Originally Posted By: Bill Cody
RC51 asks: ""Say your pond is 1 acre and 12 feet deep but you only have enough line to get your fuser in say 8 foot of water? Is that ok and will the pond still turnover ok given your pond is pretty much round / triangular? Or does that diffuser absolutley have to be at 12 feet?"" That is a good question. Other pros may want to reply to this. Vertex has conducted aeration studies that may shed light on this topic. Here are my opinions and experiences. As usual it will depend on several things. 1. size of compressor, style and number of diffusers. 2. Time in spring-summer when the system is started up. 3. Exposure to wind. 4. Water clarity.

1. The larger the compressor and more diffusers (strength) the more likely the boil/s will be able to mix the entire water column.
2. My experience is the earlier in the season the aerator is started the more likely the depths greater than 8ft will be mixed. When the system is started when the water is warm and the pond is stratified the mixing basically stops at 8 ft diffuser depth where the mixing current then travels laterally toward the diffuser and then up into the upwelling boil. When the aerator is started when water temps are cool before statification (usu. 48-52F) the mixing currents tend to travel to the deeper 12ft bottom then circulate up into the diffuser upwelling boil. I think this occurs due primarily to the uniform density of the water column and resistance to mixing is nill. If the mixing currents are low from a 'weak' boil the mixing currents are less likely to move into the water deeper than 8ft. This can vary from pond depending on size, depth, and other factors that resist to mixing.

3. Wind exposure and wave action has minor affect but I think it will help distribute the boil toward shorelines and help increase the strength of the lateral mixing current hopefully allowing it to move deeper. Stronger wind action will naturally create a thicker upper mixing zone (epilimnion). A deeper epilimnion should make it easier for it to mix deeper with help from the diffuser.

4. Increased water clarity allows light to penetrate deeper and oxygen to be produced deeper. When the deeper water is mixed it will have more DO in it.

Bottom line - it would be most dependable to move the diffuser deeper and not rely on factors of "it depends".


Bill thanks a bunch for that answer! That's great!! I am finding out that at first glance air and bubbles seem fairly easy a no brainer if you will but that is far from it!! There is a LOT to know and learn about air and how it works in a pond and all the different situations there in. Easy in some ways yes, very complex in others for sure!!

Thanks for your response! RC

Last edited by RC51; 04/04/12 02:35 PM.
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!