Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions De-Icing aeration system

OK - I finally have power near my pond and I think I should install an air system. My pond is about 1/4 acre in surface area about 12-14 feet deep. I'm raising rainbow trout. Last winter I tried keeping snow off the pond but lost my fish sometime between late Febuary and May. They all went belly up. I wasn't able to get up there after a significant snowfall in Late Febuary and I'm guessing they eventually ran out of DO. I know they were looking good up until then because I dropped in a camera and could visually "inspect" the fish.

My pond is in NE Minnesota and we get thick ice and plenty of snow.

My thought is that if I run an aerator/De-icing system I won't have this (DO or gas build-up) problem but I'm concerned about the supercooling issue I've read about on other posts.

What should I do? Any system recommendations?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Larry

This winter I'm going to try a Kasco de-icing system. Unless Ted Lea or someone else talks me out of it. It's basically just a surface agitator. I think that the 1/2 hp system doesn't use a ton of energy, so I think it will keep the surface clear, inject some oxygen and keep the warmer water near the bottom where it belongs. Here's the link I'm looking at.

http://www.aeratordeicer.com/deicers.html

This would also double as an emergency aerator during the summer if you wished to maintain your thermocline. I haven't used it but it seems to be a logical solution.

birddog and bruce,

For birddog's scenario of keeping trout, the surface agitator is a better option than the diffuser. The cooler water will retain more oxygen yet your thermocline will not be disrupted in this small pond. The hole created will allow the sun to enter the water column while the lake will off-gas the carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide build up. And for summer, the surface aerator is a better option for a trout pond since it will not disrupt the thermocline at that time of year either. The trout will be able to keep in the lower cooler waters during the summer.

Now if the lake was larger, we could work with a diffuser and not totally disrupt the thermocline.

Birddog, since you are in MN, the company that Bruce is speaking of is located in your state. KascoMarine.com Talk with Bob Robinson.

Good Luck!

I build and sell a wind-powered aerator that will help prevent winter fishkill. Of course your pond has to have a decent amount of wind.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7719007708

I use a diffuser in very shallow water on the edge of the pond for my 1/10th acre trout pond. My pond drops off very rapidly so the diffuser is actually sitting right on the edge of the pond. I also remove snow off the ice. I use a small 1/20th hp. compressor for this. It's this one the DC 22 on this page:

http://www.stoneycreekequip.com/form/air_compressor.htm

Optimally diffuser and airline stay permanently in the pond with only a change over from the summer large compressor and it's airline and diffuser to this smaller compressor, airline and diffuser in winter. I hate moving airlines etc!

Bruce, Cecils method works well and Carys comments are right on track also. If you dont want to install a diffuser in shallow water a deicer will work just fine, Both serve the same winter purpose. I use a Koender windmill airstone and supply .5 -1 cfm to it.Installed in the far end of the ponds. I seem have a ton of them and they dont circulate much water so they are a great winter device or a summer "beach scrubber" for the recreational ponds. Another device to look at for this and other purposes is the WG Airpod from Aeration Technologies Inc.Ted