When looking for a feeder you should try to find a directional feeder. Directional feeders only feed in one direction and throw a pie shaped pattern roughly 45° and 10-25’ away from the bank. The older style feeders or scatter feeders can be used but must be suspended over the pond and are just not effective or convenient. Texas Hunter, Sweeney and some of the Stren Feeders are the most popular directional feeders. These feeders feature a two part delivery system that prevents raccoons and other varmints from vandalizing them. When shopping for a fish feeder you want a unit that holds the appropriate amount of feed. Most models hold around 50lbs of floating fish feed. This is sufficient for your average lake and pond owners; you can expect to fill the feeder monthly depending on feeding times. Larger models are available, some units can hold 200lbs or more, these units are only needed on ranches that are not visited frequently.

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There are many different products and accessories available for your lake or pond. Some are truly beneficial and others are mearly gimics. We will sort through some of the better products and some of the Accessories that we recommend. Subsurface aeration systems and directional fish feeders are probably the two most important items, we will cover them first.

There are many different types of Aeration Systems available. Fountains, pumps, circulators and a host of other products are available and marketed as aeration and to some extent are. These alternate methods of “aeration” do provide some oxygen exchange but they don’t provide destratification. We recommend a subsurface system that produces a medium to small sized bubble. Subsurface systems have what’s called a diffuser that sit just above the bottom of the pond. Air from a small compressor is pumped down to the diffuser where it’s broken up into a column of rising bubbles. As this air rises from the diffuser it acts as an air lift and draws water from the bottom of the pond and delivers it to the surface. This prevents your water from becoming stratified. When a lake becomes stratified there are cold oxygen void layers of water on the bottom and warm oxygen rich layers on the surface. If these layers suddenly mix together oxygen levels can drop to a point that could cause massive fish kills, this is known as turn-over.

Proper aeration can prevent stratification and reduce the risk of fish kills. In addition aeration will allow out gassing, where ammonia, methane and other harmful gasses that can build up in the water are released into the atmosphere. Water quality is greatly increased by aeration and can even increase the growth rate and survival rate of your fish.
Depth, tubing distance and number of diffusers are a few of the things to consider when looking for the proper aeration system. Air compressors come in many different types and sizes, from 1/4hp diaphragm pumps to 3hp rotary vane compressors there is a unit that is right for most any situation. In small ponds with depths less than 9’, linear pumps are by far the best option. True linear pumps are the quietest compressors on the market and can last through multiple seasons of continuous use. The drawback to linear pumps is their low head pressure which limits the depth to roughly 9’and most have a maximum of 3 cfm (cubic ft. per minute) output at 5 psi. For deeper ponds Rocking Piston compressors are the unit of choice. 

Rocking piston compressors can operate in depths up-to 18’ and run at close to 25 psi. For high volume applications rotary vane compressors can be used but are not as efficient as the previous two models and typically don’t last as long.
The diffuser is the last piece of the Aeration puzzle. Glass Stones, rubber membrane, aluminum oxide, and woven Dacron are just a few of the choices for diffuser materials. Glass Stones are the original and still a good choice however they are prone to clogging and somewhat fragile to handle. Rubber membranes where introduced for the waste water trade and have found a place in the world of Lake Aeration. Rubber Membrane perform well but can become clogged and have a tendency to separate from the base and then need to be replaced. Aluminum Oxide is a relatively new material in the industry and is showing good performance. Woven Dacron, more commonly used is fish holding facilities, can be a good option for smaller ponds with fair water quality.
With the abundance of options out there we suggest you consult with your lake manager to decide what’s best for your situation. Green Algae Control carries all types of diffusers and compressors and we’ll be glad to consult with you. When all things are considered you can have an aeration system that will increase the productivity of your lake and last for years.