Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions I wanna build my own aeration system

Hey Guys,
Im kinda broke so im thinking of piecing an aeration system together. Ive inquired about a kit from Greg and others in the past and i know i cant afford it. Heres what i got. A lake that is about 3.75 surface acres, on the deep end its supposedly was 18 ft when built im thinking closer to 12-15 now. on the shallow end it goes from 3-6 in the area between the two it goes from 10-15 i figured some averages and theyre all pretty close to a 9 foot average. i know i need 3 stations due to the shape of my pond (bananna kinda). Im gonna need almost 700 ft of hose which i think will be the most expensive part of my project unless someone knows where to get a killer deal on bulk rolls.ill have about 2 300 ft runs and one 150-200 ft run. I need to know some ideas. Remember im on a tight budget. Im a machinist so i can build damn near anything. Ive already got valves and piping for a manifold off the pump and i can get most of the electrical free. So i need to find good deals on diffusers, pump, hose.. Also i was wanting to put this on or near my dock how loud is one of these systems is wanting it on the dock unrealistic..

BGK, you're right, the hose will be the most expensive. My apology the the lovely Sue Cruz with Vertex....Ted Lea of ForeverGreen has a great self-sinking hose and is somewhat near us. Ted can also supply you with the BEST membrane diffusers (.5mm slits) or you can order 1mm slit membrane diffusers at diffuserexpress.com. (not nearly as efficient).

I wouldn't skimp on the hose or diffusers as they are what is under water, most vital, and hardest to replace/repair.

The pumps are not quiet and you can buy the chaper black plastic to run under ground cheaper than supplying electric. This makes placing the pump awyfrom where you often are a lot more enjoyable.

Thats a good idea with running plastic instead of electric. Do you know if he sells bulk..

Yes he does. He buys it by the full trailer load.

The self-weighted hose is not cheap, but it saves a ton of expense and labor (pun intended). Plastic tubing in the water has to be weighted down every 3-4 feet with something and is nearly impossible to set properly at first and even harder to move/repair. The self-weighted hose is kink/hook proof and very easy to manipulate if need be in the water. Ted also offers it with a "Forever guarantee".

This type hose is, without question, the best investment you will make toward an aeration system!

Ted Lea and his company ForverGreen, are also big forum supporters/advertisers....Ted takes great care of his customers, especially PB forum members.

I had the type of hose that you have to weight down, and I switched to the self weighted type that Rainman is describing that Ted sells. For use in the water, that is the only type that I will use from now on. The difference is worth more than the cost difference.

yeah i dont wanna even try messing with the hose id have to weight myself. Hose full of air at the bottom of a pond, and trying to weigh it down dont even sound like a good idea lol.. I would like to see some pics of people set up, for inspiration ya know ha.. keep the ideas coming guys..
Thanks

To keep cost down I installed our system, I used unweighted hose, wasn't to hard to do & saved money. Two people would help installing, I was rowing as my wife was adding the weight to the hose every 4' or so. I ran 50' of weighted house from the diffusers & tied it into the unweighted hose, so if I had to lift them up it would not kink the unwieghted hose. Has worked great.

Self sinking hose is the best way to go, but if you need to do it on the cheap, fill a garden hose with sand and zip tie it to the air line, it works.

700 ft of garden hose could get expensive im thinking.. but i like your idea of getting something similar in size and shape then just tying the two together. GOOD IDEA

Compare price of 700ft of garden hose to 700ft of self weighted hose.

I used 5/8 inch garden hose from the chinese outlet mall (walmart) that cost me $7.50 for 50 feet, so my 100 foot run cost me $15 bucks, I wire tied some old cable to it that I had laying around, ( I operate cranes for a living)and it sinks like a rock. I appreciate when folks say "this product is the best" or it is the way to go, but there are those of us who live on a bit tighter of a budget and are looking to save a few pennies yet still have the enhancements in our waterways. My entire aearation system cost me just under $300 at this point. I plan to add the weighted hose someday, but I'd rather get my dock built first.

JoeG, I kow what you mean! My aeratin system was pieced together on the cheap also. I have the cheap 1/2" plastic and happened to have 200 feet of 1" galvanized pipe that came out of my well to weight it down.

I too built mine for <$300. Mice have chewed on the exposed tubing and it was repaired probably 6 or 8 times. The diffuser pods had to be moved several times resulting in at least 1 kink/break repair every time.

I often say I have more time than money. With all the splices/clamps I probably have another 100 bucks in my system and all the "humps" in the tubing under water have been a problem when CC swim under them when hooked. I would never call my tubing system, reliable. My time is worth something too---I could be fishing or doing other work around the property.

The weighted hose is hook proof, non-kinking, easy to move, lifetime warranted, and an investment worth every penny for the future.

Just

Picked up my compressor today. Gast 10cfm 3/4 hp. Found a killer deal on craigslist. Who's got the cheapest deals on hose. I need about 100' of weighted 600' of poly. Also I need some details and prices on diffuser's. Also thanks Bill for all your help your the man..

I quess no one has deals? or info on diffusers?

Try this place, a forum member told me about it.
http://www.diffuserexpress.com/catalog/flexair_threaded_disc_diffusers.html

Man they have cheap prices, makes you wonder about the quality? Anyone running these diffusers?

BGK I sent you a PM.

Hey BK,

I am running 3 of them and they been working great. 3, 9 inch ones.

I plan on picking some up over the winter.. You just reminded me I sent the company an email and never received a response..

IIRC, Diffuser Express and it's Parent Company, EDI, either make or distribute the Flexair frame Vertex uses for their diffusers, BUT Vertex has a proprietary .5mm laser cut slit in the membrane that produces much smaller and more efficient bubbles than the 1mm slits in the membranes of the best EDI/DiffuserExpress units.

I am using the 9" high capacity discs from flex air as well and am pleased with their performance. I have read all the info I could find both here and else where about finer bubbles but the system I built does the job. I plan to build another dual station for next summer and add a timer so I can run at night only to keep water temps lower during summer heat. I would put them in my pond all over again. If I felt I could gain more with smaller slits I would gladly spend the money. Also, I wanted to build my own manifolds not pay someone to glue pipe for me so I opted to use my own materials. I'd love to be able to buy the membrane with smaller slits one day maybe, but I wanted my system built the way I wanted. If I need more water movement PVC pipe cuts and glues easily and I can add more discs very inexpensively. I say go for it. I dug my own pond too, It started with my own vision.

To add to Rex's comments about Vertex discs also note that the current version is a Generation 3 which has proprietary cut perforations in a "Delta" surface pattern as Rex states but the rubber compound is proprietary also.This offers more flexibility wear and clog resistance.The diffuser ring is also enlarged and stronger than most standard 9 inch discs on the market.Youll find the diffuser body and membrane backing plate heavier too. Vertex discs also have FlowControl Technology which allows for even flow of air to each disc even on uneven bottoms.These are but a few of the differences that allow Vertex to offer a "No Questions asked" warranty for 5 years that also includes shipping costs.All discs are not created equal.We put every brand and model of diffuser available to our own tests and the Vertex models have out performed all of them year in and year out. I dont say this because we sell them, that is the "reason" we sell them.

How much is a 9" disc from vertex?

Killer question Bluegiller....

Yeah how come i never got an answer??