O2 and Temp

[buckry]

My O2 sensor just showed up and I'm pretty surprised. First off, the stupid floating thermometer I bought is really confusing. The way the lines match up with the numbers lead me to believe my water was 70, when in reality it's 80. So this digital meter set me straight on that, and after I slapped my forehead I took a look at the O2. It was coming up 8.0 which is a great, despite the much higher temp, and the drought we're in right now. I would say this is pretty much the worst environment I'm ever going to have to deal with, and I would say I'm doing swimmingly well, if you dont' mind the pun.

So obviously I can't 100% rely on technology, but I still feel really good about the results.

I'm also very surprised that my water temp is the same at the top and bottom, I only saw a 1 degree difference in 4 feet. I feel kind of bad about that, I think I might put the hose in today and send some cold water down to the bottom

My well is 62 degrees by the way, and has DO of over 6. I have always worried that my well water was dangerous to add to the pond so I've always gotten really elaborate with sprinklers and slow trickles, I think I'm done with that stuff, just going to throw the hose in from now on, 6.0 is enough to sustain life and once it mixes with my water it's going to go higher and higher so I doubt I can suffocate my fish with that. Probably do some tests near the hose today with the sensor just to see if that theory is correct or not.

 

[buckry]

I tried a bunch of tests I couldn't change the readings under water with my hose, the temp would dip if I hit it directly from 1" but O2 never changed. I did notice that the bottom of the pond is 79 and the surface is 80 and O2 at surface is 7.9ppm and on bottom is 8.1ppm. Nothing revolutionary, but kind of interesting.

 

[addy1]

I just add well water in via a hose, straight into the pond, the ph is low, 5.5-5.6 or so. I have it going in right where the bog waterfall is so it gets mixed quickly.
It feeds the pond every other day usually, but I have it putting 1/2 hour of water in every day since we are gone and it has been so hot. We have been getting rain so the every other day would have been fine, but I didn't want to chance it.

 

[buckry]

Yeah, I used to use a sprinkler and set it to shoot way up in a huge arch. It was coming in from like 10 tiny streams. Was a real pain to get it set up just right, so glad I don't have to do that anymore. Probably just going to put the hose all the way on the bottom of the pond and let it get sucked towards the pumps. I've always been worried that when I put it in with the sprinkler that it stayed on the surface and then flowed right back out through the overflow. Now I can be sure that won't happen.

 

[crsublette]

My main reason for a trickle water addition is so I never have to mess with water timers or worry about anything.

I am also using a trickle water addition to my pondless waterfalls and the overflow just runs off watering plants I put near the waterfall. With 100*F+ temps and 5% humidity and 20mph+ wind, evaporation rate is crazy.

I'm also very surprised that my water temp is the same at the top and bottom, I only saw a 1 degree difference in 4 feet.

Is your pump intake near the bottom of your pond? I am thinking the cool water at the bottom is being pulled out and placed onto the top to heat up so you probably would not find much temperature discrepancy.

I tried a bunch of tests I couldn't change the readings under water with my hose, the temp would dip if I hit it directly from 1" but O2 never changed. I did notice that the bottom of the pond is 79 and the surface is 80 and O2 at surface is 7.9ppm and on bottom is 8.1ppm. Nothing revolutionary, but kind of interesting.

It is interesting. I was wondering if that O2 koi club hyperlink was accurate. I suppose it is with your observation since the hyperlink states maximum possible O2 saturation at 80 degrees water temp is 8mg/L. Pretty kool.

 

[Waterbug]

I'm also very surprised that my water temp is the same at the top and bottom, I only saw a 1 degree difference in 4 feet. I feel kind of bad about that, I think I might put the hose in today and send some cold water down to the bottom

Good water movement = good O2 = uniform temp

 

[buckry]

Yeah, I wish it wasn't so hot, but it's really awesome to know that my saturation is the absolute best possible in my current situation. Makes me fell really confident about a lot of the things I designed into my pond.

Yeah, I have 2 pumps, one is at 4' the other is at the far end of the pond in 3'. Both pump to the waterfall. It's 4000gph between them, and my pond is 3500g, so it's cycling the whole pond more than once an hour.

 

[crsublette]

Good water movement = good O2 = uniform temp

Definitely. I agree.

Ya really want a uniform temperature. I think this ensures that all the water is being oxygenated well. You could bring your pump intake closer to the surface, but this also means bottom, lower oxygenated, water will not become oxygenated unless there is some good air diffusor action forcing this bottom water up closer to the surface.

"Good water movement = good O2 = uniform temp". A very concise way of putting it. Good stuff.

 

[buckry]

I'm going to leave it all alone, there is plenty of shade in the pond so at least they're not being fried by the sun. The drought can't last forever, something has to give soon and they'll get cooled off.

 

[crsublette]

Psht !!! I have been living in a drought in my area for the past 10 or more years. :grumble: You midwesteners are just now realizing how good you've had it in the past.

 

[buckry]

Yeah, I guess we have. Of course a drought wouldn't have even been worthy of notice by me, but this is the year I decided to start keeping koi. Great timing.