I moved into my house about 4 years ago and when I got here there was a small fountain in my pond and I want to go a step above that this spring and aerate my pond.
I am disabled vet and would like to do this as cheap as possible as I am on a fixed budget. I would like to make my own system with a compressor that I can rebuild myself.
Read through this Aeration Thread from our Achives section. Near the bottom I put numerous links with good information about numerous topics about homemade or do-it- yourself aeration. Do lots of homework before pulling the trigger. A poorly built system with too little mixing is IMO a waste of money both in parts and with a system that wastes too much electricity and does not result in efficient mixing of the pond. Inadequate aeration is discussed in a couple of the above links. IMO it better to have too much aeration than too little. With overkill aeration you can do less than 24/7 operation each day. Reduced pump run time lengthens the life span of the compressor the most expensive part of the system.
The basic rule for aeration is the more bubbles you make and the smaller those bubbles are the more water you move. This information came from Aquatic EcoSystem (Pentair) hints in their catalog. Too small of bubbles tend to clog more quickly that causes extra maintenance.
I just found out that the pond is about 14 feet deep
please help
purchasing aerator next month
Take the surface area of the pond in acres, multiply that by half the max pond depth. Multiply that number by 325,851. The number you come up with is the number of gallons of water you need to move at a minimum every 24 hr period, I would recommend moving 1.5 to 2.0 times that amount of water.
Since this is a DIY system, I can furnish you with the formulas and information for you to figure out how much CFM you need.
Here is a chart showing what the Vertex diffuser disks move GPH wise, and they need a minimum of 1.0 CFM per disk to work. At 14' max depth, your system will need to generate the volume of air needed at 9-10 psi. That gives you a few psi for fudge factor.
Rotary Vane, rocking piston or diaphragm compressor, they all are rebuildable; but you need to contact the place where you buy the compressor to see if they have rebuild kits. Vertex has rebuild kits for all their compressors.
Here is what I did for my DIY aeration. First off I read most everything on here concerning what to do and not to do. These guys know their stuff. I went to www.hoosierpondpros.com that is linked above in Esshap above note and purchased my weighted tube and the Vertex diffusers. I only purchased the disks and built my own bases like many on here had done. I am about 17 feet deep so I went with an ebay rocking piston compressor. Between parts from Amazon and Lowes I pieced a manifold together and got mine all running. I am going to add 2 more diffusers to the shallow end that will mainly be for winter de-icing. good luck and there is lots of info on here. Dave
please make it more simple for a not so smart person
I will take some time this evening to do the math, but before I can do that I need to know the surface area of the pond, and the maximum and average depth. Then I can run the calculations and tell you how much water you will have to move in a 24 hr period. Without knowing that information, there is no way to know what sized system you need.
It's up to you to call the different companies that supply compressors, fans, and other equipment. You will have to find out from them how much Gallons of water their diffusers move, and how much air their compressors supply at what pressure. After all, you wanted a DIY system, not a do it for me system.
Once I have the size of your pond, etc., I can PM you with a quote on the individual parts. i.e., compressor, cooling fan, diffuser assemblies and tubing from Vertex.
We need to know where surface area. How large is this I cant see your attachment anymore. Unfortunately adding the aeration may not help. In fact I doubt it will much. Mine is running and I'm getting FA I may need to treat mine but I'm waiting to see if the upcoming rain will help. Good luck. Dave
If I did the math right....Assuming 7 foot average depth, the pond holds about 1,141,000 gallons. So to turn the pond 2 times running a diffuser 24/7, the diffuser needs to move about 1600 gallons/min. Based on that and the chart posted by Esshup, 1 XL1 Vertex diffuser placed at 14 feet should easily do the job.
Depending on the shape of the pond, you might want to go with two diffuser stations placed to maximize access to all areas of the pond. You could then cut down run time on the compressor and save a few bucks on electricity.
Last edited by Bill D.; 04/19/1710:33 AM. Reason: After thought
Installing 4-6 aeration systems in your pond will not rid the pond of the algae. Algae is due to a nutrient problem and aeration does little to change the nutrient balance in the pond.
I could not find how big the pond is?? That system linked to on Amazon is only a single head rocking piston pump that does not produce enough air volume for a pond bigger than 0.2 ac. I think two diffusers are almost 1 too many for a single head rocking piston pump. Each diffuser does not receive enough air volume to operate efficiently.
IF you are spending the money pay the extra $$ for a dual head pump that produces twice the air volume. It will opreate 2-3 diffusers well for the larger pond(0.3ac+) application. the dual head will mix the pond faster and the pump will not need to operate 24/7 and thus it will last longer - probably double the life span. Use a window air conditioner timer - 3 prong plug. In IL run 2-3 diffusers. Run time will depend on size of the pond and how old & eutrophic the pond is.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
Jamon, if you are calling Bill Cody an idiot for thinking you still needed help with your algae, then i suspect you will not find too many others eager to help. Your posting days may be numbered...
If you need help picking out a proper system that produces the proper air flow to meet your needs, then I'm sure there are those who would be willing to set up a private email opportunity for you.
jamon8, WOW, seeking advice and help but then calling those that do the helping an idiot? I work with and for Veteran's all the time in my business, you calling yourself out as a Veteran (which has absolutely NO relevance to getting help) probably embarrasses them all. I know exactly the aeration system you need and wouldn't tell you what it is until you humble yourself and apologize. jamon8, you're acting like an entitled child.
I just got a new pond, I made it twice because I aint so bright.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
Jamon, if you are calling Bill Cody an idiot for thinking you still needed help with your algae, then i suspect you will not find too many others eager to help. Your posting days may be numbered...
If you need help picking out a proper system that produces the proper air flow to meet your needs, then I'm sure there are those who would be willing to set up a private email opportunity for you.
That's like calling Einstein an idiot. What many new people to the forum don't realize is the background of many of the experts here. For instance, Bill by profession and bu schooling is an Algal & Invertebrate Taxonomist, so he knows what he's talking about when it comes to algae, what will and won't work to manage it.
One thing that I'll bet many new forum members don't read is Bobs (the site owner) rules for the forum. Here they are again.
Just to refresh everybody’s memories, here’s what Bob has outlined previously.
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There are offenses that we moderators put people in "banned camp" for awhile to think about their transgressions, and others that are just flat out banned immediately and told not to come back. This instance of calling Bill C. an idiot was discussed by the moderator team along with Bob Lusk, and it was decided that this transgression falls into the "here's the door, don't let it hit you in the butt on the way out" category. Jamon8 has been permanently banned.
The next winter, when cabin fever sets in, and people are spending more time in front of the computer, everyone should keep this in the back of their mind before hitting the "Submit" button. Us moderators were tasked by Bob earlier this year to keep a tighter rein on the forum, and make sure everyone adheres to Bob's forum rules.
Take the surface area of the pond in acres, multiply that by half the max pond depth. Multiply that number by 325,851. The number you come up with is the number of gallons of water you need to move at a minimum every 24 hr period, I would recommend moving 1.5 to 2.0 times that amount of water.
Does this calculation just approximate the total gallons the pond holds?
We surveyed our pond with high accuracy GPS before it was filled and know exactly how many gallons it holds. Wondering if I should use that as a figure or do this formula.