Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help aeration

After last nights video on aeration, I have a question for the folks who have ponds in the upper mid-west and North. i am in Michigan. Spring is about to hit us ( we all hope) and I have my aeration in the 3-4 foot area for winter to keep the ice from my dock and to keep open a fairly good size hole. I have two aerators in deeper water and in the spring I usually just shut the shallow off and the deeper on. Question ....How do all of you do this? i have not had a problem with fish kill in doing it this way, but, the pond is now three years old and so are the fish. I am just curious as to what others so in my region of the world...thanks for any comments!!

I'm in Northern Illinois. Right or wrong, here is how I do it and have had no fish kills (knock on wood).

I have two diffusers, one deep and one shallower. During the summer I run them both at night. During the winter I only run the shallow one and then only when I have heavy snow cover, long period of cloudy days or when the ice is real thick and opaque.

Thanks Bill, do you have bluegill, regular or hybrid? I have hybrid and am thinking of adding regular so they can add more little ones for the few bass I have. Only, I have been reading that this is not too successful in the northern states. My pond is about a half acre and 30 feet at the deepest. Only have about 20 bass and all of my fish are 3 years old as is the pond. Hoping for some nice catches this year.

Feed your BG good quality pellets and they will do the best they can which is usually very good to get some 9". Use proper harvest of females vs males. Your 20 bass will soon include numerous small bass due to reproduction if it did not happen last year. Your aeration schedule is good for your location. If the system is designed well enough, in MI climate you could get by with operating it 4-6 hrs per day in a 3 yr old pond.

I have BG and also a few hybrid (HBG). I also have pumpkinseed sunfish (PS) for snail control.