Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions Need ideas

I need the experts to give me some insight into what type of system I need. I am on a budget so I would like to have options if they are available.

I have a 1 acre pond with average depth of 4 feet, 6 being the deepest. I am located in Kansas and get a lot of wind on the pond. I pump water into the pond I would say on average 20 days a month during the summer. I have LMB, BG and white amurs in my pond. I have a very big pondweed problem that I am hoping the amurs take care of. I also have a lot of FA. Water is very clear as it has a sandy bottom. I have had people tell me I could do horizontal aeration with the water I am pumping in.

I would like to have the FA gone and make my pond the best home for my fish so they can provide me and my son with hours of "catching" enjoyment.

ok....so I will piece together my own system. I know I need a compressor and seems like Gast is a recommended brand. What size would I need for a 1 acre fairly shallow pond? Also what type...piston, rotary? Should I use airstones or a membrane diffuser? Should I run it all the time or put it on a timer? Should I run it during the winter? The pond freezes over for short periods of time and we do not have much snow that lasts very long. My heat pump and my well typically keep areas of open water.

If I can piece it together over time, it would be a little easier to pay for.

Mike, if you don't get a direct answer to your question try some of the advertisers in the pond boss resource guide on the left side of this page.

If you put "aeration" in the search box you'll get tons of info.

I don't know the specs on what pump to recommend, but I would recommend a membrane type diffuser vs. an airstone. I have also seen a soaker hose used as a diffuser. For airline, you can use the 1/2" or 5/8" drip irrigation hose. The problem with that is that it floats. You could leave it float, or weight it down with stuff zip tied to the air line to make it sink. If you go that route, use the black zip ties, they have UV inhibitors in them.

If you are wanting to use the aeration system to combat the FA, it might work, but the real problem is too many nutrients in the water. Something is going to use those nutrients, be it submerged weeds or FA. I think that if you get rid of your pondweed you might have a bigger FA problem. You are shooting for a balance that all of us smaller pondmeisters strive for. I have had an aerator going all winter long, and I estimate that I have 15% or more of the pond surface covered with FA, so I feel your pain!

You know the FA normally slows down in the summer when the pondweed goes crazy. So that means the pondweed is using the nutrients that the FA was using? Now with the dead pondweed over the winter, there are more nutrients for the FA to feed off, so it is going crazy. That makes sense.

I thought I read that with aeration, FA has a tougher time growing. BUT if you are aerating and have FA then that must not be 100% correct. I want the perfectly clear pond that I see in all the pastures around. The ones nobody use and get no special treatment but seem to have no issues.

They also might have minimal fish in them so there aren't many nutrients for the plants to use...... fish poop = fertilizer!