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OK guys, here goes. I've been reading and searching, trying to learn all I can(I still have a long way to go) My Vision is a bottom areator. But, I'm wondering. I have been using a 3" water pump as my areator, 2-3 times a month (during the hot months) I'll let it run for an hour or two, pulling water out at approx.3-4' depth and discharging it back into the pond. On another note I add a discharge hose and pump water in front of the pond at the main water entrance and "flood" that area. It keeps the grass watered and the excess flows back to the pond. Here's the question(please forgive if it's that stupid). If I were to extend my suction hose to place it in the deepest point then discharge it out(approx.80') in front of the pond, would the water have time to "air out" or filter before it ran back into the pond(or does it even work that way)? All I would have to purchase would be some extra suction hose, that's why I'm considering this. Oh yeah the pond is approx.5/8 acre approx.12' depth, about 12yrs old. Sorry so long.

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chudoc, your water pump aeration is where we started.
I rigged a spray nozzle at the discharge pipe and it worked well for a limited area, but was expensive to operate.

That's when I learned about bottom diffuser aeration from Bill Cody and he got me on the right track with a DIY system, providing a Gast 1/4 HP pump with "home-made" membrane difuser bases, using brick weighted garden hoses.
That worked well until I tired of hang-ups in the air hoses.

I then met Todd Overton and he supplied sinking air lines and Vetex air stations - great Cody/Overton aeration system,

Overton Fisheries is on I-45 between Buffalo and Centerville.



N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
Original george #173 (22 June 2002)




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chudoc,George1 gives you good insight on where you may end up as far as equipment.You are returning aerated water to your pond by pumping it onshore and then gets exposed to the 21% oxygen in the atmosphere but it is returning to the already surface aerated water.This would be the case regardless of the depth you pulled it from. I would think a 3 inch pump is expensive to operate but for the short time you run it I doubt you are effecting your pond much. At 12 years old your pond may be getting to where your BOD (biological / biochemical oxygen demand) is nearing your oxygen supply.The key is to keep the oxygen supply above the demand. George has been there and crossed the supply line with demand and it is not a pretty sight (see some of George1 past posts)Unless your pond is very irregular in shape your can effectively aerate it with a very small system. Your approx 1.6 million gallon based on an average depth of 8 ft could receive one turn per day with a diffuser that only lifts 1130 GPM or consider one that lifts 2300 GPM and run for 12 hours at night, several ways to go.You may want/need more than one turn per day, several questions need to be answered to determine that including your goals for your pond.You are on the right track and perhaps other will wade in on your situation.

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chudoc Offline OP
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Thanks for the input guys! George1: the bottom diffuser is the way I would like to go, and it would have to be a DIY thing. The problem would be supplying power. I could operate that type of system, but only about 1hr a day(if that's good enough, problem solved. if not...$$$$) and Yes, I know of Todd & Overton fisheries(bought bluecat from him last year). TLF: It took me a few minutes to catch what you said. I may be pulling out the stratified water & allowing the bad gasses(ammonia&others)to escape, but I'm still not getting oxygen(or D.O.)down to the bottom. I knew 2 heads(or more) are better than one! I'll study BOD at my next chance. Thanks for the input guys, anyone else care to chime in? I'm all ears!

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How far away is power ?

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Ted, you may recall that I was PB forum number # 173 ,“ george” (June 2002) when Cody was first helping with my DIY aeration system.
Cody recommended running aerator 10:00 pm – 6:00 am.
Our learning curve has steepened somewhat since then … “It All Depends”...

I learned the hard way, in our part of Texas when the water temp hits ~80 degrees, you better run 24/7...



N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
Original george #173 (22 June 2002)




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George I remember it well, with partial running you can be at risk like Bill says "It all depends" I normally size for 24/7 depending on demand (which can swing wildly)pond maturity fish types and population and on and on. Normally the savings to run at night only does not outweigh the potential risk of a low DO supply.You are safer at 24/7 at 80F as saturation (100%) at approx 8ppm will be impossible to maintain. 70-80% is more realistic.Glad you are running the Vertex diffusers just be sure to flex them from time to time to keep them operating properly and theyll last a long long time.

