Lake Aeration

Lake Aeration

See Also:
Desirable Texas Fish
Undesirable Fish
Fish Stocking

Aeration is an up and coming part of today’s successful private waters management. Many types of aeration systems are available today from wind driven to electric. Most generally, the most productive and trouble free systems are supplied by an electric air compressor. All systems use weighted air transfer lines that supply air to a series of diffusers placed throughout the body of water. Adding oxygen to the water makes for a happier, healthier fish population. Better fish means better fishing and better fishing means more fun!


Depiction of Aeration Air Diffusor

Aeration can help to prevent low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels from negatively impacting pond fish populations. In addition, certain types of aeration equipment can effectively mix the water in a pond to prevent water-layer stratification, which can occur in deeper ponds (see Pond Habitat section) during warm months. Low DO levels can stress or even kill fish, whereas water stratification can limit fish use of cooler, deeper pond areas because of poorly oxygenated water. Anoxic (i.e., lacking oxygen) water does not permit bacteria to adequately process waste products, which then build-up on top of the pond’s bottom sediments. DO in ponds is naturally affected by photosynthesis, temperature, salinity, wind, supplemental feeding of fish, fish density, and pond depth. The natural sources of dissolved oxygen are photosynthesis by aquatic plants and diffusion from the air. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants (especially algae) use sun light to manufacture food. One of the byproducts of this process is oxygen. In a pond, DO is also consumed through respiration by fish, aquatic plants and algae, plankton, bacteria, and a host of other organisms.

Aeration compressor and control box. Weighted air hose in background.

The most common DO problem occurs when the consumption of oxygen through respiration exceeds production through photosynthesis and diffusion. During summer, calm and/or cloudy days may reduce oxygen production by plants while fish continue to respire, and at higher rates as water becomes warmer. On occasion, algae or submerged plants in the pond die suddenly and no longer produce oxygen. As the algae or plants decay, bacteria grow and consume even larger amounts of oxygen. In deeper ponds, fall destratification (turnover) can cause the DO level to crash as deep, anoxic water mixes with surface water. Although pond fish can survive short periods of low DO concentrations, prolonged exposure can cause stress or even death. DO can be measured using a preferred times to monitor DO are at daybreak and nightfall.

Placement of Aeration equipment.  Diffusor in foreground.

Placement of diffusor in deepest part of lake.

This excerpt was taken from a publication by Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Read the entire text here.