I am new to pond ownership and would like to add an aeration system to my pond to help keep the fish healthy and clear up the water.
My pond is approx. 1.5 acres. It is very long and narrow (approx. 40ft wide in the center, 60ft wide on each end, and 400~500ft long). The center has an average depth of 3.5ft. The end sections average 5ft deep.
The bottom is covered with 4~5" of dark gray mud. The water is not too murky, but is slightly brown.
The pond is home to largemouth bass, crappie, redear, bluegill, yellow-bellied catfish, and grass carp. Most of the fish are relatively small. There are a few nice sized largemouths that I believe were transplanted into the pond.
I was thinking of putting some type of aeration in each of the larger end sections. I was thinking of using a diffuser system with a 1/4 hp vane type pump and two diffusers. I have electricity at only one end of the pond which would make installing this type of system easier.
Does this sound OK for the pond described above, or should I be using surface aeration?
Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.
