Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions 24/7 at this point?

Hello.

I added a diffuser based system to my pond late this summer, and I have been running it 24/7 since. I'm now wondering with the cooler temps, if I should shut the system down and wait for the warmer weather of spring to fire it back up?

We have been dipping into the high 30's in central Ohio lately at night. I've read a couple article about super cooling ponds in the winter, and figure I am nearing the point I can turn it off. I just want to be safe.

Thanks!

What's your water temp.. I shut mine off a few weeks ago (due to faulty timer).. I doubt you'll hurt anything by shutting it off now.. But most wait for water temps in the mid 50's..

That's one area I can not tell you - don't flame me. I need to get a thermometer for my pond, and don't have one. I never needed it before, as the windmill just ran (so to speak). It's got to be in the low 60's at this point (at least) as the nights have pretty much all been in the low to mid 40's for the last several weeks.

I'll see if I can find something to measure it when I am out an about this week.

Thanks for the fast response!

Might want to consider moving the diffuser to a shallow location ( 4 ft ) and run it in the winter enough to keep the ice open in a small area. Moving the diffuser to a shallow spot will not result in super cooling the deep areas and will help avoid a winter kill due to low DO. Several threads on that here.

An inexpensive indoor/outdoor thermometer will work.

Whats your thoughts on ponds that don't ice over? My pond may have ice a week out of the winter. I would like to shut it off before long.

If there is no ice over for more than a week +- then I would shut it off unless there are other reasons to keep it on. One of those would be a history of winter kill which can happen without long term ice over. The more the pond is run like an aquaculture operation the more need for aeration ( high fish content with high BOD ).

Its only the third winter for the pond. I am adding some HSB this week, will that matter on aeration?

HSB are more cold tolerant than most sunfish (BG , LMB etc). They will eat pellets at a lower water temp also. With cooler water the DO saturation goes up also.

I would leave the aeration on for at least a week after the HSB go in as a precaution. Then I would wind it down over time not just cut it off. I would also try to feed the HSB.