner compressor may not provide enough PSI to release air at 10 ft deep with requires at least 5psi.

Thanks Bill, I just did a search to see what the high side pressure is on an airconditioner and it said 200psi so if it will continue to work without a liquid running through it (I hope so) it may work.

I may need to put a good air filter on the intake.

But to test it, I am just going to cut the copper tubing and attach an old garden hose, tie a weight on it, throw it in and turn it on to see if it works, before I put time into it.

I got the idea, because I have known people who took an old car ac compressor and used them to pull a vacume, so I am just asuming it will work the other way. I hope to give it a shot this weekend. If it works, I will have more questions about making a difuser.

As far as the bottom of my pond becoming acidic. Would that be caused by putting in air at 10' or is my pond acidic and anoxic right now? :-(

http://www.diffuserexpress.com/
They're cheap and seem to work, The Co. communcates well with E-mail. They do have a 50 min. so I bought 3. I'm gonna use 2 and 1 spare. Good luck with your project. The hose I ordered from forever green/vertex, the pump from greentree hydroponics.
Charlie

This is just one of them fun threads, that are belly busters

agreed

Question:"As far as the bottom of my pond becoming acidic. Would that be caused by putting in air at 10' or is my pond acidic and anoxic right now?"

Setting the aerator at 10ft in a deeper pond tends to mix mostly the water zone above the 11ft depth. Unmixed deeper water usually relatively quickly looses the DO. It depends. This mixing depth can be affected by the 'strength' of the aerator, volume of the pond, shape of the pond, bottom configuration, when aeration is commenced, and how long it is run per day and probably a few other things such as fetch (length of the windswept area). Anoxic, hydrogen sulfide, and acidic conditions (very low pH) are results of loss of DO in the sediments and overlying water. These things form primarily from the action of anaerobic bacteria that are decomposing dead organic matter on the bottom and dead material 'raining down' from the illuminated productive upper layer. They form first in the sediment then proceed upward in the deep non-mixing, stratified layer of many eutrophic and some mesotrophic ponds and lakes and rarely in truly oligotrophic lakes.