fowells, what would you say is the average depth of the pond, and how much does the water level fluctuate annually? I'm not an aeration guy, but I'm wondering if a bottom diffuser aeration system will give you enough lift in 3-4'of water. Just from my research, a big and shallow pond may respond well to surface aeration. That's in essence what you were doing with the trash pump.
Oh, welcome to the forum.