I have a 4-yr old, 1/3 acre pond in my backyard (about 100 ft from my house) in Central Mississippi. It is currently stocked with bluegill and bass. I'm leaning towards draining the pond this fall and stocking with catfish only. The maximum depth of the pond is about 8 ft and the average depth is about 4 ft.

Would aeration benefit the pond? I have not had any turnover problems or fish kills. However, if I stock catfish only, that may be different. From what I've read it seems low oxygen is more of a problem to catfish. Can I stock more catfish if I aerate? Would my pond produce more?

The main problem I have now is pond algae that develops occassionally. I know if I keep my pond limed and fertilized (so that light cannot penetrate the bottom), the algae problem is reduced. Will aeration help with this as well?

Obviously, I will look hard at cost vs. benefit. How much would a system for my pond cost?