Question about air stone

[bmach]

Do you put the pump inside and run the tube into the pond or leave the pump outside? Also how big of a air pump do you use?

Thanks
Brian

 

[oldmarine]

I have never felt that I needed the use of a air pump in my pond. I have a water spill that creates enough arriation in my 365 gallon pond. In the winter months my pond is heavely planted, and that also helps. My shubunkin's have been healthy all year round as a result.

 

[CometKeith]

Hi Brian, I built my pond right next to my garage so I keep the pump inside. This way it is protected from elements and the air is a little warmer than if it was pumping outside air. I think the warmer air may help a little against the hole freezing over. Mine is a 3 watt double nozzle and I use two airstones close to each other in case one hole gets covered by ice. It hit 10 degrees here last night and I still had a nice hole in the ice. Some people put their pump in a coffee can with holes in it to keep the snow and ice off the pump. I use the air pump in the summer too when the O2 levels in the water go down. Now if I could just find a way to keep the raccoons from eating my airstones!

 

[DrDave]

Fish flavored airstones. Hmmmm I wonder if there is a market for these?

 

[DoDad]

You can put the pump inside or out. Just make sure it's protected from the weather and placed above the waterline.

 

[bmach]

Thanks guys.

 

[koiguy1969]

on a smaller air pump inside the house may not be a good idea if your ponds a good disrance from the house.as the warm moist air from the house travels thru the air tubing outside can cool, condense, and can freeze up blocking the flow of air. the stronger the pump the less concern this is.

 

[DrDave]

Good tip KoiGuy!

 

[JoaniePA]

I second Koiguy's thoughts. I had bought an aeration kit last year specifically made for ponds, but I ran it out of my basement window. The warm air condensed inside the tubing. When the first night of freezing temperatures came moisture inside the tube froze and built up until it was blocking the air completely. It ruined the pump. This year I've put a new one under a large plastic flower pot near the pond. It's doing fine so far.

 

[koiguy1969]

get a lidded tupperware container mount the pump to the lid. drill a bunch of holes in the lid for air intake. set the container on its lid (upside down) on a couple bricks, blocks, or whatever to elevate it off the ground a ways. i do this for my air pumps and theyve lasted a few years now...and i use cheap aquarium pumps. i also learned the hard way... drill alot of small holes rather than fewer large ones. when i used larger ones spiders, hornets and the like liked to build nests inside