Forums36
Topics40,985
Posts558,202
Members18,513
|
Most Online3,612 Jan 10th, 2023
|
|
1 members (blueyss),
598
guests, and
159
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616
|
OP
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616 |
As most of you know i am only 14 so i can't afford an aerator. here in somerset county we're going through a little bit of a drought and my spring is down to 3.5 gallons a minute it also looks like this next storm is going to miss us. please help the fish seem to be lethargic and i'm not sure if i should take some out or if so how many? btw i have been trying to circulate the pond using a 5 gallon bucket it seemed to help but it's definitely not a permanent fix.
Last edited by small pond; 05/21/13 12:03 PM.
Sarcasm...yet another free service I offer.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939
Hall of Fame Lunker
|
Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939 |
small pond - I respect everything your doing and wish more of our youth would follow your example. I can't help you with your fish right now (not qualified to answer your question) but I have a few things that I might be able to do for you to prevent it from happening in the future.
How many gallons or cubic feet is your pond? Do you get sun light down to the pond? If so, how many hours a day?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616
|
OP
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616 |
I forgot to mention that i have not fed the fish in the past two days because of the drought. How long can i go with out feeding?
Sarcasm...yet another free service I offer.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616
|
OP
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616 |
small pond - I respect everything your doing and wish more of our youth would follow your example. I can't help you with your fish right now (not qualified to answer your question) but I have a few things that I might be able to do for you to prevent it from happening in the future.
How many gallons or cubic feet is your pond? Do you get sun light down to the pond? If so, how many hours a day? My pond is 18,000 gallons when full but it is currently about 4 inches low so it should be about 15,000 gallons. the pond is completely in the shade so it gets very minimal sun light.
Sarcasm...yet another free service I offer.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939
Hall of Fame Lunker
|
Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939 |
Ok, with no light my solar stuff won't work for you. Hopefully someone will aeration experience will chime in here shortly to get you thru your DO sag
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,315
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,315 |
Do you have access to a small boat motor to splash the water?
A trash pump?
Will a garden hose reach it?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,488 Likes: 2
Lunker
|
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,488 Likes: 2 |
Time to get creative with muscle-powered aeration-options.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
|
Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1 |
Wish I could send you my Kasco but I may need it myself in one if my fingerling ponds as temps climb.
You may get some T- storms soon. Hang in there.
Do you have power to your pond?
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 05/21/13 02:17 PM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,318 Likes: 6
Ambassador Lunker
|
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,318 Likes: 6 |
If he could get a 12volt battery and a trolling motor going in that pond turn it on high and let it circulate the water for a few hours that would help in that small of a pond!
RC
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616
|
OP
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616 |
I currently do not have any power at the pond. but we do have a lot of extention cords that I have been able to get down there before.
Sarcasm...yet another free service I offer.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300
Moderator
|
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300 |
How does the spring water enter the pond, from above or is it ground water?
Last edited by FireIsHot; 05/21/13 03:22 PM.
AL
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,315
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,315 |
It might sound crazy, but how about a weedwacker set up in a rigid manner to splash water for short periods of time?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,318 Likes: 6
Ambassador Lunker
|
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,318 Likes: 6 |
I currently do not have any power at the pond. but we do have a lot of extention cords that I have been able to get down there before. Well you have to be careful going to far with extension cords that could be a saftey issue! They will get very hot on you if your going to far and could end up melting together depending on what your doing with them. RC
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910 |
SMPD, If you decide to use electric maybe your Dad can make you an extension cord out of romex cable. We have done that several times. I know your Dad will hook it with a GFI outlet. A lot of people use a bush hog on a tractor to aerate their ponds in a pinch. Maybe you can get your neighbor to use his. If not, maybe you can rig up your riding lawn mower to work the water. You have come to far to let this set you back!! Good luck.
Two ponds, 13 and 15 acres on the Mattaponi River.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 53
Fingerling
|
Fingerling
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 53 |
If you do have a riding mower (with battery) you can make a very simple adapter for a car cigarette lighter and run a small compressor made for vehicles to pump air into the pond...if your pond is small enough you could get air in that way...or perhaps an air bubble...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910 |
Ghosttown, has the right idea. You can buy the air compressor at Wally World for about 20 bucks. You can use the donorcycle and not use much gas to keep your battery charged. That might work great. Take care.
Two ponds, 13 and 15 acres on the Mattaponi River.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616
|
OP
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616 |
How does the spring water enter the pond, from above or is it ground water? the spring water comes out of the ground a few feet above the pond. Thanks for all of the ideas guys.:) My dad was an electrician all of his live and told me that it would work fine and not get hot turns out he's right the pump has been running for two hours so far and the cable isn't even warm.
Sarcasm...yet another free service I offer.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,315
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,315 |
Smallpond-- what pump are you using?
Ken--- Donorcycle?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300
Moderator
|
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300 |
Small pond if that's the case, I was thinking waterfall. Plywood and plastic sheeting may be all it takes to add a more permanent source of O2 to the pond. 2' of fall may be enough.
AL
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616
|
OP
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 616 |
Smallpond-- what pump are you using?
Ken--- Donorcycle?
I'm using a well-bilt submersible rated for 21 gallons a minute.
Sarcasm...yet another free service I offer.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 222
|
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 222 |
FirelsHot is spot on, using the spring's water to add O2 into the pond while providing it with a source of water. If the spring has sufficient amount of water flowing that is. If it's less than 3 gallons a minute, there will not be enough O2 to saturate the impact area. Scattering the water using reserve chevrons to cover wider surface of the waterb to scatter the impact areas will hopefully do the trick, but it needs to be 3gal/min or greater.
Leo
* Knowledge and experience yield wisdom. Sharing wisdom expand the generations with crucial knowledge. Unshared wisdom is worth nothing more than rotting manure.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300
Moderator
|
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300 |
That's almost it. Now, he could perhaps stick a ceramic birdbath on top of the bricks and have the pipe fill directly into the birdbath. Then he would have the elevation needed and the breakup of the water column for increased O2. Just throwing ideas out there.
If small pond can build a pond with a wheel barrel, I bet he'll figure this out. He's far more motivated than I was at his age, and I think we all want his fish to make it.
AL
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910
|
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910 |
Fish, I had the pleasure of spending the day in a fine medical facility where they were talking about another organ donor. He had been riding his motorcycle(donorcycle) in the last few days. It may not have been his fault but he is still gone. AL, you are right,this is a minor setback for SMPD. He will whip this problem pronto.
Two ponds, 13 and 15 acres on the Mattaponi River.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 294
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 294 |
Small pond,I know you are trying to get through for the time being,but how about making a mill style wheel of sorts powered by your spring?Basically use the gravity feed to power something and help agitate the water.
|
|
|
Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
|
|