Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,902
Posts557,116
Members18,452
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,420
ewest 21,475
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,112
Who's Online Now
1 members (anthropic), 750 guests, and 227 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
Will an airstone or a vertex diffuser do a better/faster job of punching thru thick ice? Any real world experience?


Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,420
Likes: 794
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,420
Likes: 794
I have no data. BUT, coarser bubbles will keep a bigger area open due to wave action. An air stone will need more maintenance than a rubber membrane disk.

Rubber - shut off air, scrub with mild scotchbrite pad or dish cleaning pad, drop down, turn air back on.

Air stone - I think of bleach or acid to clean the pores.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4
3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
So do you think that in an area like mine a stone would stand a better chance of KEEPING a hole open?

Last edited by wbuffetjr; 05/11/16 02:11 PM.

Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 709
Ambassador
Lunker
Offline
Ambassador
Lunker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 709
Hey wbuffetjr ~ I have lot's of experience with winter aeration via rubber membranes. If you send me your email I can send you some photos. One of our PB family members way way up in Canada (Blair) decided to install a system through some really thick ice in late December a few years ago and took some cool photos.


Sue Cruz
Vertex Water Features
www.vertexwaterfeatures.com

Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086
Likes: 93
S
Offline
S
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086
Likes: 93
What about a piece of PVC pipe with some 1/64 holes drilled in it? Set in a sack of Quickcrete to hold it down?

Would that make the desired larger bubbles?

Membrane diffuser in deep water in summer and something simpler in shallow water for winter?


John

I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 709
Ambassador
Lunker
Offline
Ambassador
Lunker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 709
I wouldn't recommend PVC with holes ~ that will be too course and require a LOT of air. Wisconsin DNR has been unsuccessfully doing it that way for years. I think they are beginning to see that there are more efficient diffusers to keep ice open.


Sue Cruz
Vertex Water Features
www.vertexwaterfeatures.com

Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086
Likes: 93
S
Offline
S
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086
Likes: 93
Interesting to know. I had wondered about that but had no personal application since generally ice coverage is not a problem so I have not tried to keep a winter diffuser running.


John

I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939
M
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Offline
Hall of Fame
Lunker
M
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939
I have 15 years of winter experience on this subject using windmills and other intermittent forms of aeration. Besides the optimization of a diffuser/air stone/ or what a person choses for water movement, I have found its how the ice forms that's equally important. Melting ice has to a lot to do with surface area. The more area the warm water touches the faster the ice melts. Once there is an open hole in the ice it expands quickly. IME

FWIW - I have begun suspending roughed up black ABS or PVC tubes above my diffusers at the water surface before freeze up. When the windmill stops pumping, the ice forms around these the tubes. This edge between the ice and these tubes allows for a much faster hole creation once the windmill starts turning.

Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
Mnfish I like that idea! Someone had talked about driving a pipe down in the pond bottom and leave a few feet out of the water. The sun heating it up would help open a hole as well. I will definitely be doing something along those lines this fall before I leave in September.

I just wanted to make sure which diffuser I should leave hooked up as well.


Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 78
L
Offline
L
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 78
Originally Posted By: esshup
I have no data. BUT, coarser bubbles will keep a bigger area open due to wave action. An air stone will need more maintenance than a rubber membrane disk.

Rubber - shut off air, scrub with mild scotchbrite pad or dish cleaning pad, drop down, turn air back on.

Air stone - I think of bleach or acid to clean the pores.


When I used to work at the aquarium we would soak the air stones in bleach to clean them.


I subscribe!

Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
cro, HC1968
Recent Posts
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by esshup - 03/29/24 01:06 AM
pond experience needed
by esshup - 03/29/24 12:45 AM
New pond middle TN: establishing food chain?
by Bill Cody - 03/28/24 07:57 PM
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by FireIsHot - 03/28/24 07:33 PM
Working on a .5acre disaster, I mean pond.
by PRCS - 03/28/24 06:39 PM
Fungus infection on fish
by nvcdl - 03/28/24 06:07 PM
Can anyone ID these minnows?
by Dylanfrely - 03/28/24 05:43 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/28/24 04:48 PM
Yellow Perch Spawn 2024
by H20fwler - 03/28/24 04:29 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by LANGSTER - 03/28/24 03:49 PM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by esshup - 03/28/24 10:39 AM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5