Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions Pump Recomendations

To design the system correctly, you have to start at the diffuser stations and work your way to the compressor.

Here's what I'd do if I was trying to design my own system. (I'm lazy and take the easy way out - I just get in touch with one of the advertisers here who sell vertex systems and have one designed for my specific pond, and buy it. If I want them to do all the legwork and calculate all the info for me, the least I can do is give them my business.)

But, if I didn't want to do that, and wanted to do a DIY system, then to do it properly, here's the steps you should take.

1) Calculate how many gallons of water are in the pond.
2) Calculate the quantity of diffuser stations I will need to "turn" or move the total pond water volume to the surface between 1.5 and 2 times per day running the system for the length of time that I plan on running it. I'd do the calcs for 24/7 operation.
3) Look at the depth of each station.
4) Calculate the amount of air (cfm) that all the diffuser stations will need and depth that the diffuser stations will be placed at. Figure .5 to .6 psi for every foot of depth. You only need to figure that out for the deepest diffuset station.
4) Those numbers will tell you what specs you need for the air pump. You have to look at their pressure curves and flow rates to properly size the compressor.