Aerators

[Mmathis]

Addy, the red piece is not a heater.

From the description I read, I think the "heater" part is up inside the tube, maybe that wire you can see in the picture. The pump pushes water into the tube where it's heated, then flows back out. Sounds pretty simple, but then, sometimes the best ideas are.....

@JBtheExplorer You are so right about the differences in our winters! I can't even imagine what a REAL winter would be like! I wish more folks would have responded to your thread, as I want to say that most of what I've read [not experienced, of course....] was that of the 2 [aerator vs heater], the aerator did the best job of keeping the pond open. Then, there were the ideas of putting balls in the water to keep space open -- maybe there's some combo you can come up with like make a floating circle with pool noodles and suspend an air stone in the middle...

 

[Tula]

I suspended four air stones on my smaller aerator last winter. I like the pool noodle idea, could easily be adapted with some zip ties. I'm going to research more about aerators in cold temperatures.

 

[mtpond]

I use an aerator in the winter and the defuser is 7 inches long so I have to pull it close to the top of the pond so it doesn't cool the bottom of the pond off so much. When my pond freezes over I still have at least a 2 foot opening. I keep a close eye on the temp of the bottom of my during the winter and since we had such a cold winter last year, when the bottom of the pond starting getting close to 32F I went and purchased a 1400 watt stock heater. Since the cords aren't very long I put it down as far as I could. It warmed the bottom of the pond up a couple degrees but raised my electric bill up a lot . My 12 koi and 1 goldfish all made it through the winter and so it was worth it for me. Scaring me that I read sissy posted where the almanac says this winter is going to be colder! Hoping that don't happen.

 

[dieselplower]

I use a 300 gph water pump pointed up to create a ripple at the surface. Worked great the last 2 Winters.

 

[Tula]

I've been reading some articles on aeration from agricultural extension sites. A couple I've read, suggest that an aerator run continuously, doesn't contribute to pond stratification....but that it must be run continuously. Anyone have an opinion?

 

[Dave 54]

I've been reading some articles on aeration from agricultural extension sites. A couple I've read, suggest that an aerator run continuously, doesn't contribute to pond stratification....but that it must be run continuously. Anyone have an opinion?

Tula most keepers ponds are too shallow to get pond stratification however we have our areator running coninuously throughout the winter but turned down by half it being part of our bottom drain cover .
In some areas of the world you will get ice 2ft thick......
Like my Friend Elaine in St Johns Fort Canada even with an areator/heater you cant fight it ,note the frozen air bubbles and the depth of the ice on the pond even under the cover of a garge ....
Since I suggested bring her koi indoors each year she hasnt lost another koi and has become very good in what she does with her koi

Before she had to do what no fish keeper should do and that chop the ice with an axe (god only knows what the shockwaves did back then ) OMG but her large koi always died in the run up to summer every year with their gills fried by the ice .
In the open water shot you;ll see a heater floating in the pond and this was totally overwelmed
her temperatures at this time were -24c with a windchill of -54c , you can even see the layers of ice as they where laid down note the thickness of each layer


Dave

 

[Mmathis]

I've been reading some articles on aeration from agricultural extension sites. A couple I've read, suggest that an aerator run continuously, doesn't contribute to pond stratification....but that it must be run continuously. Anyone have an opinion?

No opinions, other than to say they must have tested it. I wonder what their testing parameters were -- I don't doubt it, just curious from a scientific standpoint. I do know that when I'm using the sump pump [for whatever....], and I first turn it on, it tends to initially stir up the surrounding water. Then once it's going, it's a smooth flow. I don't know the physics in that, but maybe it's a similar thing with aerators....

================

With my "winter" aerators last year, I used the pool noodle to suspend them, but didn't use it as I have it in my drawing [circular noodles]. I think what I did [that was too many months ago......] was took slices of a noodle and slid those over each end of a cylindrical air stone. A couple of my air stones have fishing weights attached to them, so I'm guessing that I had to weight them down a little to keep them below the surface, as I'm sure the pool noodle was wanting to make them float too high.

