I'm real sorry to hear about your fish kill that is a real shame. Once your fish began piping at the surface you were in trouble.
If you haven't already, I would read the entire Aeration section of the archives. There is some great information there. I will be eagerly awaiting a response from one of the aeration pros.
In addition to your questions, when a pro responds I think it would be helpful for us all to learn some of the following:
1. Given the scenario above, with fish piping at the surface on the morning of the second day, should aeration have been discontinued or was it too late already.
2. Could the use of soaker hose versus a set of diffusers had anything to do with this? My understanding is that in deeper water (25 foot deep pond in this case) you want to create a rising column of water. Did the type of diffusion have anything to do with this?
3. It seems like Pond Owner was being nice and conservative with a 15 minute start up, did the depth or age (or both) of the pond have anything to do with this rapid problem?
4. What should be done now? Should the water be tested for methane, hydrogen sulfide or anything else? Will these gases diffuse by themselves?
Once again Pond Owner I'm real sorry to hear about your situation, I think all of us feel a loss when a fellow pond meister has a fish kill.
