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Joined: May 2012
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I'm not certain if I need aeration or not, so I'm asking the experts.

I have a 1.1 acre pond in Southwest Louisiana. The pond is roughly divided into thirds. 1/3 is 0-8', 1/3 is 10'-12' and 1/3 is 14'-18' in depth. The pond was recently dug and has been full for about 2 years. As it sits now, the water has always been a nice greenish color with clarity ranging from 3'-6' visibility. I have an extremely healthy population of minnows and stocked CNBG in October of last year. So far they are doing great and are 4-6 inches in length. Plan to stock LMB later this year. I do have some vegetation in the shallower areas and the perimeter. with a few stumps in the fishing areas.

The plans for the pond include fishing (In designated areas) and swimming, diving, maybe a water slide and zip line.

I don't have electricity available at the pond so I would need to place the air pump at or near my shop and pipe the air to the pond. My shop is roughly 400 feet from the pond.

With all the background, do I need aeration?

If I do need aeration, what pump would best suit my needs? I would like to be able to run it on a timer. Maybe 8-12 hours at night if possible. I don't mind a little noise, but I don't want a pump that sounds like a 747 at takeoff!

How many and what size diffusers would be suitable? The bottom in the deeper water is hard clay bottom with little silt or sludge. I was thinking of mounting them in a bucket with a float so I can repair or replace if needed.

I planned on 3/4" pvc pipe to run from the shop to the pond with a manifold if I need more than 1 diffuser.

Thanks in advance for your help. This place is the absolute best resource for information on ponds and lakes!

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I veiw aeration for ponds like a friend views oil changes for motors.

His words, not mine.

"I've never seen a motor go bad because of the oil being changed too frequently."

If the pond is deep enough to have a thermocline set up during the summer, I believe aeration is a good thing for it.


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
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As far as your pipe run from your shop, you might also consider the black plastic water pipe that comes in 100' or 250' rolls. It is 100 psi rated and I don't think very much of it for actual water use, but in your aeration system at 18' depth max you are only going to be looking at 9 psi. The black plastic pipe unrolls easily and no joints to glue so installs quickly. Just bought another couple 100 ft rolls at Home Depot for $15 each. If you use it and have connections under ground, be sure to use the long connectors designed especially for this type of pipe and double hose clamp them so expansion/contraction will not pull the joint apart.

It is just a cheaper and quicker way to do the above water portion. The aeration companies also sell specific hose similar to the black water pipe specifically for this purpose. The black water pipe is just available at about any plumbing supply house so is readily available locally.

If you want to get the noise outside might consider a small dog house size building to house the pump. Could keep it close enough to electric so you would not have to run it very far, yet outside of the building you don't want the noise in.

Wish I could give you more info on if you need or don't need aeration, but I myself am just installing a system so can give no good advice. I will say it will allow your fish to use all the water instead of mostly just using the portion above the thermocline in the summer months. You have a deep pond so I would expect significant stratification. My pond is only 10' deep but we have a thermocline down at about 5 feet in mid summer. Can readily feel it when swimming. That means probably a third of my water volume does little for my fish in the summer months.


John

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Thanks for the Information guys!

Esshup, I like the oil change analogy. There is a definite warm layer at the surface during the summer. I notice at around 5'-7' the temperature is obviously cooler.

Snrub, I had never even thought of the black water line before. That is a great idea and also more inexpensive than PVC.

Anyone want to point me to a suitable air pump?

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Originally Posted By: Grandpa
Anyone want to point me to a suitable air pump?



To do it right, you need more information about your pond, and what diffusers you are going to use.

You should use the diffusers to "turn" your complete pond water volume 1 to 2 times per day. You have to do calcs to see the volume of water in the pond, volume of water the diffusers will lift per hr. (at the depth that they will be placed) and see how many diffusers you need to do that if run for the amount of time during the night/day that you want them to run.

Then you have to see the depth of the deepest diffuser and calculate by looking at the pump specs to see if the pump will put out the volume of air that you need at the resistance that you will see at that depth. You might also need a manifold box to distribute air to the different diffusers equally if more than one diffuser is required.


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).

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