Solar aeration thoughts

[roymunson]

I have about a 2.5 acre pond that has a couple wet weather springs and other than that is just run off. So I don't turn over a bunch of water.

Would love to hear thoughts on a solar aeration (electricity is gonna be tough, but doable) to add some air to the pond and help the fish. It can get pretty stagnant in the summer.

Anyone else have any experience with this? Any recommendations on where to go with it?

I've looked into a windmill and was told it wouldn't have enough cfm to really move the needle.

 

[Telemark]

I have extensive experience with aquariums, koi ponds, and fish farms.

Most of the gas exchange is at the surface. Unless you are pumping in oxygen from a bottle of pure O2, this will be the case for you. This means the aeration is used to move the surface. The best way to do this in a tank is to put all the aeration on the back wall to lift water to the surface, which displaces surface water at the back and pushes it over to the front of the tank, causing a rolling effect. This effect is increased in a pond because colder water from the bottom holds more oxygen than warmer water. However, the shape of the pond will determine where to place the aeration. Many people with ponds put the aeration right in the middle. You don't actually need aeration; you can use a water pump to just push water to the surface. I'm not sure which is more efficient when it comes to electricity use, but pumping water is more efficient than pumping air when it comes to CFM.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

It’s my understanding in ponds surface aeration isn’t doing anything for oxygenation. You have to go with bottom diffuser/aerator.

 

[Telemark]

It’s my understanding in ponds surface aeration isn’t doing anything for oxygenation. You have to go with bottom diffuser/aerator.

Yes, the point is that you move the water from the bottom to the top, displacing the surface water and basically trying to mix the water in a rolling fashion, to put it simply.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I turned my system on 2/8/26

A Vertex aeration system with 4 bottom diffuser stations in a 6 acre pond

I also placed 6 front end loaders of last years hay in various locations to jumpstart the zooplankton

bill

 

[SwampCat]

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