Some background info first....and an apology for this long post that follows......Last November I renovated my 1 acre pond in the Sierra foothills (~1600 feet elev) east of Sacramento CA (a great story for another time). Pond is tear drop shape ranging from about 8 to 15 feet deep with mostly steep sides, almost no shallow areas. Pond will receive no supplemental water from May-November (thanks to our Mediterranean climate) but will hold good volume until rainy season returns. Based on past experience, it will likely lose 2 to 4 feet to evaporation. I anticipate aquatic scum/oxygen depletion as the greatest threat to fish (not yet stocked) and overall water quality. I know I need to aerate. And the question is........on a limited budget (I can't spend more than $2k for a system and am expecting a 20 to 30$ per month increase on electric bill) what system has the greatest bang for the buck (1) a surface aerator that pumps water from several feet down and sprays it out to break up, chop and ripple the water surface to inhibit algae and provide modest oxygen replenishment, or (2) a bottom up air diffused system that will destratify pond, provide a lot of oxygen, but not break up surface water very much (low-modest algae control).
Was reading some material from "Ken's Hatchery and Fish Farms" in GA that suggests bottom up air diffusers can be dangerous to fish because they circulate, and do not release to the surface air, the ammonia and other organic breakdown gases generated at the pond bottom. My gut says bottom up air diffusers would work great......would like some input before I continue to spend money on this great hobby......
Thanks,
Dave in El Dorado, CA
