Fish Farming - Large Pond/Lake Aeration Systems

[BozZFX]

Does anyone know where to buy large air diffuser aeration systems for fish farming in Thailand?

Those primitive water paddle systems we find here are barely doing any aeration at all,

only moving the water surface for some circulation and the maintenance is a real pain.

All the toxic muck and waste that collects at the bottom needs to be circulated for stable water quality the whole year.

I can find only systems on ebay and other companies worldwide, but the shipping cost is pretty expensive.

If anyone own a pond aeration system in Thailand, where to buy and look for?

[canuckamuck]

Those paddles can be awesome, but they have to installed smartly. From my experience getting a current going is much better than most bubbler applications. You get most of your O2/water exchange when water molecules reach the surface. having a process to keeps the majority of the water in motion will far outdo bubbles. But if the deeper water does not have any current, you are right that it needs to get moving. Without knowing the pond dimensions it is hard to know your requirements.

[grollies]

There's a youtube video by the UK Environment Agency on areation systems for fish farms

 

 

[Ron19]

PM member RedBullHorn and see if he can help you.

[BozZFX]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Those paddles can be awesome, but they have to installed smartly. From my experience getting a current going is much better than most bubbler applications. You get most of your O2/water exchange when water molecules reach the surface. having a process to keeps the majority of the water in motion will far outdo bubbles. But if the deeper water does not have any current, you are right that it needs to get moving. Without knowing the pond dimensions it is hard to know your requirements.

 

Those paddles are sufficient for shallow ponds that are 1 - 1.5 meters deep only... small fish/shrimp farming is the most common application.

but for big ponds that are up to 3-4 meters deep i need bottom aeration with big air diffusers that are almost maintenance free.

my pond/lake is 10 Rai or 4 Acres big and 2-3m deep... so i need a better solution than those surface paddles...

and those DIY Venturis are not enough for such a large pond, maybe for a small home pond...

I need an aeration system that has a big air pump with weighted hoses and at least 3-4 big diffusers for 4 acres of pond...

but i dont know where to buy such things in Thailand...

[BozZFX]

55 minutes ago, Ron19 said:

PM member RedBullHorn and see if he can help you.

 

Does he own a large pond aeration system?

i need something similar to this http://www.vertexwaterfeatures.com/pondlyfe-aeration-systems

but where to buy such systems in Thailand?

Oversea shipping prices are pretty high for just a 300-500$ aeration system.

Edited January 15, 2017 by BozZFX

[canuckamuck]

16 minutes ago, BozZFX said:

 

Those paddles are sufficient for shallow ponds that are 1 - 1.5 meters deep only... small fish/shrimp farming is the most common application.

but for big ponds that are up to 3-4 meters deep i need bottom aeration with big air diffusers that are almost maintenance free.

my pond/lake is 10 Rai or 4 Acres big and 2-3m deep... so i need a better solution than those surface paddles...

and those DIY Venturis are not enough for such a large pond, maybe for a small home pond...

I need an aeration system that has a big air pump with weighted hoses and at least 3-4 big diffusers for 4 acres of pond...

but i dont know where to buy such things in Thailand...

I think you would get better mileage from introducing water flow than air. It requires a lot of energy to get air 4 meters deep, but none at all to get water down there. A pump system drawing from the depths at various locations and then blasting it across the surface, ideally in a circuit to generate rotation.

 

If you do go for air you can move a lot of water if you install angled elevator tubes. It pulls lots of water up with the bubbles. I don't know where to get you air compressors though

[grollies]

16 minutes ago, BozZFX said:

 

Those paddles are sufficient for shallow ponds that are 1 - 1.5 meters deep only... small fish/shrimp farming is the most common application.

but for big ponds that are up to 3-4 meters deep i need bottom aeration with big air diffusers that are almost maintenance free.

my pond/lake is 10 Rai or 4 Acres big and 2-3m deep... so i need a better solution than those surface paddles...

and those DIY Venturis are not enough for such a large pond, maybe for a small home pond...

