Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions Aerator Run Time

Thank you Knobber for posting that graph.


This is my point when I hear of people saying "Only aerate when the air temps are cooler or the water will warm up in the pond". When I say "O.K., prove it" all I hear then is crickets.

I was told to do that many years ago when I wanted to keep trout longer into the summer in my pond.

So I did it and the trout died within a week. I ONLY ran the aeration system when the ambient air temp was below 70°F (I had a temperature controlled switch that only turned on when the temp was below that temp).

Next year I didn't aerate at all, and while the pond set up a thermocline at 8', the trout lived longer but still not all summer.

So, that's why I say that aerating only at night when the temps are cool is an old wives tale and it doesn't make a whit of difference in overall pond water temp if aeration is done during the day or at night.

Now what DOES make a difference is aerating at night to keep O2 levels higher. Personally, I run my aeration system in my personal pond 24/7 when the water temp hits the upper 50's in the Spring until when the water temp drops to the upper 50's again in the Fall, then only run the winter AirStation once the pond gets a coating of ice and snow.


Commander, I would ask your pond guy if he's ever done a detailed water temperature profile in a pond where aeration was done only at night when it was cool vs. 24/7 and if he says yes, ask him to email you the data. I'd be curious to see what the data looks like.