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I am having my 2 acre pond renovated. It should be completed this fall and ready to fill back up. I am trying to plan ahead and am considering adding some sort of aeration. I realize the benefits but am not sure if I should wait and see if it is really needed. I expect the average depth will be 6-8' with a minimum of 4' and the maximum of 12-14'. I'll be managing the pond for fishing (bass/bluegill) and aesthetics. The pond is on a piece of property I plan to build on in about 5 years so there is no electricity available right now. Even after I build running electricity (or air lines) to the pond area will not be too easy due to the distance and the fact that I will have to cross a creek.

If I chose aeration I see 3 basic choices:
- windmill
- electric
- solar

I found out the approximate price of a SolarBee unit for the solar option( ). Can anyone tell me a rough price range for a windmill or an electric aeration system for a 2 acre pond? I am trying to do a simple cost/benefit analysis.

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Rob:

Try these folks, Stoney Creek Equipment .

They advertise in PB magazine and carry both windmill and electrical compressor aeration systems. You should be able to get a rough idea of prices.

If you talk/correspond to the pros here at the forum (Ted Lea/Cary Martin/Sue Cruz/ etc.?) they should be able to size a system to your pond. I have gathered one wants to ensure one doesn't have too big or too small a system for ones needs.


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Hi RobA-
It would be best to install an aeration system from the beginning and not to wait until it is needed. By then it could be too late. When aeration is needed most is at night and durring still, cloudy days when there is no sunlight for photosynthesis to produce oxygen. Durring this time the oxygen demand is still present leading to an oxygen depletion. If it is possible, the most dependable type of aeration is electric. The cost of a complete electric aeration system for your pond can range between $1200 and $2000 depending on the layout of your pond and number of diffuser locations (one or two).


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www.vertexwaterfeatures.com

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Sue,
Great advice.


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RobA,

Sue speaks true to my experience also. It sounds expensive, or it did to me, but considering the $ investment in our ponds and fish as well as the emotional investment, it is worth every penny.

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RobA Offline OP
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I realize that using an electric system is probably the most effective way to go but it really would be difficult to install and even if I were to use electric it wouldn't be for another 5-6 years.

Since the pond renovation will virtually eliminate the exisiting organic sediment/muck in the pond does it make sense to say that using a windmill aerator will at least help slow down the accumulation of new muck? And if that's the case then wouldn't it be less likely that I would experience a DO crash even when it is hot with little or no wind? And if I am going to lose X% of DO aren't I better off losing it from a higher percentage.

I guess my point is that I am considering a windmill because of the difficulty/timing of installing electric, the high cost of solar - and isn't it better than nothing at all?

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RobA,

If it were me, and of course it isn't, I think I would wait a few years until electricity is available and/or solar systems become more efficient and afforadable. The wind doesn't blow at night much in my area and unfortunately, thats when I need aeration the most.

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If you are going to build a house, you are only postponing installing electric service. It probably won't get any cheaper in the future. I put it off for years, finally installed it and now, use it for everything. Of course, you have to figure on an additional electric bill.

Since you don't live there, what is the chance of the Solarbee or the aeration compressor being stolen?


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I waited on having electric run to my site. I have to go about 1,500 feet to get from the nearest elec. pole to my site.

When I explored it about 4 years ago, the power company would have done it for free if it was going to be my main residence (which, as far as they knew, it was)

Now they want about $10K just to get me service. Last time I pursued it, I just didn't feel any love coming my way in trying to negotiate with them.

Short story is I do not have electric at my site, and it would have been free had I not waited. The power company was GPU/Penelec, and is now First Energy.

RobA, I'm guessing you might have Exelon?

Was it Theo that said he got a better deal by getting 440 service?


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It's still 220v, but 400 amp was free - 200 amp would have cost us due to "excessive service wire length."

Irrespective of your aeration choice, Rob, I highly recommend you get your permanant electric service in as soon as you can. It makes visiting the property and building anything (including the house) easier. If you can get a small shed or trailer, spending time in it with electric available is like a 4 star hotel compared to a tent and no power.

We've had our farm for 20 years; I think the two things whose addition made the biggest improvements over how things were before they showed up were the outhouse and an 8'x12' shed with electric heat, AC, and an old refrigerator and stove.

P.S. One of the leverage points contractors like to use if there is a dispute during house construction is to get the power company to remove a temporary service that was put in just for construction. If you have your permanant electric put in before construction, that removes this potential weapon from their arsenal.

P.P.S. Once the permanant electric service poles are installed, you can get the phone company to hook you up. We had the "telephone out on the pole" for a couple years, like on Green Acres. This would be much less important in the age of cell phones, but still fun to tell visitors to go climb the pole if they need to make a call! ;\)


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Green Acres...thats the place to be. Farrrrm liven is the life for me!... \:\) \:\)

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You're right Sunil, it is Exelon. I'll look into the electricity thing. However, because of the shape of the property (22 acres) the house will be about 1,000 feet from the nearest power pole and the pond is about another 1,000 feet from where the house will be (even further away from the power pole). Even if I do get electricity to the future house site I would still need to run power or an air line about 1,000 more feet to the pond. To make matters worse there is a creek running between the house site and the pond making it more difficult to run the electricity or airline.

Dave - as for things being stolen there isn't too much of an increased risk with that even though I am only there occasionally. Our friends bought the 10 acres (with a house) that was adjacent to the 22 acres that we bought. They live there and are watching out for our interests.

Meadowlark - so you wouldn't even bother with a windmill in the interim?

Anyone have opinions on my logic that starting with a newly renovated pond and a windmill raising DO when there is wind will at least help reduce problems during hot/calm weather?

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

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RobA,

No, I wouldn't, but again, in my area, the wind doesn't blow at night in the summer.

I agree with the guys, that electricity is the best way and getting it on the property as soon as possible is the approach I would go after.

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RobA,
I just went to a course put on by a well respected Professor of Aquaculture from Texas A&M. I was considering a windmill also. Here are the facts he gave me. The wind and wave action on the pond adds 10 to 30 percent of the oxygen in the pond. You need oxygen most when the wind isn't blowing. Which also when your windmill isn't working. Electric is the way to go if possible. Hope this helps.


In Dog Beers, I've had one.
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heybud,

Was that Dr. Mike Masser, by chance?

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Meadowlark, it was. A good program he gave. Oh yeah, even learned what a detritovore (sp) was.


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I have great respect for him. I have sent him the TGG experiment results and hope to get him involved in that ongoing experiment in some way. He is a true expert.

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Meadowlark,
Are you close to Overton? My father-in-law was a professor at A&M for 40 years and was stationed at the East Texas Research Center in Overton. He is burried in Overton, rest his soul. I think there is a Aquaculture guy at the center?


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heybud,

No, I'm south of Lufkin.....in God's country ;\)

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RobA, I'm reviving this thread because I'm looking into a windmill. I think you should do it, here's why 1) if you have wind, .5 to 1.5 CFM will be good for your pond, aeration 99.9% of the time is better than none. 2) Once you're up and running, the daytime circulation decreases the odds of nighttime DO crash. 3) after your initial purchase, it's a free benefit to your pond. 4) If you're like me, DO isn't a problem, you are doing this to increase productive water.

I'm not disagreeing that electric is better, but if it's not economical to run the line, the windmill option is far better than nothing at all.


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