How to Use Aquatic Air Pumps

• 1). Measure the surface area of your pond by multiplying your pond's length by its width. If your pond is circular, measure the diameter of the pond at its widest point. Calculate surface area by squaring the radius and multiplying it by 3.14. Maneuver your boat around the pond and record depth readings. Use a nylon rope, etched with markings every 12 inches, with a brick on the other end and locate the deepest areas in your pond. Multiply the deepest area, in feet, by .4335--this tells you, in pounds per square inch (psi), how much back pressure your air pump must pump against. Keep this number to use when sizing your pump.
  
  
• 2). There are three main types of air pumps used in ponds. For small ponds, linear pumps are common since they require less air than a farm pond or lake. Linear pumps use diaphragms to generate air at relatively low pressure and volume. Rotary vane compressors generate slightly higher pressure and produce more air, while piston compressors generate even higher pressure, but relatively low air volume. If you're sizing up aeration for a water garden or koi pond, use a linear air pump. If you have a farm pond or lake less than 15 feet deep, use a rotary vane compressor. If you're dealing with depths greater than 20 feet, you must use a piston compressor to handle the back pressure from such depths. Refer to the psi you calculated earlier and compare it to the maximum pressure rating for each pump.
  
  
• 3). Mount your air pump inside a ventilated, weatherproof enclosure on the shoreline or wherever power is available. Connect one free end of weighted tubing to the pump; connect the other end to your diffuser's hose barb, making sure to use a stainless-steel clamp to secure the connection. Maneuver your boat out to the deepest area of the pond and slowly lower the diffuser to the bottom, making certain it rests right side up.