A pond expert in my area gave me some advise about aerator startup. Turn the aerator on, go out in the canoe and smell the air coming up. If you smell the rotten egg smell you know you have quiter a bit of H2S is there. Then he said to do what Cary suggested. The first day run it for 20 or 30 minutes. Add some time each day. When you get to where you no longer have any bad smell then have at it and run as much as you like. I use this method every spring when I start up my second aerator on a secluded part of pond. Some times I get some smell, then I'm careful. This spring I had no smell so I let her rip. Never killed an fish doing it this way.
