Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Diffusers

Should I run rhem 24-7 during the winter or should I cut them back some?

A definite possibility. The shallow water diffusers I use to blow holes through ice are a membrane diffuser (pond 1) and an old airstone (pond 2 - not used at all in warm weather). The airstone, producing large bubbles, will make a hole in much less time than the membrane diffuser.

Also the benefit provided will depend on the quality, type, and style of diffuser used. Not all diffusers are equal. A coarse bubble diffuser might work best for your winter open water application. Experimentation may be needed to select the best diffuser for the compressor and air volume used.

timK Whenever the water is at or below 50F and the pond does not have lots of dead muck bottom layer I would not run the aeration. At 50F the wind can pretty well mix the pond. If you want to be on the safe side you could run the aerator in winter 1 hr per day. Plus as Theo said the water at 50F holds a lot more DO. At 50F DO consumption by bacteria, phytoplankton (nite) and other life forms is a lot slower and less per day compared to water above 65F-70F.