Thanks guys! That was all very helpful. I do understand the perks of putting in a better system right away, but it’s just not an option right now, so I appreciate the input on how I can do this as cost effective as possible. I thought taking some action now and improving it as I can would be better than waiting until I can afford a better one. 3 years ago my pond was at least 75% covered in lily pads. I used an herbicide to remove the majority of them and only left 3 smaller patches. At the time the water was crystal clear, but gradually I have been seeing it get worse each year. This summer the pond really got mucky and has a lot of algae and seaweed growing up. So I was hoping an aerator would help.
So back to my aerator... My original plan was to run it just in the daytime without the batteries, so I think that may be the area where I can save some costs. I will get another 100w panel, and then that should run the pump without the battery, right? Or do I need something else to make that happen? If I get poly panels, will that be ok with the ones I have? I will also look into a new charge controller and inverter (I got a cheapo inverter too). Any suggestions for quality affordable ones would be appreciated. I may try it with what I have too just to see how it works. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Thanks again
