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Just noticed where you were from. Same neck of the woods.


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I am about as far SE Kansas as you can get. Any farther and I'd be in either MO or OK.


2011 five acre pond. LMB, SMB, HSB, SPB, BG, CNBG, HBG, RES, WM, CC, BCP, GC, FHM, GSH
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Just an update in the continuing pond saga. Installed one of what should eventually be three aeration diffusers.

I had used this pump and diffuser for a few weeks last fall as a temporary setup to try out aeration and see if it was something to pursue. I then took it out and put in storage as did not have time to complete the permanent installation last fall before retreating to warmer climates for the winter. That is why the diffuser is dusty.

This is a Pondmaster pump setup (cheap Chinese junk) that is running about 3 psi. Should be getting around 3 cfm at that back pressure. Getting a really good boil out at the pond surface. Diffuser is set in what is now about 7' of water as the pond is about a foot or a little more low currently. The diffuser is on a platform so probably a foot off the bottom so the pump should be looking at about 6' of water head pressure currently and when we get some rain to fill the pond about 7 or 7.5'. That is about as much as a person should ask from a linear diaphragm compressor. They will work up to 10' or so, but the cfm falls rapidly with depth (back pressure) and will stall out with zero cfm somewhere around 11-12' depending on the pump model. Here is an old thread when I was researching pump capabilities.
Pump depth vs cfm for linear pump model Linear diaphragm pumps are only suitable for shallow depths.

I bought the first pump as a temporary experiment, but it worked well enough am now going to just use 3 of them. I don't expect to get the life of a high end piston or vane aeration pump, but the linear diaphragm are cheap to rebuild or even replace. They are also very energy efficient, at shallow depths (waste of time or unusable at deeper depths). My best guess is at some point in the future I will abandon them and put in a good compressor. Everything I'm doing as far as diffusers and line, I'm doing with that possibility in mind going forward.

This is the southern diffuser. Will soon add another just like it in the middle of the pond, and another in the north end for three diffusers total. Will have three identical pumps with each pump on its own diffuser. This will allow me to put timers on each individual pump if I so desire later and not have to run all of them all the time or have to bleed off air to run fewer diffusers. Each pump runs about 108 watts power requirement.

Two boys in the pictures are grandsons helping me out with the project, earning them a little spending money in the process.

I'm a little too cheap for my own good at times, and sinking air line is one place I scrimped that it cost me. It cost me some cold time in the water putting concrete blocks on the 3/4" water line to keep it from floating. Burrrrrr. Fortunately for me grandsons are gullible and one of them did most of the breath holding and placing the block over the line in the cold water. (we did have diving wet suits up in the garage but not smart enough to put them on......... it was a nice sunny warm day anyway so what the heck). I'm taller though so got to do the deeper ones and the last few had to do from the boat. Will need to put scuba on later and do a better job on the deeper ones. Sinking line works SOOOOOO much better. Oh well. I put 50' of 5/8 sinking at the diffuser so I can lift it out of the water and move it around if I want without disturbing the floating line and blocks, but the rest of the run if I remember right is two hundred feet of the 3/4 water line, for a total run of 250'.

The middle diffuser will be a little shorter run and the north about the same as the south.

We are very fortunate to have our own (very old but low hour'd) trencher that we use around the farm, so digging the line from the water line to where the pump will sit was done in short order. After getting all three lines and diffusers installed, will pour a small concrete pad and build a dog house sized building to house the pumps. Will make it big enough and in such a way if I ever want to go to a nicer, larger aeration pump that will run all three diffusers, it should be as simple as setting the new pump in the house and plumbing it in. Plan on making the roof on hinges so the top will open up for access to the pumps. Projects, projects, projects. Hope to get all this done by early summer.

Thought I would put this as an update to my introduction thread about where the pond is evolving.

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snrub #391774 11/05/14 11:50 PM
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Last edited by snrub; 06/25/18 12:52 PM.

John

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Snrub I have really enjoyed reading how your simple off hand comment that a pond there might look nice in the field, and what did your wife think about the idea and how it ended up into such a huge project.

My story was similar with a wet spot in the field and ended with a pond and woods from scratch. And three boats later burned because of dammage or just being too heavy or not being able to give them away. All from a wet spot in the field.

I considered the burning in the pond like a viking scene but didn't want the debris in the water.

Yesterday


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I've also enjoyed your thread John and seeing your pictures.

