Great pics! I’m not too far from you, in NE Missouri. We love our similar fishery. I hope to get some WE some day to add in. Hopefully this fall if everything works out. I’d really like to see your solar/battery aeration system. Is it a kit, or did you assemble it from scratch. I have 200w portable panels already. Let me know if you’d be open to showing me your aeration set up.
I’m hoping WE can help control our HBG. We’ve had decent recruitment with our SMB and YP, but nothing near needing to control. Same with the GSH. The HBG crossed with our RES and exploded..
Thanks,
Jeff
I don't have many photos, but I'll describe it the best I can. Shoot me a PM if needed and I can go into more detail or get you links for purchases.
It is not a kit, just things that I pieced together. I use a 300 watt solar panel with a MPPT charge controller that charges a deep cycle/RV battery. An affordable 100 LPM 12 volt linear diaphragm pump from aquatic ecosystem discharges to an airlift that I built and sank in the pond. I am not using an airstone in the airlift (got tired of cleaning/replacing), just some holes drilled in 1" pvc which is mounted in the airlift about 48" below the surface. The airlift itself is connected to a bucket full of concrete and draws water from about 3 feet off the bottom in 12 feet of water. The airlift is 12" pvc that elbows into a tee/breather (to allow air to leave and water to continue out). You can kind of see it in the background of the picture links I have posted above. Fluctuating water levels impact its flow rate slightly when it drops below the top of the pipe outlet but it does a good job when fully submerged as long as the breather pipe is out of the surface.
I have it directed at some spawning substrate. It creates an eddy under the dock and will push pellets on the surface 15-20 feet away from the outlet. We run it during the day and it shuts down at night once the battery falls below a certain voltage. I have another panel that I am going to install and will likely upgrade to a couple golf cart batteries at some point and plan to upgrade to a larger air pump as well.
GSH school up in the eddy and are periodically marauded by packs of SMB and YP. Especially during feeding time. It sure is fun to watch!
