Comments on: Do I Need Aeration in the Hot Summer Months? – Pond & Lake Q & A

By: How do I know if I have proper aeration? – Pond & Lake Q & A – Week Ending August 21st « The Pond Guy’s Blog

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:22:04 +0000

[...] are not being circulated. You can test areas of the pond by simply reading their temperature. The temperature at 2’ below the surface should be no more than 3-4ºF than it is at 8’ below the surface. Also, [...]

By: kathiethueme

kathiethueme — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:46:20 +0000

Hi Sally,

That is a large area to aerate, especially if it is long and narrow. We do have some other types of aeration available that may be better for your situation. If you give us a call we can make out the pond and get a better idea of the situation to make an accurate quote.

By: Sally Kirk

Sally Kirk — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:08:21 +0000

We have an 88 acre man made lake in Southern Florida within a gated community. Can you tell me how many aerators we’d need? The lake loops around the community.

By: Gary Rockhopper

Gary Rockhopper — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:35:09 +0000

It took a little while for the post to load but i’m glad i gutted it out.

By: FoerryFeshy

FoerryFeshy — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:57:35 +0000

Waow loved reading your article. I submitted your feed to my blogreader!

By: Coy Campbell

Coy Campbell — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:36:43 +0000

Wow… thank you! That was a lot of good information and I appreciate you addressing each question. You’ve been a great help! Thanks again… Coy

By: thepondguy

thepondguy — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:48:32 +0000

Hi Coy – Thanks for reading and for your questions. Sue C. did a great job on answering your questions below:
1. You can clean your air stones with a mixture of 50% water / 50% Myric Acid when they become clogged – however, they should be replaced every few years.
2. For operating your diffusers, you should run the system 24/7 – especially in the hot summer months. If your pond freezes over in winter, you’ll want to run your diffusers to be sure a hole stays open in the ice to allow oxygen to get in and gas to escape.
3. Catfish will stir up the bottom of the pond and this could be a partial cause of the cloudy water. Another possibility is that running your aeration system just a few short hours each day will cause sediment to stir up and make the pond cloudy, but then settle after the system is off. Continuous running of your aeration system will breakdown the debris faster leaving you with a clearer pond.
4. Catfish eat more, so if they’ve grown accustomed to the time of feeding, they are the first ones there. You could hand feed for a while so that the bass have a chance at some food, too!
5. Water turnover is a big contributor to fish kills because the pond water separates between warm and cold water. In the Spring and Fall, the water from the bottom of the pond mixes with the water at the surface. The water at the bottom of the pond carries less oxygen, which means the oxygen deficient water is brought up to where your fish live leaving them with less oxygen. Running your aeration system 24/7 will help to eliminate the warm and cold water divisions in your pond and provide oxygen throughout the water body.
6. Unless you are going to use the pond for recreation in the winter, you should continue to aerate. If you do shut the system off, remember to introduce aeration slowly again in the spring to reduce the risk of turnover.
7. It is good to have some weeds and algae in a pond as they provide breeding areas and shelter for small fish. There are pond owners that fertilize their pond to increase weed growth, although there are many successful pond owners that do not. You may want to create some habitats in your pond with small structures that won’t decompose like the Porcupine Fish Attractors on our website.
8. In a large body of water, the water chemistry will remain fairly stable, so regular testing is not necessary unless you see a change in your pond or would like to test for e. coli before swimming. Most water chemistry issues can be resolved by proper pond care and aeration.
We hope this information finds you well. Let us know how these tips work out for you!

By: Coy Campbell

Coy Campbell — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:58:10 +0000

My pond is 3 1/2 acres… with an average depth of 8 feet (deepest around 18ft… tapers off to 1 foot). It is used for family/friends fishing/eating. The fish have a great flavor and appear to be healthy.

I had what I thought to be a large fish kill about 10 years ago (although was told it probably on represented a small percent of the total fish in the pond ). Subsequently, I installed an aerator (3 diffusers) and, since, have not had a fish kill problem.

I do, however, have questions:

1. How often do I need to replace/clean the diffusers (they seem to be working fine right now)?

2. The diffusers are on a timer… operating 2 hours before daylight… is this the correct time of day and correct length of time?

3. Before using aeration, my pond was fairly clear… subsequently… it has a muddy look (although the water itself, when scooped out, is clear). Is this “muddy appearance” due to the aeration? Should it concern me?

4. My channel catfish/bluegill population seem to be thriving (use an automatic feeder)… but the number and size of bass seem to be declining. Is this common when concentrating on catfish? Could it be the result of the water becoming less clear? Is there anything I can do to grow large bass while using an aerator and concentrating on catfish?

5. I increase the aeration time (from 2 to 4 hours) in Spring & Fall (I read, somewhere, about “water turnover”). Is this important… or should I leave it the same?

6. I live in central Missouri. Do I need to aerate in the Winter (can get very hot)? Summer (can get very cold… in fact, the pond usually freezes over a few times each winter

7. There is very little, almost no, pond scum, weeds, etc… in the water (I have a few large grass carp… but do not know wether or not they make much difference ). Is this… the lack of weeds, etc… good or bad? I’ve heard of “fertilizing” or “liming” a pond. Is this something with which I should be concerned?

8. I have never “tested” the water. Is this absolutely necessary? If so… why? Is it expensive to purchase the testing equipment?

Thank you so much for your help! Coy

By: How Do I Reduce Mosquitoes Around My Pond? – Pond & Lake Q & A – Week Ending May 23rd « The Pond Guy’s Blog

Fri, 22 May 2009 21:09:02 +0000

[...] Clean your gutters and provide better drainage in low areas. Aerate your pond. (Read More Info on Aeration) [...]

By: thepondguy

thepondguy — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:23:39 +0000

Hey Richard,
Thanks for the question! There are a few factors that come into play when sizing an aeration system for your pond. Size, depth and shape. The following will show the effects of one diffuser at different depths.

One Diffuser Plate will Aerate:
Up to 1/8 Acre – 3′ – 5′ Deep
Up to 1/4 Acre – 5′ – 9′ Deep
Up to 1/2 Acre – 9′ – 12′ Deep
Up to 1 Acre – 12+’ Deep

The deeper the diffuser plate is placed the more area it can aerate. The other factor that comes into place is the shape. If the pond is really irregular or 3 times longer than it is wide, then more plates will be needed to properly aerate the pond.

In your case, you have a 1/2 acre pond. The two factors I don’t know yet are the depth as well as the shape. If you know your pond’s depth, you can use the chart above to determine if one diffuser plate will be sufficient enough. If the depth of your pond turns out to be deeper than 9′, then all we have to worry about it to make sure the pond is not irregularily shaped.