Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? Winter aeration, do you think I need to?

Here are the physical specs. New this year, 1/2 acre pond, max depth 11-12' which is about 1/3 of the bottom area. average depth 6-7', lots of sand bottom flats & plateaus with structure. Pond is lined with no vegetation (yet). Started aerating in mid April using Vertex AirMax1 with two diffusers spaced about 50' apart at maximum depth and will continue 24/7 till at least mid Nov. We are located in north central Ohio, Seneca County. Now to the fish, stocked with 130ea 6-8" YP, 60ea 7-9" HSB, 60ea 8-9" Crappie and 4ea 8-10" LMB along with whatever forage (golden & fathead) survives. My wife wants to let the pond freeze over in the winter for ice skating, in a couple years I won't mind either for ice fishing. My question is with all this oxygen demand (fish) and no natural O2 production (plants) should I keep aerating all winter? Also, if the answer is yes, can I continue to use the same system I am using now during the summer? Thanks Jeff

Jeff, if you haven't already, contact Ted Lea at http://www.cleanponds.com , he can and will answer any aeration question you need to ask him...Ted is a great guy and he is very near you!

IMO, aeration year round for you would be good, but you will want to move your diffusers to shallower water. You may only want to use one diffuser station and even add a timer...Ted can tell you the specifics.

BTW Jeff, where have you been for the last year? Your last post was in 8/09!

Come on guys, over 45 views and only one of you has an opinon? I'm looking for as much "expert" input as I can get with this issue. My first loyalty is to my fish and I will not do anything to jeapordize them but I would like some more "professional" input. Mr. Lusk, Mr. Cody, Mr. Baird, Mr. West.....You guys have to at least have an opinion based on the info. I have provided?? Thanks!!! Jeff

Jeff,

To be honest with you this is the first I've seen your post.

If you need winter aeration it depends on how much snow you get on the ice(Is Seneca County in the snowbelt?), and how long your ice lasts. Also the fertility of your pond, age of the pond, and how much weed growth you have.

For years I used to get by with just removing strips of snow. However two winters ago I got heavy show early, but the ice was so thin I could not get out on the ice to remove it. Additionally the weight of the snow caused cracks in the thin ice, water perculated up, and the subsequent slush froze to an unmanagible frozen mesh.

When I was finally able to get onto the ice and monitor the D.O., I was flabbergasted by the plummeting D.O. although it wasn't lethal yet. That year I cut a big hole in the ice and set in a surface aerator to hold me over until ice out which was only two weeks away.

Since then I run a diffuser off of a small diaphragm pump (smaller than my summer rotary vane) into just a few feet of water to keep some ice open. It gives me piece of mind as I sell fish out of the biggest pond and don't want to lose that income.

I just saw this post too... my first thoughts are that you don't need winter aeration. In the winter, everyone's metabolism slows down so much, colder water temperatures hold more oxygen and with out the excessive vegetation, there is none to die off and use up the oxygen in the pond. You have some nice depth to your pond, too. Normally the ponds in danger of a winter fish kill are shallow weedy ponds. I suggest to let your wife have her way this winter, let it freeze, iceskate and enjoy ~ if the winter is never-ending and harsh, you can always fire up the aeration system which will open a hole in the ice with in an hour. After that, no more skating!!

Jeff, Im late getting back with you and I know you left a phone message Move one station into approx 4 ft of water this fall, continue to run the system until average daily highs are apprx 40 ish for a week (could be Thanksgiving timeframe) and then shut off. If thin ice is ever a concern then leave shut down until 1st of April.If ice and snow cover with snow being the deciding factor go for 3-4 weeks without a problem as mentioned before as your fish will require smaller amounts of oxygen at that time and your supply will be high from colder temps.If you clear snow for skating your O2 will be fine as even without many plants yet you will have planktonic algae that will produce favorable levels of oxygen.If you need to blow a hole in the ice then figure the shallow diffuser will melt approx 6 inches per 24 hours at the 4 ft depth.Be sure the deeper station is shut off.

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