Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Shallow water aeration for the winter

Well, finally did it...signed up to the forum...been reading this for a few years...but I figured just another username/password I would lose ....(don't ask...yeah I have a book for this...find them again?). Hopefully not my only post or reply!!!
Ok problem.....after many years of doing about everything wrong on my small (1/4 acre) natural--not dug ....actually felt pretty good about what was accomplished gradually over the last 4-5 years, aeration, bacteria not chemicals, right predator/prey combination bg/Lm----AND THEN---2 winters ago....huge winter kill...bg & Lm ...ok, spent time in summer checking survivors by fly fishing a somewhat under rated scientific method, restocked in fall....AND THEN....another huge winter kill...zippo left...except green sunfish. Really discouraged...that's it...UNTILL..I saw part of a thread on here...I live east of Cleveland in the heart of the lake effect snow belt. We always get a lot of snow but the last 2 winters we got many more multiples of feet but it came early and stayed late...so I run the aerator (deepest part) all year long...got it destroys 39 degree line, etc...plan on running aerator all winter again....but shallow water...saw slit hose shallow...ideas? Thanks

My opinion is that the aeration should be run in shallow water to just keep the ice open, not super cool the water. I run mine in the winter but at 3' deep. It just keeps the ice open and allows some oxygenation to prevent winter kill if deep snow were to accumulate.

Let's see what others have to say but that's how I roll and no kill yet in 3 years.

I agree...plan on leaving diffuser in deep part till its non functioning....don't need to repeat the clown fest with weighted hose etc, paddle boat and canoe....any way plan on building a 2 valve Assembly...turn off deep one turn on shallow one....with 3'- 4 feet of snow on ice....I don't know if a single regular diffuser shallow will provide enough oxygen...I saw briefly...somewhere...a slit weighted hose...for shallow aeration...any one have any idea or experience with something like this? Wide open to home made devices as well.....speaking of home made was thinking of using a couple of gate valves to control which hose gets air....another topic perhaps.

Manifolds are easy to make, you put them inside an irrigation box that is flush with the ground so you can mow over them.

A diffuser for the winter works. Place it 1/4 the total pond depth. Run the deepest one until the water temp is in the low 60's, shut it off and fire up the one in the shallow water when water temps are in the upper 30's. You want to keep about 1/10 of the total pond area ice free.

Thanks for the input. Never thought about temperature to turn on shallow aerator, is there something magical about low 60's.?

I think the fact that at 55 water holds the most O2 its going to hold. If the whole pond is 55 and you turn on your aeration it will not mix the water with low O2 water because it is all the same at that temp.

Safest time to crank up an aeration system that has not been running is around 55 + - a few degrees.

Cheers Don.

The maximum amount of oxygen that can be dissolved into water occurs at 32F-39F. The amount of oxygen dissolved in water is usually measured as parts per million or milligrams per liter. The amount of oxygen in water at 100% oxygen saturation varies with temperature. Water at 39F with 100% DO saturation (13.0ppm) has about 2.3 times the amount of oxygen in it than water 100% saturated (5.5ppm) at 86F.

Nothing magical. It could be swapped over in the upper 40°F water temp range too. Or as soon as ice is off it could be switched off and turned on (going from winter to summer mode) when the water temp is in the lower 50's. No start up procedure is needed in those temp ranges. If you wait until there is stratification, then I'd follow up the start up procedure.

Can't thank you guys enough....now have concepts to execute a plan...was very very discouraged with about 100% winter kill in past 2 years....had no idea I was killing the fish running aeration in deepest part with about 3+ feet of snow on the ice!!!!
Now sitting on deck ....watching remnants of humongous rains we just got....solar lights around edge of pond are now underwater lights....bacteria I added....just went over the dam.....at least I have a plan that will work....the rest just sidesteps...thanks again....