I need an aeration system that has a big air pump with weighted hoses and at least 3-4 big diffusers for 4 acres of pond...

but i dont know where to buy such things in Thailand...

By big air pump you mean an air compressor or air blower.

 

Air blowers are expensive and very low pressure.

 

Trouble with compressed air is that you need to source an oil-free compressor with aftercooler and activated carbon filter. Ee used standard air compressors and desiccant dryer packs with activated carbon filters cleaning watermains in the UK.

 

The venturi system would work for you, you just need to scale up. The 2" pump used in the video pumps around 20m3/hr so a bit small.

 

But you could put a 3" ot 4" pump in each corner and scale up the venturi pipe to 4".

 

The pump suctions can be moved around and will give you good water movement.

 

Use HDPE pipe on the pump discharge (the suctions will sink when flooded) and weigh down with concrete saddles, same as we used for installing plastic and concrete pipelines into trenches into the seabed.

 

The benefit with the venturi system is that the equipment is easily available and virtually maintenance free.

 

Check out the link on ejectors and venturis.

 

http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5744e/x5744e0m.htm

[BozZFX]

3 minutes ago, grollies said:

By big air pump you mean an air compressor or air blower.

 

Air blowers are expensive and very low pressure.

 

Trouble with compressed air is that you need to source an oil-free compressor with aftercooler and activated carbon filter. Ee used standard air compressors and desiccant dryer packs with activated carbon filters cleaning watermains in the UK.

 

The venturi system would work for you, you just need to scale up. The 2" pump used in the video pumps around 20m3/hr so a bit small.

 

But you could put a 3" ot 4" pump in each corner and scale up the venturi pipe to 4".

 

The pump suctions can be moved around and will give you good water movement.

 

Use HDPE pipe on the pump discharge (the suctions will sink when flooded) and weigh down with concrete saddles, same as we used for installing plastic and concrete pipelines into trenches into the seabed.

 

The benefit with the venturi system is that the equipment is easily available and virtually maintenance free.

 

Check out the link on ejectors and venturis.

 

http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5744e/x5744e0m.htm

 

 

Thx for your help but Venturi pipes attached to a big waterpump will consume much more electricity than a small 1HP air compressor running 4 diffusers...

since i wanna run those systems 12 hrs a day it would not be healthy for the waterpumps...

good air compressors can run 24/7 without using much power and will last for years...

[grollies]

22 minutes ago, BozZFX said:

 

 

Thx for your help but Venturi pipes attached to a big waterpump will consume much more electricity than a small 1HP air compressor running 4 diffusers...

since i wanna run those systems 12 hrs a day it would not be healthy for the waterpumps...

good air compressors can run 24/7 without using much power and will last for years...

Are you looking at something like this?

 

[grollies]

1 hour ago, BozZFX said:

 

Does he own a large pond aeration system?

i need something similar to this http://www.vertexwaterfeatures.com/pondlyfe-aeration-systems

but where to buy such systems in Thailand?

Oversea shipping prices are pretty high for just a 300-500$ aeration system.

Boz, the systems you are looking at supply 2CFM which is very small.

 

If 2CFM is all you need you can easily get this from a cheap 1" pump and venturi.

 

If you've got a spare pump knocking round, have a go, you'd be surprised at the results.

 

I'll stop going on about venturis now 

 

Bout the simplest, maintenance-free system though.......

 

OK, OK, enough.

[BozZFX]

16 hours ago, grollies said:

Boz, the systems you are looking at supply 2CFM which is very small.

 

If 2CFM is all you need you can easily get this from a cheap 1" pump and venturi.

 

If you've got a spare pump knocking round, have a go, you'd be surprised at the results.

 

I'll stop going on about venturis now 

 

Bout the simplest, maintenance-free system though.......

 

OK, OK, enough.

