Pondmaster vs Laguna

[Jersey_Marine]

I want to get some opinions on what you guys/gals feel as a company makes more reliable products. Laguna or Pondmaster. Im ready to purchase 2 pond pumps to aerate during the winter months. Specifically looking at the Pondmaster AP-20 vs the Laguna Aeration kit 45. Pond is 3.5-4ft deep approximately 5000 gallons. I want to use 2 pumps on both ends of the pond. "Ive heard" once a Pondmaster pump breaks the parts are impossible to get and most of the parts that do break on them are irreplaceable anyway. Not sure if true or not but I just want to make a wise decision to go for the more reputable company. Thanks in advance

 

[cas]

My own personal experience (my pumps do not run in the winter, I use an aerator):

I purchased a Pond Master 3600 GPH pump in May 2004. June 2006 I needed to replace the impeller. April 2009 it stopped working. (Lasted 5 years.)

April 2009 I purchased a Laguna Max-flow 4200 GPH. Still running. Very happy with it. (6 years and going strong)

I have used the Laguna Aerator PT-1630 for 10 winters. No problems. Just noticed less output this spring, but then I have never replaced the air stone and maybe that is all it needs.

 

[Jersey_Marine]

My own personal experience (my pumps do not run in the winter, I use an aerator):

I purchased a Pond Master 3600 GPH pump in May 2004. June 2006 I needed to replace the impeller. April 2009 it stopped working. (Lasted 5 years.)

April 2009 I purchased a Laguna Max-flow 4200 GPH. Still running. Very happy with it. (6 years and going strong)

I have used the Laguna Aerator PT-1630 for 10 winters. No problems. Just noticed less output this spring, but then I have never replaced the air stone and maybe that is all it needs.

Excellent. This is the type of opinion from personal experience I was looking for. Do you use a garden hose on your Laguna Aerator PT-1630 instead of the plastic hose they supply? I was thinking of using a cut piece of garden hose from the pump to the pond and wrapping the garden hose with pipe insulation. Then i was going to use a smaller piece of garden hose from the pump to the stone? Any opinion on that?

 

[sissy]

I have the laguna 45 and it came with airline and a 12 port and 2 air stones I don't have the pics of it but you can look at my rebuild and see it .Still waiting for guy to pull pics from my old puter that died

 

[cas]

garden hose on your Laguna Aerator PT-1630 instead of the plastic hose they supply?

I use the 3/16” silicone air tubing that came with it. I have used the same tubing for 10 years. It has never frozen or cracked. My brother-in-law has the same aerator and the first year he placed his motor inside his house and ran the tubing outside - he had trouble with condensation in the tubing and then the tubing froze. I keep the aerator outside, on a bench, covered from the elements with a pot, holes for air circulation, all winter. The air hose is placed 10"-12" down in the water (pond is 34" deep). The one air stone has successfully kept a hole in the ice for all but maybe 2 weeks in February. Then I go out with hot water in a pan to open the hole back up. This winter I am going to try the pond breather in addition to the aerator.

 

[cas]

Oh, and I also purchased the Laguna Air Pump Kit 45, PT-1620 (the one Sissy has) this year. It provides a lot more aeration than the PT-1630, which I needed in the summer. I have a 1,000 gallon pond and with using two air stones with the ports all the way open, the water looks like a volcano erupting. I have to open additional ports to lower the water turbulence. I wouldn't use this aerator in the winter in my pond because I think it would provide too much water movement and super cool the water.

 

[sissy]

mine was 123 dollars from wayfair .Sad to say I take my aerator in for the winter as i have no place to protect it from freezing temps. I just use a pond heater over top of a pump

 

[Jersey_Marine]

Oh, and I also purchased the Laguna Air Pump Kit 45, PT-1620 (the one Sissy has) this year. It provides a lot more aeration than the PT-1630, which I needed in the summer. I have a 1,000 gallon pond and with using two air stones with the ports all the way open, the water looks like a volcano erupting. I have to open additional ports to lower the water turbulence. I wouldn't use this aerator in the winter in my pond because I think it would provide too much water movement and super cool the water.

You say your pond is 1,000 gallons and would be overkill for the winter. Do you think 2 of them would be overkill for a 5,000 gallon 3.5-4ft pond in the winter. 1 on each side?

 

[cas]

The Laguna Air Pump Kit 45, PT-1620 is rated for ponds up to 9’ deep, 5,000 gallons, so it sounds like it would work for your pond and you would only need one pump.

I have read that super-cooling the water (and killing the fish) in the winter seems to occur in shallower ponds being aerated too heavily or where there is too much water movement. How much aeration and too much water movement is anyone's guess. That is what I struggle with.

 

[sissy]

I am not sure it would go that deep except maybe with a single line .i have 12 air stones on mine and at 3 ft I see nothing .You can see mine looks like in the pond showcase Sissys pond .A single line it may go that deep and maybe 2 or 3 lines but sure not 12 .I have air stones in each of my filters also and 1 in the lily pond and 1 in a sock tank near the pond and there is 1 in the waterfall pond and rest are in the pond