Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Theatre of the absurd...

Applying what I've learned from PB in order to help solve everyday issues.

Problem: Ice cubes piping at the surface of this BOS. (Body of Soda)



Analysis: Upon sampling the BOS, I have discovered a layer of intensely flavored cherry syrup languishing near bottom of the soda column...short answer - the BOS is stratified, forcing the ice cubes to rise up to the surface.

Hypothesis: a thorough mixing of the soda column is needed immediately. My solution is bottom diffused aeration.

Installing proper aeration equipment:


Initiating airflow to induce mixing of the soda column:


The same BOS, now showing traces of the cherry syrup layer mixed throughout the entire soda column. Unfortunately, in my haste to correct the soda imbalance I did not utilize the correct aeration start-up procedure, and turned the entire BOS far too rapidly resulting in a cube kill - note that the cubes are floating belly up.


However, thanks to PB, I know where to go from here: Drain, refill, and begin anew.

Unfortunately, in my haste to correct the soda imbalance I did not utilize the correct aeration start-up procedure, and turned the entire BOS far too rapidly resulting in a cube kill - note that the cubes are floating belly up.

What about the risk of loss of dissolved CO2 upon aeration start-up?

How does the viscosity of the cherry syrup contribute to the stratification, and how is this affected by the temperature of the near-freezing soda? In other words, how does your aeration plan change depending on whether the water is warm or cold?

I would suggest a stress test to determine current compressor capability, but the risk of a gasket failure might be too high. Do we have a backup to put in place quickly?

Just measured a similar compressor system here. Was at 23 cfm peak. but min psi.

I would like to offer an alternate hypothesis to explain this rapid and untimely demise.

While it is certainly possible than an anoxic episode was responsible for this event, the species under study is known to be much more sensative to fluctuations in TEMPERATURE rather than to oxygen concentrations or even toxins such as hydrogen sulfide. Therefore, the sudden introduction of a large mass of superheated air, especially though an improperly sized delivery vehicle, could have warmed the fluid beyond it's inhabitants ability to compensate, resulting in rapid and irreversible damage and death.

One might argue that there is little evidence to support either hypothesis without data from autopsy. However, if one recalls the nature of the compressor, and the typically elevated temperature of its discharges, a very sound case can be made for this theory.

So you think a compressor issue is the cause of death? Strange, I never made the connection.

Indeed, the compressor might well suffer some sort of mechanical failure. Repairs are prohibitively expensive, and often require a specialist to diagnose each sub-assembly. Complicated, apparently.

Indeed, the compressor might well suffer some sort of mechanical failure. Repairs are prohibitively expensive, and often require a specialist to diagnose each sub-assembly. Complicated, apparently.