I think I will try my own design this winter and zip tie one to the center of a pool noodle circle. No, I don't ever anticipate ice, but just to try it.....

 

[sissy]

I guess it is more or less test what works for your temps. I have tried everything and last winter was a tough winter for ponds ,it is the you never know what father winter is going to throw our way .

 

[Tula]

I just get frustrated because I read some info that says aeration through the winter is essential, and then I read it can super cool the water and kill your fish. Trying to figure out whats best.

 

[sissy]

That is because they put the air into the pond to close to the bottom and it is the same for the pump .I actually hang my pumps from pipes and come winter I raise 1 up and turn the other 1 off .I don't think I can use my aerator because I have no place to keep it from freezing up .I guess the only way you can know the temps down low in your pond is do what I do and that is a thermometer on a rope at the bottom of the pond and I have 1 that floats .They are tied to each other and I can check them both at the same time .

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I just get frustrated because I read some info that says aeration through the winter is essential, and then I read it can super cool the water and kill your fish. Trying to figure out whats best.

Same here. Its very confusing...and time is ticking.




If anyone wants to chime in... is this the type of thing I'm looking for? Also, since my house is right next to the pond, if The air going into the pond is drawn from my basement (50°F), would it still superchill the pond water?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Laguna-Aera...326?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cce8418ae

and if I chose to go with a de-icer again instead, would the de-icer be enough to keep the frogs & fish alive or do they need the aerator too? I was looking at this one...

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/farm-innovators-premium-floating-stock-tank-deicer-1250-watt

 

[brokensword]

A while back, in another thread, I mentioned doing some research re aerators and such. I linked to a site which had a lot of info (it's another forum, you'll have to read if you're interested, but I thought it worthwhile) and the bottom line was NOT to place your aerator at the bottom but near the surface. Doing so will not supercool the water and allow the turbulence to inhibit the ice closing totally. That said, I did have the hole in my pond freeze over when the temps got too cold (probably not enough air/turbulence and hence, I used my auxiliary trough heater to re-open the hole) and have had success. If you're interested in what some of the game fishery peeps are doing, follow this link...

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=50723&page=1


Hope it helps. I'll reference the 'other' thread too;

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/thr...re-dead-as-ice-melts.13754/page-3#post-210412

 

[sissy]

I have my pond not far from my septic tank and I can tell I pull heat from that .My water down lower very rarely drops below 50 degrees .I do get ice on the top of the pond ,but only a spot here or there .But I do live near the NC border so it only gets cold here Jan. and Feb. .But last winter was a real test for my poor pond and the critters that live under ground as they chewed through my liner .The people I helped with there pond decided to try insulating the sides of there pond .I guess it all starts with how you treated the hole before you put the liner in .I used 60 lb roofing felt and then used the pond under liner a friend in NJ sent me for free .So wonder if I will be keeping the heat out from my septic tank or helping it .Black absorb's heat but wonder about below ground surface .I guess this winter may be the real test for my new pond

 

[Mmathis]

@JBtheExplorer I was curious about frogs, too, so I Googled and found this excerpt.....

"Aquatic frogs such as the leopard frog(Rana pipiens) and American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) typically hibernate underwater. A common misconception is that they spend the winter the way aquatic turtles do, dug into the mud at the bottom of a pond or stream. In fact, hibernating frogs would suffocate if they dug into the mud for an extended period of time. A hibernating turtle's metabolism slows down so drastically that it can get by on the mud's meager oxygen supply. Hibernating aquatic frogs, however, must be near oxygen-rich water and spend a good portion of the winter just lying on top of the mud or only partially buried. They may even slowly swim around from time to time."

So yes, it looks like they do need aeration..... Now, as to whether just keeping a hole opened in the ice is adequate......? Personally, I would go with an aerator of some sort, just not have it on the pond bottom.

 

[sissy]

But the hardest part about an aerator is how to protect it from cold weather .I would not have a clue unless you built a small well insulated building for it and what real assurance do you have .I would worry constantly .My basement is not to far away but that would mean figuring out how to run it out the window or door .Door is steel .