Lets talk about diffusers!I read too many posts where dealers are stating that their equipment (diffusers) are good up to XX size or it will aerate XX size pond. Lets start by saying that the majority of rubber membrane diffusers are made for the wastewater industry and pond and lake aeration is a sideline niche. Consider establishing your pond volume and the number of turns per day you want to acomplish. This could be .75 turns in a large cold water pond or lake with cold water fish or twice in ponds that are mature and have a considerable amount of organic matter to decompose.The BOD in every pond is different.Simply adding more air to an unknown diffuser will not do what is needed. For example if you know that your pond is 12 feet deep and a diffuser will turn over 2700-2800 gallon per minute at 1 CFM and the independent test data backs this up now your getting somewhere. A 1/2 acre pond at average depth of 12 feet will now turn over twice per day.In larger ponds and lakes simply adding more air will turn over more water but that air may better spent on another diffuser if needed or perhaps you could of gotten by with a smaller pump.Less $$ upfront and less $$ to operate. At some point you are turning the same gallons over too many times as other water in the pond is benefiting little because of diffuser placement or lack of. Long story short consider doing more homework when matching pumps and diffusers. I would not buy a diffuser of any kind if I did not have the specs (turnover rates at given depths)at given CFM's and someone stating this is the "size" for xx acre pond probably has no idea what they are selling.Another way to look at this is if you have for example a 21 inch Ecologix diffuser why would you want to waste the money on putting 5-8 CFM with a large pumpinto this diffuser when a smaller diffuser and pump will out perform it hands down. I have removed many diffusers from ponds that were totally mismatched. This is the next "wave" of knowledge and information that is coming to pond and lake managers DIFFUSER PERFORMANCE. Someone mentioned that they have a good "boil". I have in one of our display ponds a dedicated 1.5 CFM piston pump and have a 21inch Ecologix diffuser a 14 inch Ecologix diffuser a Aquatic EcoSystems Great Lakes 4 stone a Koender 7 inch round air stone a Vertex Coactive Airststion all in 12 feet of water..When I push 1.5 CFM of air to each seperatly you get a good "boil" out of each.I always ask my customers when switching from diffuser to diffuser which boil is from which diffuser as I have the same diffusers on shore to show the difference.You cant tell the difference between 500GPM and 2778 GPM to the eye. However the Koender Airstone (windmill model)produces 500 GPM the Vertex CoActive Airstation produces 2778 GPM (only needs 1 CFM to do this) the Great Lakes Airstone produces 1250 GPM the Ecologix diffusers produce little at this CFM as they are rated for much much higher CFM and Ecologix does not seem to want to share their data for their wastewater diffusers to us "pond folk"I have dedicated part of the ForeverGreen website at
www.aquaticaeration.com to this subject. Some will say I state these facts because I am a Vertex Water Features Dealer, but the truth is I am a Vertex Dealer "because" of these facts.Have gone through the same confusion and to some degree deception that you have or may experience.Buy your pumps and diffusers where you can find the best value but know how to place value on a system to fit your pond or lakes needs and your goals .Look into the pros and cons of airstones vs wastewater diffusers vs pond and lake rubber membrane diffusers,compare warranties and pumps, rotary vanes vs WOBL piston pumps vs rocking piston vs Articulating pistons and the choices go on and on! Then whatever system you purchase or build yourself will be the best system for you. Sorry for the length of this note and the commercial that it sounds like but the information to get you better "value" is out there waiting!! Ted
