Aeration in the main pond was put in early in the summer. This is the installation of air to this mini forage pond as well as to the new sediment pond.
Made two home made diffuser bases, one for each small pond. Two Matala single membrane diffusers driven by a Pondmaster 100 linear air compressor with the air split using a garden hose splitter with incorporated shutoff valves. Valves used to adjust air flow to each pond. A little more air sent to sediment pond because it is about twice as big as the forage pond. 3/4" black water pipe to waters edge and a ways into each pond sunk with concrete blocks, then 3/8 sinking hose the rest of the way to the diffusers. Used our telehandler to set the diffusers, then my body to get them just where I wanted them under water.
Diffusers are marked by a small buoy (as seen in the two pictures) attached to a rope attached to the concrete base. We use the rope to pull the diffuser with the telehandler if needed.
It does not look like much water moving in the pictures of the diffusers operating. But pictures are deceiving. They are actually moving so much water I worried about it being too much. But they have been running over a month now with no problem that I can detect. I back-drug some washed in dirt in the sediment pond one day with a front end loader bucket. Mucked up the water and made it muddy in the north end of the pond. Within 30 minutes the diffuser had moved the muddy water from the north end of the pond, under the upper water, and made a mushroom cloud of dirty water surrounding the diffuser. Within a few hours the pond was homogenized. So these diffusers are moving a considerable amount of water.
Edit 5/20/17: the home made diffuser base works fine after a couple seasons, but if doing it again I would change one thing. The concrete base is heavy which is great to keep it on the bottom. But the foktprint is so small it easily sinks into loose clay or muck. I would make provision for the base to have a bigger footprint either by setting it in a plastic tub or attaching a bigger base. Otherwise it works great. I actually like them better than the boughten plastic bases filled with sand.
