Pond Boss Forums AERATION Systems questions When to start the Aerator

I thought there used to be a sticky on this topic, but I can't seem to find it.

My pond will be thawing within the next few weeks and this is the first year I didn't run the aerator all winter. I know I'm supposed to start the aerator up in small amounts (couple hours week 1 and increase it every week). I just can't find the topic where it was all together.

From what I remember, you have to be very careful when starting up aeration for the first time each year because of higher amounts of something that builds up in the bottom of the pond.

My best guess is that because the water is cold it holds oxygen better and I probably can wait until spring to start up the aerator? I dont want to stress out my perch who I think will be spawning soon

Hey Lucky,

In cold / colder water your water is mixed fairly well you may have some gases that bubble up from the bottom but if you have had air for sometime now you shouldn't have to worry about it to much. Unlike in the summer where your D.O. may be present in 4 feet of water but not in 12 feet you need to then be careful at how fast you mix your water up or fish could die! I have seen over and over on this site that in colder water where D.O. is at it's max you can turn your air on and be happy! I still take caution and most times I turn mine on for 4 hours for about 4 days and then to 8. That's what I do to be safe in spring, but in summer it's a whole different set of rules. If I am wrong lets hope someone will chime in and say different.

RC

FWIW The manufacturer of my system recommends start up of 1 hour the first day, 2 hours the second, 4 hours the third, etc. Keep doubling the time each day until you reach the run time you are looking to achieve. I read in another thread a few months back that, if you have heavy muck in the pond, start with 15 minutes and see if you smell sulfur. If you get the bad smell, stick with 15 minutes a day until you don't, then slowly increase.

Early spring, repeat early spring start up of the aerator does not need to be slow for many reasons. The main reason is after ice out, the pond with cold temperatures and wind action is fully mixed by Mother Nature - top to bottom and DO is high, usually on the bottom the highest DO it will have all year. So DO on the bottom is high after few windy days post ice melt. DO remains high in the deep water until the pond surface starts to warm up into the 50F+ and often into the 60's, maybe 70F depending on other factors such as water clarity.

Starting the aerator pre-ice melt is iffy as far as amount of DO on the bottom.

Thanks Bill for that clarity!

RC

Bill,

Should I wait X number of days after ice melt to turn on the aerator or is it just ready to go right away?

I plan on running the aerator 24x7 again this year. If I don't have to work up to those hours then that's even better.

I think my biggest concern was stirring up any muck/debree from the pond bottom. The small section of the pond that isn't frozen right now seems to be crystal clear (much more than last year).

I was wondering same thing. Water temp is up to 55 here, although it may well drop again before spring has finally sprung.

I was going to wait till about first of may. Any advantage to go ahead and start it up? I can start any of 3 diffusers because the system uses 3 small pumps instead of one large. 3 acre pond.

Sorry, I should clarify....the info I provided are recommendations I've seen for when introducing aeration into a pond for the first time.

Lucky what you don't want to do in the spring is super cool your water on accident. That's another reason to do as Bill says and wait a couple of weeks after ice out! Snub's water is good to go at 55 he "should" be able to turn his on and let it go. Like Bills says at this point in 55 to 60 water temps your water is very mixed and D.O. should be present at all levels.

Lucky my pond is 60 plus year old and in the spring like right now. I will turn mine on for 4 hours at first just to play it safe for a few days and then to 8 hours which is where I leave mine. My pond bottom has never gotten all stirred up. If yours is then you may have your fuser to close to the bottom? Cause I can tell you I have a lot of muck still, but my fusers are about 8 inches off the bottom.



The only real reason you do the air start up procedure is for older ponds I would say a few years old or older with new air during the summer time or ponds that have not had their air turned on in the spring and now their water is 70 to 75 plus degrees and your pond is starting to change temps from top to bottom and D.O. also. So you must slowly mix it back together so you don't freak your fish out. Unlike in 55 to 65 water temps where it's all still mixed. Plus there is the whole gas issue if you have a lot of muck and it has NOT ever seen air....I hope that makes since?

RC

So the diffuser shouldn't be right on the bottom? I feel like mine probably is

I'll keep an eye for that 55* water temp. Is that surface temp or a few feet down? Where should I be taking the ponds temp? Hopefully under the arm pit

The 'diffuser on the bottom' rule is the actual diffuser should be separated from the sediment with either a shield (bottom plate) or with distance - on a stand. Bubbles in direct contact with the sediment will agitate the sediment and "pump" or lift it to the surface. Your upwelling boil water should be as clean as the surrounding water. If it is more turbid then either the diffuser is lifting sediment off the top of the diffuser or the diffuser is sitting among sediment and lifting that sediment to the surface. A flat plate under the diffuser will usually lay on top the sediment and separate it from the mud - sediment. Sometimes in older ponds the bottom sediment in the pond belly is thick up to 2ft or more. In those cases the diffuser can easily sink into the thick fluffy sediment and they can surround or engulf the "bubbler".

In rare instances the entire layer of bottom water or the layer of thermocline can be milky due to factors of thermal stratification. Usually this occurs in deep ponds (25ft+) and during mid to late summer. In these cases new start up of the diffuser will pump this milky water layer to the surface.

Thanks Bill. I appreciate the informative response. I do actually have a shield on the bottom of the diffuser. I only asked because I feel like ever since I've been running the aerator, I've had a LOT less visibility. Like it was really stirring up the bottom or something.

An over sized aerator or running the aerator too much in a smaller new pond can create excessive water currents especially in a new pond that does not have a natural organic sediment blanket covering the bottom. Wind action combined with aeration and biological activity can case turbidity issues. A raw exposed clay bottom with fine clay in suspension and as colloidal clay settlings is vulnerable to currents mixing the ultra fine clay particles back into the water column. I have seen very clear water newly dug ponds go cloudy with extended run time strong aeration. Experiment turning the aerator off for several days to a week and monitor the water clarity with a homemade secchi disk. If the aerator is re-suspending the clay particles, the pond should gradually clear up when the aerator is shut off for several days, to weeks, or even months. This tests if the aerator is the 'problem'. Sometimes it takes a new clay bottom pond a year or two develop the organic bottom layer that is more resistant to the aerator circulation currents. All ponds are different and can behave differently. No one standard correct answer.

Lucky how big is your plate? I am using one off the side of a computer so mine is about 20x20 and then my fusers are about 6 to 8 inches above that. Just wondering if maybe your plate wasn't big enough??

Notice in this pic at least half of each of my fusers are over the plate. And you cant really tell here but they are about 6 to 8 inches above the plate.

RC's 3way diffuser above could sink completely into 15"-20" of fluffy unconsolidated muck. Know what your pond bottom composition is before installing a diffuser.

I guess I don't really know what the bottom is like to be honest. It's not a new pond that's for sure. I believe it's about 20 years old.

I will do the on/off test this year if I notice turbidity.