It is funny how serendipity leads our lives sometimes. I had never hardly given a second thought to ponds or freshwater fish before starting our pond "saga". It has turned out to be one of my main hobbies and sources of enjoyment during retirement.

Carolynn gets me into things sometimes (like our house remodel, we will not get started on that) that I just shake my head and wonder how I ever got into THIS. But it almost always turns out good. She is so darn smart. Don't know how I got so lucky. grin

Glad you have enjoyed it with me in this thread.

Your burning boat would have definitely looked cool on the water. laugh But I would have had the same concerns. eek

P.S. Wife loves your wooden canoe. So do I. Beautiful.

Last edited by snrub; 11/06/14 11:33 AM.

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Sunset over the pond.

]

Sunset over our pond


Last edited by snrub; 11/07/14 12:39 AM.

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Snrub, you have beautiful pictures with much inspiration from your pond no doubt. Your expansion of your pond dreams are very exciting to many of us. Having one's own bulldozer as you do would be a dream for projects doers. My pond as I have said before, from it's conception to now has led me and not the reverse. Who Knows what's next?

As I look back 20 years now from the wet spot in the field that started this, here is what has happened.

Built the pond.

Planted a forest around it.

Built boats to look for plants in lakes and streams.

Built the foam island that now has been in the water for three years.

Became a nature watcher.

Started to take pictures of nature, which has led to,,,,,

Joining an art association to show photo's,,,,

Leading to learning Photoshop which enabled me to put together several photo's I have taken at the pond to make the picture below. The background night lilies are not mine and the center bottom tropical lily is not mine.

All from a wet spot in a field.


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What bird is that John? Is it a type of Cormorant?

My wife is an artist and also an avid underwater photographer. Mostly macro. She does not do much photography above water. Although she takes a closeup of about every flower she sees if she has a camera handy.

Wife's art and photography

Carolynnburns.com

Last edited by snrub; 11/08/14 11:46 AM.

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Looks like a heron of some kind. They roam the ditches around my neck of the woods



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Maybe a green Heron?


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snrub #407770 04/13/15 02:10 PM
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Pond is coming around. Caught a couple 8" BG recently.

Sorry about poor second picture. Wife and I both had fish on at same time and I was trying to juggle phone and take a picture.

But the pond is progressing. Wish I could get some better quality feed, but all I have fed is the 32% catfish food and a little bit of 36% Cargill game chow that I could get my hands on.

I'm happy with the results so far.

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Last edited by snrub; 04/13/15 02:12 PM.

John

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Mini crank strikes again....that LMB pattern is killer for big gills.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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I'll say one thing positive about FA. It sure makes for some good refuge for small fish and tadpoles. Went around the ponds tonight to see what I could see and saw thousands of small BG and FHM along with some tadpoles using the FA and protected areas of water protected by the FA to sleep. Quite a number of leopard frogs and this one nice hand size bullfrog.

I've always wondered if frogs ate fish. While I was watching this one and taking pictures ever closer, a FHM swam around and nudged up against the frog. As the minnow touched the frogs front legs the frog went after it. He missed it, but the way he attacked I'm satisfied the frog successfully gets some small fish.

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I have a very small seasonal pond that is now holding water. I tossed in about 20 BG and GSF plus about 50 FHMs to control mosquitoes. The flooded weeds, now dead, are loaded with leapord frog tadpoles.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
snrub #408218 04/17/15 06:21 AM
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Originally Posted By: snrub
Pond is coming around. Caught a couple 8" BG recently.

Sorry about poor second picture. Wife and I both had fish on at same time and I was trying to juggle phone and take a picture.

But the pond is progressing. Wish I could get some better quality feed, but all I have fed is the 32% catfish food and a little bit of 36% Cargill game chow that I could get my hands on.

I'm happy with the results so far.


snrub,
I love it when a big BG nails a baby bass crank...li'l crawfish cranks of the same size work very well too.


...when in doubt...set the hook...
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So can a 8 inch cnbg actually eat a real 2 inch lmb?


Dear Alcohol, We had a deal where you would make me funnier, smarter, and a better dancer... I saw the video... We need to talk.
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Originally Posted By: Flame
So can a 8 inch cnbg actually eat a real 2 inch lmb?


