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#519740 04/21/20 07:52 PM
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BCJohn Offline OP
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I have a pond about 1/3 acre. It is kidney shaped maybe 80'x120'. It has a slope at the edge going in several feet for safety then a drop off trench in the middle.
The trench goes the long way and is about 10'-12' deep at one end and drops to 20' deep in the big end. I have an air compressor in my pole barn that I use for cars or whatever. I used it for aerating but my system was a 3/8" line and a soaker hose. I now know that was doing nothing. I am installing a tee in my shop air and adding a couple filters and regulator just for the pond so I will have clean air. I will trench an air line from the barn to the middle of the pond, about 100'. Then a manifold and weighted hose in and down to diffuser[s]. My questions are:
How many diffusers do I need? Singles or doubles? I'm guessing 2.
Will a 1/2" line 100' from barn to pond be large enough?
I will need 2 50' lines from manifold to diffuser, what size should this line be?
I notice diffusers seem to have large pipe connections, such as 3/4" or 5/8", Do diffusers require high volume low pressure?
What pressure should I start at on my regulator?
Any other comments welcome, Thanks.

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John,

It sounds like you got a pretty good plan to start with, but a few things I would change.
The air compressor to start with - not practical. Power consumption alone, takes it off the list.
Consider the Hiblow 120LL pump, it draws as much power as a light bulb and has plenty of output for your needs. Also, low maintenance, no regulator necessary.
You're correct on high volume - low pressure, so a large hose for the 100 foot run. I suggest using 3/4 pex tubing, it's cheap and works great!
Next the manifold, use gate valves to control flow to each head.
For your pond, one diffuser at each end is enough. Vertex singles is good, double if you got extra money. I wouldn't go smaller than 5/8" hose to those, bigger is always better for flow.

For the weeks with hot days (over 80 degrees) I put the pump operation on a timer, to not introduce more heat to the water. Off from 9am - 8pm.

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The only things I can add to Journey's good advise is that if you choose to stay with an air compressor such as you have, your regulator should be set around 10 psi. This all depends on the size and legths of lines that you end up with, but 5 to 15 psi is going to be about right. The real determining factor is the amount of CFM at each diffuser. Vertex lift ratings are at 1 CFM per single diffuser. I have seen other diffusers (Matala, I think) that rate theirs at 1.5 CFM. This will be hard to figure out without a relatively expensive flow meter, so I would merely gage the regulated pressure off the "looks" of the water/air bubble boils. The regulator specs might tell you how much CFM they pass at given pressures.

Secondly, as Journey mentions, 2 diffusers should be just fine. But, adding a 3rd would allow for shorter runtimes should you desire. This is probabaly not too critical since you won't be fighting extreme heat during the summer months.


Fish on!,
Noel
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BCJohn Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Journeyman
John,

For the weeks with hot days (over 80 degrees) I put the pump operation on a timer, to not introduce more heat to the water. Off from 9am - 8pm.




So are you saying on days below 80deg I should run it 24/7?

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I use a rule of thumb that says once the water (not the air) starts getting close to 80 F (18 inches down in the water column), I start moving my aeration runtimes to nights. Somewhere in the 80s fish start to struggle a bit. Mine seem to feed best in the 70 - 80 degree water. I have HBG, HSB, and RES. Different fish stocking could change my rules of thumb. What are yuo plannig to raise. My aeration system for my 1/4 acre pond is oversized (3 diffusers and a 1/4 hp rotary vane pump) and I can get away with about 6-8 hours of runtime to effectively turn the pond over once a day so running at night is best during most of the summer heat here in Missouri. You may not need to worry about it so much depending on your climate. Keep an eye on your water temps, that is the real key here.

I have also found, at my pond, changing the air schedule too quickly or back and forth effects the feeding and catching rates. When I start to move the timing to nights, I drop and hour off one end and add the hour back on the other until the runtime is where I want it. I do the reverse in the fall once the nighttime air temps start dropping off 10 dgrees or so below the water temps. My loose theory is that by running the air during the day in the spring helps warm the water sooner, running the air at nights during the summer helps keep the water from heating up too much, and then back to days in the fall helps keep the water warmer longer. It's a loose theory as I'm not convinced it does all that much. I t might add a few weeks of better water temps. And, like I said, moving the air schedule around tends to make the fish's feeding habits more unpredictable.

I, also, try to keep my runtimes to a minimum for cost savings and, more importantly, to help the clarity of the pond water. My pond tends to stay on the muddier side. Good mid summer clarity at my pond is usually around 18 to 24 inches, but I am trying for 36 to 40. If it was not for the murky water, I would forfeit the cost savings and run air as much as the water temps would allow.


Fish on!,
Noel
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Yes 24-7 year round is how I run mine, with the exception of the hot weeks, then the timer.

In the winter I only run one diffuser, in shallow water (5-6 feet), a couple reasons. In Wisconsin, like Michigan, an early-freeze/late-thaw could kill you fish, so you want to run something. Running to many heads, too deep, will tend to cool down the water with no where warm for the fish to go. Plus, we have an otter problem, limiting the access to one opening that I can see from the house, makes me feel better.

For start up, remember to start slow, one head, adding time to the short durations gradually each day.

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BCJohn Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Quarter Acre
I use a rule of thumb that says once the water (not the air) starts getting close to 80 F (18 inches down in the water column), I start moving my aeration runtimes to nights. Somewhere in the 80s fish start to struggle a bit. Mine seem to feed best in the 70 - 80 degree water. I have HBG, HSB, and RES. Different fish stocking could change my rules of thumb. What are yuo plannig to raise.

I, also, try to keep my runtimes to a minimum for cost savings and, more importantly, to help the clarity of the pond water. My pond tends to stay on the muddier side. Good mid summer clarity at my pond is usually around 18 to 24 inches, but I am trying for 36 to 40. If it was not for the murky water, I would forfeit the cost savings and run air as much as the water temps would allow.


My pond is 25 years old and I planted hybred sunfish/bluegill and large mouth bass. I also feed them every couple days, they are like trained pets now. They are easy to catch. The bass are harder to catch but I do see them and they are breeding. I have never had any winter fish kill, none.
My pond is murky I think from lots of surface alge and lots of copper sulfate, so I think it is building up.
Is there any kind of water testing I should be doing, the pond is clay and evaporates several feet thru summer but tops off during snow and spring melt. It gets a lot of run off from the neighbors property which is a combo of farm land and woods. Thanks.

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BCJohn Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Journeyman
Yes 24-7 year round is how I run mine, with the exception of the hot weeks, then the timer.

In the winter I only run one diffuser, in shallow water (5-6 feet), a couple reasons. In Wisconsin, like Michigan, an early-freeze/late-thaw could kill you fish, so you want to run something. Running to many heads, too deep, will tend to cool down the water with no where warm for the fish to go. Plus, we have an otter problem, limiting the access to one opening that I can see from the house, makes me feel better.

For start up, remember to start slow, one head, adding time to the short durations gradually each day.


Our climate is similar so good advice on proper technique. Do you have clay and do you do any water testing? Thanks.

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[/quote]
Our climate is similar so good advice on proper technique. Do you have clay and do you do any water testing? Thanks.[/quote]

I do my own testing. Lucky to have a natural sand base, this varies throughout the state though, clay is more common not too far south of me. My PH is 7, alkalinity is 210 naturally, these are good numbers without having altered anything.


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