I've been investigating aerationing products again. The floating pond ones are very expensive. I stumbled upon air chamber ones. Has anyone had any experience with these. They seem so much cheaper to purchase. Only a few hundred dollars. And one chamber can run 2 ponds. I don't know because they don't talk about installation but I think you would probably have to go into the water to do this?
I was going to run a 14/2 and a 12/3 wire, but unfortuately the guys only grabbed the one spool and it was the 12/3. We will still have to bury the 14/2 wire ourselves. The aerators that run on the 220 only come in 3/4 hp. and are about 500.00 dollars more than the 110, which puts it over 2000.00 and then I still have to do the other pond. I could use the 220 wire and use two 110 plugs. Seem like quite the deleama, not sure on which way to go.
My husband thinks that the burial wire has to be buried 3 feet under the ground below the frost line, and I think it doesn't because thats why it buriel wire so it can take being frozen. Can't find any codes on it.
Thanks Megan
There were 2 pair of Wood Ducks on the pond this morning. If nobody has seen them before, they are the most beautiful looking duck. They flew from the pond up into the trees, they look so funny sitting on a branch.

I've never had a large pond so I've never had a large aeration system. I've seen the ones in the catalogs where they run airline tubing (strong stuff I guess) from the pump out to usually sunken air bars. They should work pretty well.

You are very lucky to see those wood ducks! They are gorgeous.

This is a earth/clay pond so I'm assuming you are not installing any type of filtration but you want to add aeration? The compnay I work for has a 1/4 acre pond that we added a rather large floating fountain that works fantastic year around with no maintance. Never freezes over. It really cuts down on the algae problems.(nasty pond scum) For the weed control we added white amure grass carp. Most large pumps run much more efficently on 220 volts and over the course of the years of operation can make a big difference in expence. Freezing is not the reason for buring the cable at a particular depth. Codes if you have them are set to lessen the chance of someone digging and tearing into it. So three foot would work if someone used a shovel but not of course if using a backhoe. Hope I have helped some. How many gallons/ or size and depth are the ponds to be estimated at.

FM3

Hi Megan! Have you thought about looking into windmill aeration? That is my dream for my clay pond. I think you can get one for around 800$$$$$?? I am not sure if you have an area that gets enough wind? They are very popular up here in the flat terrain. Also, I think at farm supply stores you can get large aerators that people use to aerate their water lagoons, they are popular up here and my friends all use them and it keeps the water open in the winter well. Now this grosses me out but.....our friends have a big water supply pond and it is stocked with trout, and ya, they run this water to their house and shower in it and stuff, that a little too much like camping permanently for me ;)

Megan

The gauge of the wire (14 vs 12) determines how many amps of electricity it can carry. Most codes do not allow 14 gauge wire except for lighting circuits as it is rated for 15 amps. 12 gauge wire is rated for 20 amps. The 12/3 wire simple has two hot wires and a neutral and can be used for 220 volt by picking up 110 from each phase at the service OR can under some codes be used to carry two 110 volt circuits with one common neutral OR you can abandon one of the hots (either the red or the black) and use the wire for just a normal single 110 volt circuit. Please make sure that the cable (I'm assuming your using non-metallic shielded cable, also commonly known as Romex) is rated for direct burial underground. That type of cable is called UF. National Electrical code allows for direct burial wire to be placed in a trench 18 inches deep, if I remember correctly. When I wired my pond I put the UF cable inside PVC conduit (the gray stuff) to help protect it from inadvertent damage. This conduit is aout a dollar for a ten-foot section, cheap enough to allow its use as added protection without a lot of cost.

Don

Thanks everyone for the advice, I really appreciate it. The north side of the pond is dry but I'm getting frustrated that I have not way to get over there and the south side is muck and still 2 feet of snow in spots. The ice went off finally overnight.
I went out and measured the ponds yesterday, that was a mistake as I can back but the rubber boots didn't. I stepped and started to sink and then put more pressure on the other foot and it started to sink and going back and forth until I was stuck almost to the top of the boots. I figured it was time to bail before I disappeared. Now I know what its like to be in quick sand, luckily I had a showel with me to put across in front to pull myself out. I had to walk home in socks, I was not a happy camper.My husband went out last night with a pitch fork to dig them out, that was quite the feat. I HATE clay. It is now suppose to rain for a few days. Yaaahhh.
The first pond is approximately 100 X 60 and 4 feet deep and the second one is about 130 X 95 and 8 feet deep. I wouldn't have thought that they were that big, they look smaller than that.
Still researching the aeration. The 220 sounds great for the savings in electricity, but the startup cost is alot especially with 2 ponds. I read a calculation example for electricity, I will try and find it again to post, it was confusing. My husband is really interested in a windmill. I think they are great but work only sometimes. We would have to put it at the edge of the property because the trees are probably 60 feet tall and run a line, I'm guessing at maybe 300-400 feet. 800.00 for a windmill where was that, that seems rather cheap, I'd be interested in looking at that.
K.K. what do you use for aeration, as you have the closest similiarity to my pond.
The plastic tubing sounds great and very reasonable, I think we will use that and bury the wire 18 inches.
Thanks Megan
Thought you'd get a laugh out of the pics and I think I'm finally getting the hang of it, and need the practice.

HAHAHAHAHA....sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but that is just plain funny! :P

Derrick

Good thing you explained the first photo. Don't see any foot prints next to the boots, you could have been abducted by aliens!! :P

OMG Megan! TOOOOO FUNNY! I thought you were in MY yard for a second. We have all clay ground so I can relate. My size 8 shoes grow to a size 12 evertime I step in the crud this time of year!

As for my aeration in the clay pond, I have ZERO. With the depth and water surface the fish don't seem to need it. It is sooo hard for me to say that, as I am the biggest aeration advocate out there. It seems that people who have trout really have to have aeration for them to survive, but my goldfish and Koi were so happy in there and healthy and HUGE and multiplied worse than rabbits so I figure it is all good in there. I will do the windmill thing pretty soon though, I just want to see what this year brings as we might have to drain the pond and re seal it next year.