Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? Supercooling via wind ?

HI, I'm new to this forum and been lurking about for several months. I have a little over an acre pond which WAS frozen over but the last several days we had 50-60 degree temps so now it thawed out. Yesterday, the temperature dropped severely and the winds are howling. Current temp is 5 degrees (F) and the winds are gusting to around 25 MPH. The pond is not frozen. The low temps and wind are expected to continue for several days. Am I in danger of getting the bottom water too cool ? I decided not to aerate during the winter, only to open up a hole if needed but basically the pond is being fully aerated at the moment, right ? Thanks Steve

Welcome Steve,You are correct that your pond is being circulated rapidly as the colder denser top water is being pushed down displacing the bottom water.This action can chill the lower water quickly.Depending on fish types and maturity it can be very tough on them until you get ice cover which will provide 33F below the ice cover and warming to 36F on the bottom.This is a situation where it is good to have some pockets of deeper water as a refuge 15-20 ft.

I think I'm about 9 feet at the deepest part. Oh well, nothing can be done except to worry and that won't do anything.

Hi Steve, welcome to Pond Boss, thanks for joining in!

It is frustrating,here in NW Ohio we were 55F at 5 am with winds to 45 mph and now 6 hours later 26F with 30 mph winds and the ice leaving very fast.Have had ice on for last 7-10 days.These are the conditions I find my larger LMB do not tolerate well.

Redears don't much like it either.

Your right I "float" a few of those every year in these conditions too. One of my ponds has deep water pockets and no problems and another one is 10-12 ft at the deepest and goes to 3-4 ft and has issues Theo what do you think of our little cool down today ??

We haven't been so cold here. The air temp here has just recently gotten colder than the 39 deg F "warm" water refuge on the bottoms, so I'm hoping that the wind dies down and the ponds refreeze tonight without any supercooling. I had 3 weather driven-supercooling episodes last Spring and that was enough for me for one calender year.

I read somewhere that decaying matter gives off heat, I wouldn't think it would be enough to counter this but I don't know. I'm certainly in no shortage of decaying junk on the bottom as when I bought this place in July, the pond had nearly 90-95% coverage of FA.

Welcome SK! Weissguy, Moryan and a few other members here that are very near you.

About the FA, my guess is those beautiful green lawns in the background are heavily fertilzed with phosphorus being part of the mix. Is the pond yours privately or part of the subdivision? You might try talking with the neighbors about removing the "P" from the fert.

What area are you in? I grew up in Shawnnee on 69th Terr. way back in the 60's.

This pond definitely has multiple serious issues, it's a 6 acre lot from the early 70's that wasn't split up so they developed around it. A year or so ago, they built a development to the west above the inlet and from what I understand, that sealed the fate and destroyed the pond, it's now basically become a retention pond. I have my doubts whether or not I can get it under control but I'll try. Shawn Banks and Arn Eccles (two great knowledgeable guys) have been working with me but it's going to take some time and a whole lot of $$. If I had the money, I would have just drained it and started over but I don't. The pond is mine and not part of the Sub

I'm here in Lee's Summit near 291 and 150 Hwy.