Winter Pond Aeration Using Bubble Tubing

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Winter ponds and ice just go together. At least that’s what you expect when things get really cold. If you like ice skating it’s arrival is probably welcome.

But ice can cause a lot of problems too.

We know that when some ponds get covered with ice for extended periods of time, a lot of unwanted gases can build up (like methane for instance) and this can create problems for fish.  The easy and direct solution to this issue is to simplly open up or maintain a hole in the ice so that fresh air can get in and bad gases can get out.  Problem solved.

When you’re dealing with an issue like this, a good quality “standard” pond aerator will do the job.  Just a single diffuser at a depth of 5 or 6 feet will create enough bubbling action at the surface to maintain open water.

But what about those situations where you need to maintain open water in larger areas?

Pond Aeration Bubble Tubing

In the graphic below you can see the basic structure and function of bubble tubing.

There are basically two parts to it.  The bottom tube actually contains a ballast which helps to weight the tubing down and kept it positioned at the bottom of the pond.  Above this is the actual diffuser tubing which has rows of holes along the entire length of tubing and as air fills this tube with air, bubbles are forced out into the pond.

Generally speaking, you’ll see more agitation of the water with bubble tubing compared to a standard aeration diffuser.  In contrast, because the holes are not quite as fine in bubble tubing, the actual diffused air going into the pond a little less.  This makes bubble tubing particuarly useful at ice control, and it can be used in warmer conditions in long, narrow, shallow bodies of water for widespread aeration improvements.

Primary winter applications include running the bubble tubing around boat docks, boat lifts, or any other area that you may want to protect from ice build up.  Waterfowl hunting reserves have also used bubble tubing to maintain large areas of open water in colder conditions.

The Standard Setup

Like any pond aeration system, we use a land based compressor to create the air going into the pond.  A typical rocking piston compressor can be used with bubble tubing, but most often, due to the shallow nature of the settings where it’s used, we’ll normally suggest a rotary vane compressor.  This is connected to standard weighted airline which is run out into the pond.  We then connect this to a “T” type connector, and run equal amounts of bubble tubing off each side of the “T”.  This provides equal distribution of air throughout the length of the bubble tubing.

The bubble tubing can be layed out in any configuration that will work best for the desired maintenance of the pond.  This makes this type of diffuser extremely versatile in it’s application and coverage.  Bubble tubing can be ordered in standard lengths of 100′, or by the foot for custom installations.

Please tap the following link to learn more about our winter aeration kits for ponds.

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