I guess to most people, the act of pumping air into a pond doesn’t sound all that complicated. And in truth it’s not really, but there are a few basics that are good to know if you’re trying to get the best aeration system set up in your pond.
I don’t usually get too hung up on some of the components. On the airline I do suggest going with self-weighted tubing when dropping the line into the pond simply because it’s easier to manage, sinks on it’s own, and it’s quite durable. In other words, the benefits outweigh the costs.
Diffusers come in a several kinds of shapes and sizes. Small ponds use air stones in most cases and these usually work pretty well. Large pond aeration systems use some kind of rubber membrane to diffuse the air. It might be in the shape of a tube, or a plate, but for the most part the air output and diffusion is good with either type.
The compressor or pump however is another matter. This really is the backbone of any good aerator system and it just makes sense to get a really dependable performer to fulfill this important role.
In this article I want to talk about the most common types of pond pumps, how their designed, and where each type is best suited for use. Certainly each one will work best in a particular setting so I’ll outline those differences in more detail.
Along with that, there’s an “in action” graphic (compliments of Gast Mfg.) to show how easy of these designs works internally.