Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Fish Kill in West Central Indiana

I run mine 24/7/365. O2 gets into ponds via photosynthesis from plants or phytoplankton, and via interaction with air. Cut off the sunlight with thick opaque ice, and the O2 bank will be slowly depleted. Running a diffuser during the winter allows the water to come in contact with the air, and also allows sunlight to penetrate the water. The deeper the pond, the more O2 is in the bank, but over long periods of ice cover, the bank gets depleted.

I run my diffuser in an area of the pond where it will thaw the ice all the way to the shore, so that if something goes into the water, it can get back out. I have the diffuser set about 1/4 the total pond depth. Look for an article in Pond Boss Magazine the Fall of 2014 on winter aeration.