If you are running a 4 stone setup like the Sweetwater ALA4GL then your pump is maxed out, (1.5 - 2.4 cfm needed) even the smaller 4 stone ALP4 needs 1.2 - 1.5 cfm,if your not sure which stone you have the AES webpage is
http://www.aquaticeco.com. You may have a different setup all together.Depending on the disc your looking at it might not be any different than your stones.It could even be worse. If a disc or any diffuser does not have independent test results published that state lifting capacity at varied cfm's at varied depths it is probably just a water water diffuser, nothing wrong with those in a waste water situation but can come up short in a pond and lake setting.Also look to find a waranty of at least 5 years and you start to thin the crowd real fast. We are in the process of adding a page to our site that will help you compare diffusers and how they perform in real world situations. I find most of them do well in the lab (bath tub) testing but often do differently when several months or years of everyday pond/lake use.Results on Ecologix,ATI,MixAir FlexAir,Sweetwater,Vertex,PermaCap,EDI etc etc,will be posted this fall to help one compare and make informed choices. Another short coming is the idea of a diffuser that self cleans,many diffusers are touted as "self cleaning" ALL diffusers need to be cleaned, the fashion in which you do this is what varies. Continue to do your research as you have found a great forum to get answers and direction.Not sure if this helps answer "What would be a smart move"