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 Originally Posted By: Ted Lea FOREVERGREEN
How far away is power ?
Well that's the tricky part. About 6yrs ago, I ran a 220v line from the house to the pond (500ft). It's for a irrigation/sprinkler pump that waters my yard, the only problem is, the line is controlled by a contactor at the house. So the line is only "hot" when the sprinklers are on. Didn't think far enough ahead to bury a second line. I have been contemplating adding a different type of contactor for constant power. But apparently running a aerator for 1hr a day (run time of the sprinklers) is not gonna get it!

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chudoc, check with the experts, but I don't believe there would be a problem with running pvc airline 500 ft to your pond.



N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
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George is correct that 500 ft of poly line would be a better way to go.If you would use a rotary vane pump a 1 inch ID line is a must for a single air station and a pair of 1/2 inch lines works well for two air stations if you do not want a remote manifold at the ponds edge. Then run weighted tubing with an ID from .55-.625 (stay away from 3/8 for this application) from the ponds edge to the air station.A pair of 1/2 inch lines would cost approx $125.00 (1000ft) from a Lowes or Home Depot type store.Pumps that would produce from 1.5 cfm to 4.2 cfm (depending on goals BOD pond shape etc etc) is where you want to end up.It will also depend of what brand of diffusers you match to a pump.I would narrow it down to either a WOB-L piston or a rotary vane style pump.Most 230 volt pumps of this size draw approx 1.75-2.2 amps.

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George is correct, run a 1/2" pvc air line from house to pond, then split the line at the edge of the pond with a valve manifold to regulate your different air stations.


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Run the air line from the house!...Heck I didn't even think about that one! Thanks. But I need a little clarification. Ted, you're saying run "2"(Qty) 1/2in lines(one to each diffuser). Correct? And Overton your saying a single 1/2in line, then split at the pond?..........There is still a lot more I need to learn, and most of it is coming from this forum! I read last night that bottom aerators provide minimal DO, they mainly turn the water!? What I would like to find are the tools to measure DO, water temp. etc so that I can start monitoring the pond itself. Are these tool expensive? As far as diffusers go, I'm seeing:stone,disk, & membrane. Now I have to study that! LOL. I guess it's good I'm trying to figure this out now, before I have problems!

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A 1/2 inch line will have a loss of .68 psi per 100 ft or 3.4 for 500 ft A ONE inch line will have .06 psi loss per 100 ft or .3 psi loss,based on a 5 cfm open flow. A 10 psi rated rotary vane with diffuser(s) at 10 ft (another 5 psi)will now be running over 8 psi. A vane that runs at 5.3 psi will run cooler and last longer and will pull less amps and have more available cfm at less pressure.So if you want to use 1/2 inch lines and have your valving at the compressor run two of them, If you want to have a remote manifold then run a ONE inch trunk line and split at the ponds edge.Visit our site and look at " A word about diffusers" and you may save a lot of research time. Ive spent years testing "everyones" products, they all have plus and minus'You want your compressor to have the least amount of restriction or back pressure for longevity.Some restrictions you can control some you cant, (hose size you can)Bottom aerators (diffusers) do not put air in the water (too little to credit)verticle current is what your looking to produce.Tools to measure are expensive, a good meter in the $5-$600 range.If you have a system that will turn all of your gallons twice per day you will have a large enough system.(and then some)

Last edited by Ted Lea FOREVERGREEN; 01/22/09 12:36 PM.
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chudoc, I also sent you a PM with some additional sizing questions

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Thinking out of the box here guys so slap be if this is out of line.
I'm not sure how important it is to you, but you should be able to relocate the existing contactor to the pump house and set a 220 sub panel down there. You could run low voltage control cable to the pump house to control the sprinkler pump and areator (if desired) in lieu of running air line from the house. The materials wouldn't be too expensive for this and you have 500' of hose or cable to bury either way. But you would have power at the pond availible all the time.


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chudoc Offline OP
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Yes! That's a reasonable option also. I have been wanting the power there for other reasons as well. I wish I had put in a second line when I trenched the first time. I can cut another trench, but I sure don't want to get into my original run.


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