I am creating this post for the basic new guy that had all the same questions I had when I was first getting into air. I will keep it very basic and try NOT to confuse anyone, but I have noticed more and more folks asking and PMing me a lot asking simple questions I believe I can help with at this point. Of course if I get anything wrong experts please chime in and feel free to correct my post. I have no problem with that.
Do's and Dont's Will's and Wont's
1. Q: Will a vacuum pump work the same as a air pump?
A: Yes it's a little confusing but they call it a vacuum pump because it will do both suck and or blow out air. It has two holes on it one for each depending what you want all you have to do is put a filter on the vacuum side to keep junk from getting down into your pump.
2. Q: Do I have to use weighted hose from my ponds edge to my diffusers?
A: No you don't have to but it sure makes it a LOT easier and you don't have to worry about anyone or anything getting caught up in your hose line.
3. Q: Do I have to put oil in this pump?
A: Well it depends on the type of pump you have but a lot of the pumps out there are "oil free" so you don't have to add oil to it. It should say on your pump if it is or not.
You should not use a pump that needs oil as oil can leak past the seals and end up in the pond, potentially partially clogging the diffuser or airstone on the way to the water.
4. Q: How far can I have my pump from the ponds edge?
A: Well I know some guys that have there pump over 1000 feet away from the pond all they do is run some type of air hose/ PVC pipe to the ponds edge and then hook up to the air line going to the diffusers.
5. Q: Do I need one air station or two or 3?
A: Well this depends on size of pond shape of pond and or obstacles in your pond. Do research on this one and you will find your answer that best fits your pond.
6. Q: Will air help my ponds weed and algae issues?
A: Well probably not really everyone seems to think it will but it really doesn't at least not right away or over night. Remember your main reason for getting air is to get more dissolved oxygen in your pond to help them fish and bacteria breath!! Not to get rid of weeds and algae it will however help with the muck on the bottom of your pond but be patient.
7. Q: Do I have to have a certain type of diffuser?
A: Yes you need to have a diffuser that creates fine bubbles not large bubbles. Vertex and others make good FINE bubble diffusers that will work great for your setup. Most diffusers that folks use are in the 9 inch category. For a diffuser that is used during the winter, a diffuser that produces coarse bubbles is better because it makes more wave action, which helps keep a larger hole open in the ice. A fine bubble diffuser will work also.
8. Q: Do I have to have a gauge on my pump?
A: No you do not, but it's a good idea so you can see what is going on with your pump and setup. If your standard pressure is 4 to 5 psi and you are running at 18 psi how are you gonna know something is wrong? It's always a good idea to have a pressure gauge and a relief valve on your system if you can.
9: Q: Should my diffusers be spread out or close to each other on my air station?
A: They should be close about a inch or so apart is good. The reason for this is you get your best upwelling / movement of water to the surface from them being close together and that's what you want!
It depends on the water depth. A larger diameter column of bubbles will move more water than a smaller diameter column of bubbles. Finer bubbles will move more water than coarser bubbles. In water less than 8 feet deep, place the diffuser discs roughly 1" apart. In water deeper than 8 feet, place the diffuser discs about 6" apart. Once the bubbles from the individual diffuser discs move approximately 6 to 8 feet they will merge together and make one large column. In shallower water the wide diffuser placement will have the diffusers working against one another, creating a void between where water will not be moving upward as fast.
10. Q: Do I have to run my air 24/7?
A: Well this one depends. What you really want is to have at least one turn over of your entire water column in a 24 hour period. So if you can do that in 8 hours instead of 24 then no you don't need to. This is one of those it all depends questions. Do your research on your setup versus you pond size and you'll get your answer. Just remember you want a system that can at least turn your pond over once in a 24 hour period. If you find out you can do this in a 12 hour period instead then run your system at night because that will be when your D.O. is at it's lowest point in your pond and your fish will be the most vulnerable.
Yeah I know I added a question.
11. Q: What type of start up procedures do I need to go by when starting up my air for the first time?
A: If your water is above 50 or so degrees you need to do a 15 minute startup first day then 30 min the next day and double it for each day until your running full time. If you do smell Hydrogen Sulfide in your bubble plume stay at that time on your air until the smell goes away then increase after that.
I hope this helps out some of the new guys out here looking and lurking. I've added some links to my system and others who have used something very close to the same thing. I know it sure would have helped me when I was working on my first system. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask any question no matter how dumb you think it is it could save your pond and your fish!!!
Keep in mind these links are old and not sure if all of them still work inside the original??
I have cense this project updated my pump to a GAST 0523 1/3 hp pump that I am very happy with v.s. the Eco 7 some Eco 7's worked great others not so good so you kinda get what you pay for, but at the time it was all I could afford and worked well for me for 4 years in about 8 to 9 foot of water. Hope all of this will help you all out as much as possible!!
RC
Here is a link to my original setup and a link or 2 from others who used something similar.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=17828&Number=229082#Post229082http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=228882#Post228882http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=252928&page=1http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=323396#Post323396http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=294637#Post294637http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=245867#Post245867