James,
I think if a big BG can get it in it's mouth, it's absolutely possible. A few years back I was throwing a 4" wooden top water lure (frog color) in a 75 acre lake. A fish came up from underneath and knocked it out of the water 3 times. The third time, he managed to get the entire treble hook in its mouth. It turned out to be a huge BG. Thing I never figured out was whether the big BG was trying to eat the lure or just trying to scare it away.
Charlie


...when in doubt...set the hook...
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I've wondered that myself. If the BG is just being territorial and chasing something away, or if it really intends to eat what it is attacking.

I'm beginning to believe they are actually trying to eat it. I think if a big BG hit a fish hard enough to stun it, they might be able to tear it apart and eat it. They will tear into crayfish and other critters too big to swallow and bust them up enough to eat.

Was fishing off the dock tonight using that same crankbait as above and noticed small BG following it up close to the dock. I would let it float and lay in the water near the dock and just watch the BG. 3-4" fish would take a run at it and sometimes bump it and sometimes just miss. But even fish hardly bigger than the bait itself would nip at it.

Caught a couple 8" BG, one about 7" and one about 5" with that crankbait tonight.

One grandson last summer found out why I always wear a T shirt while swimming in the pond. Bout a 4" BG nailed him on the nipple and he let out a shriek. I think those fish just bite whatever seems like might be edible and hope a chunk comes off. Pretty sure the fish wasn't planning on eating all of him.


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Originally Posted By: Dave Davidson1
I have a very small seasonal pond that is now holding water. I tossed in about 20 BG and GSF plus about 50 FHMs to control mosquitoes. The flooded weeds, now dead, are loaded with leapord frog tadpoles.


Dave as I rode around the main pond tonight spraying my FA I noticed large numbers of tadpoles. Was kind of surprised to see that many where there are LMB in the pond. I had about a 2-4' wide band of FA around the pond edge and the tadpoles (along with loads of FHM fry) were right along the bank in a band of 4" clear water right against the shore line. They were using the FA as a shield kept between them and the predators. I have loads of frogs (and toads) this year.


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My Leapord Frog tadpoles are, at this time, no longer that 3/4 inch. Nothing much messes with them.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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I went out really early this morning (3 am). I think most of the tadpoles I am seeing around my main pond must be bullfrogs. Hundreds of them and I'm probably only seeing a fraction of what is there with the FA around the bank. They are 3"+ long and some already have rear legs. In a small puddle between my pre-sediment and sediment ponds from recent rains I saw tiny tadpoles maybe a quarter inch long and black. Don't know what they are.

All doubt is removed from my mind on the question about bullfrogs eating fish. I saw the frog in the first picture and thought "wonder how often that happens?". Then 25 feet more down the bank (forage pond where there are lots of FHM) was the second frog also with a fish tail sticking out his mouth.

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John

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Finally got my housing built for the aeration system. Took me long enough. I made it plenty large so if I ever want to put a "real" pump in place of the current four Pondmaster AP100's there will be plenty of room to work in.

There are three double 9" Matala diffusers in the main pond each driven by its own pump, then the 4th pump splits into two lines, one going to the sediment pond and one going to the forage pond each with a single 9" Matala diffuser.

Insulation in the lid was because I have truck loads of scraps out of the turkey barns we tore down and I figured it would help keep the sun from heating the building up so bad. I know standing in a shed with a tin roof on a hot sunny day it almost feels like the sun is coming through the tin it is so hot, so figured the insulation would help with that. There is an air gap at each end of the insulation and both ends of the lid is vented so heat can rise and go out the ends. Then there is also louvered vents in each end wall of the building for ventilation.

I placed a plastic container around the pipes where they enter so the concrete is only about an inch thick for about a 6" circle around the pipes. That way if I ever need to replace or add another pipe I only have an inch of concrete to break up and dig under the corner to get a pipe fed up through the floor. I set the pumps up on a board instead of the concrete so I could get some more height so the tubing would run down hill from the pumps to keep any condensation flowing away from the pumps.

As far as metal color selection, the tin was from scraps I had laying around from other roofing projects. Not exactly a perfect combination, but it still sheds the rain. The ends on the lid was some excess vented soffit material I had.

Pictures below. Concrete and frame done last fall, put tin on and finished it recently.

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Last edited by snrub; 04/19/15 07:38 AM.

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Some sample fish from the pond. The LMB I should have culled. I've caught several 15" and this one did not even make it to a foot in length. Must be a runt, but I did not think of culling it till it was already back in the water.

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Last edited by snrub; 04/20/15 11:10 PM.

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Housing looks great!!! Fish too.

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