Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions Areation?

Below is a pick of the last step where my well water (already somewhat aerated) enters the pond. As you can see from the bubble trail I have enough volume that it does some aeration. This year I am thinking of not putting the turn up (45) at the end to drop splash more. What I have been thinking of doing instead is drilling holes in the pipe to allow a bunch of little streams to spew from the pipe into the aerate the pond water more. Which method do you think would aerate better?

Although you are creating some water circulation, the amount of dissolved oxygen that is being created may be a lot less than you think. With an actual subsurface, forced air, aeration system, you are circulating a much higher volume of water. Some systems circulate over 5,000 gallons of water per minute. I know that Vertex aerators are pretty top notch and operated a very reasonable monthly electrical cost. If you are looking to really circulate that pond and make your fish happy, I would look into a vertex system.

^^ What he said^^

With what you are describing, you've got to balance out the amount of surface area that contacts the air by how much GPM flow restriction the little holes create vs. the open upturned end.

It would be a very easy question to answer if you had a DO meter, but for your standard pond owner, it's a pretty pricey piece of equipment for the amount of time that it'd be used.

I am no expert but I know the guys out here have said you need to get your water at least 2 feet in the air to catch more D.O. You did not state how big your pond is? PondPro has it right I don't think that would be effective enough for proper areation. Although it is new fresh water coming into your pond so thats always good!

I would have fun with it. If it were me I would elbow it back up go up about 3 feet pipe it down and put some kind fo shower head on it and let her spray!! If it sprays up a few more feet plus your up 3 feet to begin with all that water will be catching plenty of new oxygen!

Just a thought anyway. I would love to have that kind of flow coming into my pond! Good Luck!

RC

Thanks for the input.
I am trying to figure out how to get the most transfer of DO into the existing pond water by splash aeration without having to buy a DO meter (that ESSHUP mentioned). That is currently a 8" exit pipe you are looking at there with probably a 15' to 20' long by 1' to 2' wide stream of air bubbles you see. I am pumping in well over 500 GPM a minute of some what aerated well water. The well water primarily is aerated near the head of the well thru a Jacuzzi like intake system setup. I have never had a DO issue with the pond. Just trying to make sure I am running more efficiently at the exit / pond water end of the system.

RC51 that pond is 3AC. The well water is coming in bubbly aerated during warmer weather at over 500 GPM flow. Normally I have a 45 turn put on at that exit end during summer and fall that goes up about 3' above the water to allow it to splash into the pond as it exits. I remove it during cold season so I can raise the water level and pump the 69 degree water in to keep water temps up and not have it cooled by the air in the cooler weather months.

I am wondering what will transfer more DO into the existing pond water. Splash from fall or multiple small holes shooting out into the water. Shoot come to think of it I can always do both.

Wow 500 gallons per minute!! That's awesome!! Sorry I didn't think it was that much! You could make a serious fountain out of that. With that much GPM you could have a nice spout of water. Only thing is them you would lose your circulation that you are getting. I like circulation I think that help too. Some folks would argue that circulation is better than areation.... Not to sure about that though???

RC

How is the well water already "somewhat aerated" when it comes out of the well?

OK, you posted before I did.

RC51 I am a big fan of circulation myself. I will probably run my circulating system later this summer and take some video.

Take a pic of the Jacuzzi set up at the well head and post it.

Would be interesting to see.

Will this rig also degas your well water as it hit's it?

Just curious.

JKB (sorry I did not answer quick been battling infection last couple of days). First I would like to say while I wish I could have planned it all the way it happened as some came about by accident. I have an pic from this winter when I started to redo some of my piping. I will attach and can explain how it works. I originally set up to divert water 3 ways by adding the first piece you see with the plastic caps screwed in right where it comes out of the well (before the well was every turned on and found we had double the volume expected). I knew I wanted my main line on the top 90 you see installed. Well the first time we turned the well on after everything was hooked up we seem we had air bubbles in the water which was something we where trying to get a little of. When we walked back up to the well we discovered that the caps I had left loose where also making a sucking sound. Instead of blowing water out around the caps (which it will do just a little when first turned on with the caps loose) the set up when primed in operation has a suction there. We assumed this was because of the volume of water falling without resistance. Also is you look to the right edge of the picture of the pipe that is a larger diameter pipe runs up over the smaller pipe and is just slid over it with a gap between the pipes. We did do this on purpose figuring the volume of water moving into the slightly larger pipe down hill would create a suction to add air and it did.
As far as gas venting that occurs further down the line where I add chemicals & dye to the well water before the water enters into the pond.