Water temp and aeration

[rubyduby]

I have been searching threads all morning to see if I can find out if there is a certain water temperature that warrants extra aeration. I have two biofalls and two skimmers running 24/7. My pond is approximately 16,000 gallons. Unfortunately there is a lot of clay in the water from runoff which I cannot do anything about at the moment . I have a KoiAir aerator also at the opposite end of the falls but it stirs up the clay sediment and causes a lot of turbidity That clouds the water so I turned it off since the temps haven’t been too high. We are about to get temps in the 90’s and then mid to upper eighties (VA)...Do I need to turn my aerator back on? Also, does anyone know if that vibration of the air compressor bothers the fish? I am a little high strung so it would drive me crazy

 

[IPA]

Watch water temperature; I’m close to you, 8a in VA. Everything I’ve read is when it’s hot, but haven’t seen anything about a specific temperature. Can you raise the aerator just a little so it isn’t kicking up so much turbidity. Importantly, cut back on feeding. I couldn’t say regarding vibration and noise.

 

[rubyduby]

Watch water temperature; I’m close to you, 8a in VA. Everything I’ve read is when it’s hot, but haven’t seen anything about a specific temperature. Can you raise the aerator just a little so it isn’t kicking up so much turbidity. Importantly, cut back on feeding. I couldn’t say regarding vibration and noise.

Thank you IPA...I will try and raise the aerator, good idea. My fish are not happy with your suggestion but it makes sense.

 

[AlyssaFish]

It's too bad there's not a rule of thumb provided anywhere, but I think with a little science we can figure it out for ourselves!

I did a quick google search and have found charts that graph the dissolved oxygen content in water at different temperatures.

Their numbers seem pretty comparable. Looks like they all agree that by 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees F), the oxygen level is around 7-8 mg/liter.

We can assume that most freshwater bodies are colder than our little ponds get in the summer. It would be very unlikely to find a river that was as high temperature as 95 degrees. We can assume, I think, that goldfish and koi are probably most comfortable with oxygen levels around 60 degrees F (15 degrees Celcius). Based off my review of the charts above, that's about 10-11 mg/L.

So, I'd say that 95 degree water has about 70 percent of the dissolved oxygen that the fish would consider "normal." The one final factor to consider, then, what oxygen level is too low.

Here's a link to a paper that suggests that when levels fall below 4 mg/L, many fish species begin to struggle: https://agrilifecdn.tamu.edu/fisheries/files/2013/09/Dissolved-Oxygen-for-Fish-Production1.pdf

This article here states outright that Koi need 6 mg/L of disolved oxygen: https://www.hydra-aqua.com/oxygen-needs-for-fish.html

This article here states that in ponds you should check the disolved oxygen levels using a meter: https://aquapona.co.uk/do-fish-need-oxygen/

I think getting a meter and keeping the DO saturation at least 6 (but better if it's 7-8) is your best plan rather than relying on a specific temperature. But if you did want a temperature, I'd say you want more aeration the more your pond climbs over 60 degrees.


Hope this has been helpful!

 

[rubyduby]

It's too bad there's not a rule of thumb provided anywhere, but I think with a little science we can figure it out for ourselves!

I did a quick google search and have found charts that graph the dissolved oxygen content in water at different temperatures.

View attachment 129654View attachment 129655View attachment 129656

Their numbers seem pretty comparable. Looks like they all agree that by 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees F), the oxygen level is around 7-8 mg/liter.

We can assume that most freshwater bodies are colder than our little ponds get in the summer. It would be very unlikely to find a river that was as high temperature as 95 degrees. We can assume, I think, that goldfish and koi are probably most comfortable with oxygen levels around 60 degrees F (15 degrees Celcius). Based off my review of the charts above, that's about 10-11 mg/L.

So, I'd say that 95 degree water has about 70 percent of the dissolved oxygen that the fish would consider "normal." The one final factor to consider, then, what oxygen level is too low.

Here's a link to a paper that suggests that when levels fall below 4 mg/L, many fish species begin to struggle: https://agrilifecdn.tamu.edu/fisheries/files/2013/09/Dissolved-Oxygen-for-Fish-Production1.pdf

This article here states outright that Koi need 6 mg/L of disolved oxygen: https://www.hydra-aqua.com/oxygen-needs-for-fish.html

This article here states that in ponds you should check the disolved oxygen levels using a meter: https://aquapona.co.uk/do-fish-need-oxygen/

I think getting a meter and keeping the DO saturation at least 6 (but better if it's 7-8) is your best plan rather than relying on a specific temperature. But if you did want a temperature, I'd say you want more aeration the more your pond climbs over 60 degrees.


Hope this has been helpful!

Wow! I couldn’t ask for more info than that..thank you AlyssaFish! I have a lot to digest

 

[Tula]

I have two aerators, one is small and the other is big. One of them is running 24/7 every day of the year. In cold weather I run the smaller one, suspending the air stones about 10 inches into the water.

I've always run my more powerful aerator late Spring, into early Autumn. This is the first season with the bog, so not sure I need the big one ...may stick with the smaller one.

When my koi were younger and smaller, I did't always run a aerator, but now that they're mature adults, I think they need it.

 

[mrsclem]

I run my aerator when water temps hit 80f. Also stop feeding when water temps hit above that.

 

[rubyduby]

I run my aerator when water temps hit 80f. Also stop feeding when water temps hit above that.

Why do you stop feeding your fish mrsclem?

 

[poconojoe]

Tie a string to the air stone and fasten it to something on the shore. This way you can suspend it at any depth you wish and not put a strain on the air hose. Mine is tied around a rock. I do the same thing with my (water, not air!) pump.
As far as the vibration, do you mean the air pump's vibration? If so, get it further away from the pond by getting a longer air hose. If you mean the vibration of the air coming out of the air stone, I don't think it will bother the fish. I think the fish like the bubbles.

 

[rubyduby]

Tie a string to the air stone and fasten it to something on the shore. This way you can suspend it at any depth you wish and not put a strain on the air hose. Mine is tied around a rock. I do the same thing with my (water, not air!) pump.
As far as the vibration, do you mean the air pump's vibration? If so, get it further away from the pond by getting a longer air hose. If you mean the vibration of the air coming out of the air stone, I don't think it will bother the fish. I think the fish like the bubbles.

Thanks for the tips Joe but I don’t understand how tying a string to the aeration stone could keep it at various depths. It would just pull it close to the edge where I would not want it...what am I missing here?

 

[mrsclem]

As the temps get high , the fish tend to stop feeding as much. They stay down on the bottom in the cooler water.

 

[IPA]

As the temps get high , the fish tend to stop feeding as much. They stay down on the bottom in the cooler water.

Does it also reduce the biological load on the system because if there is less oxygen there is less available for bacteria? I’ve always assumed that but didn’t know if there was evidence to support that theory.

 

[mrsclem]

That I'm not sure of . When I first started with koi I was told the higher the temp, the more you feed. I started having water issues in hot weather. Now I feed 55-85 and stop at high and low.

 

[rubyduby]

As the temps get high , the fish tend to stop feeding as much. They stay down on the bottom in the cooler water.

Mine seem VERY hungry and my water temp is about 82F....