I have a 4-yr old, 1/3 acre pond in my backyard (about 100 ft from my house) in Central Mississippi. It is currently stocked with bluegill and bass. I'm leaning towards draining the pond this fall and stocking with catfish only. The maximum depth of the pond is about 8 ft and the average depth is about 4 ft.

Would aeration benefit the pond? I have not had any turnover problems or fish kills. However, if I stock catfish only, that may be different. From what I've read it seems low oxygen is more of a problem to catfish. Can I stock more catfish if I aerate? Would my pond produce more?

The main problem I have now is pond algae that develops occassionally. I know if I keep my pond limed and fertilized (so that light cannot penetrate the bottom), the algae problem is reduced. Will aeration help with this as well?

Obviously, I will look hard at cost vs. benefit. How much would a system for my pond cost?

Not sure how your water clarity is but I have found in my 1/3+ acre pond the catfish keep it very muddy from Spring through Fall. I currently catching out most of the cats and see if it gets better. Just a thought.

Bob

TB,proper aeration will reduce your nutrient load but as you are fertilizing for a bloom you may find your current fertilizer rates dont apply. Aerating to reduce or elminate algae may leave you dissapointed. Aerate to promote aerobic bacteria, aerate to provide your fish with the entire pond to live. (no thermal barrier) and aerate to promote all around fish health. The additional benefits of proper aeration are endless.Sunight, water,and nutrients of any amount will always produce some algae.Since your pond is only 4 years old your BOD is still on the increase. Your deepest areas are acting as a sediment bowl and you may want to correct things soon. Switching to all catfish and having an aerator may leave your water very cloudy which would slow the chance for excessive algae. As far as cost look at the specs on a Vertex Air 1 (click on homepage) Good Luck Ted