 

Those systems are just examples how they look like and what components they have.

i need much larger systems than those for my pond.

anyway i just found a Thai company that sells Air diffusers//hoses/venturis....

but they dont sell Air compressors.

so all i need to look for now is good reliable Air compressors that can run 24/7 the whole year.

thx for your help

[grollies]

18 minutes ago, BozZFX said:

 

Those systems are just examples how they look like and what components they have.

i need much larger systems than those for my pond.

anyway i just found a Thai company that sells Air diffusers//hoses/venturis....

but they dont sell Air compressors.

so all i need to look for now is good reliable Air compressors that can run 24/7 the whole year.

thx for your help

Cool, chok dee with the project, let us know how you get on.

[canuckamuck]

Yes I am interested to what you can find. I am sure I haven't seen air compressors that can get sufficient air down 4 meters that use little energy and can run 24/7. I am hoping to learn a thing or two though.

I do know that there plenty of pond pumps that run for years.

[farmerjo]

http://www.jnkpowertoolsonline.com/Puma OS-25 OS-50.htm

[ozzydom]

You are talking a lake/pond with a circumferance of maybe 400-500 metres and a capacity of maybe 46,000,000 litres.

To mix and aerate that size  body of water is a big ask, moreso if you want to do it on the cheap.

[RedBullHorn]

I use a simple method, it is effective, economical and convenient as it can be move to any location.

 

It is available throughout the country and comes in different length and Hp power. It can be use to pump water in pond base or be use to pump surface water.

 

The long tail pipe pump is available in 6', 9', 14', 16', 18', 21' and 24' foot length. Diameter of 5'', 6'' and 8'' inches. Prices range from ฿3'000 - ฿4'500 depending on length and sizes. 

 

For diesel walk-behind tractor attachment option of slow rpm 5 turbine propellers or gasoline Honda engine 5.5Hp GX160 model/6.5Hp GX 200 model  mounted option of fast rpm 3 turbine propellers. Honda engines prices range from ฿6'800 - ฿7'800 depending on Hp. For reliability, only get the Honda made in Thailand. Made in China copies are 50% cheaper but Honda's will last forever due to genuine parts. Made in China copies inferior parts will deteriorate in the shortest time.

 

The long tail pipe pump is meant for pumping water at pond bottom. To pump surface water, just tie 2 x 18 litre empty tractor oil containers to the carry handle near the propeller grill at the end, it floats.

 

To circulate base water to surface... Just direct the end of the cloth hose back to the pond. To make splashes like a waterfall to create DO, construct with bamboo spikes and galvanized corrugated zinc panels (6'-8' foot).

 

If pumping from stream, use a mesh net to filter wild fishes and debris.

 

Happy farming.

 

 

 

Happy farming.

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2017 by RedBullHorn

[BozZFX]

37 minutes ago, RedBullHorn said:

I use a simple method, it is effective, economical and convenient as it can be move to any location.

 

It is available throughout the country and comes in different length and Hp power. It can be use to pump water in pond base or be use to pump surface water.

 

The long tail pipe pump is available in 6', 9', 14', 16', 18', 21' and 24' foot length. Diameter of 5'', 6'' and 8'' inches. Prices range from ฿3'000 - ฿4'500 depending on length and sizes. 

 

For diesel walk-behind tractor attachment option of slow rpm 5 turbine propellers or gasoline Honda engine 5.5Hp GX160 model/6.5Hp GX 200 model  mounted option of fast rpm 3 turbine propellers. Honda engines prices range from ฿6'800 - ฿7'800 depending on Hp. For reliability, only get the Honda made in Thailand. Made in China copies are 50% cheaper but Honda's will last forever due to genuine parts. Made in China copies inferior parts will deteriorate in the shortest time.

 

The long tail pipe pump is meant for pumping water at pond bottom. To pump surface water, just tie 2 x 18 litre empty tractor oil containers to the carry handle near the propeller grill at the end, it floats.

 

To circulate base water to surface... Just direct the end of the cloth hose back to the pond. To make splashes like a waterfall to create DO, construct with bamboo spikes and galvanized corrugated zinc panels (6'-8' foot).

 

If pumping from stream, use a mesh net to filter wild fishes and debris.

 

Happy farming.

 

 

 

Happy farming.

 

 

 

 

I already have such small tractors and Honda Pumps... but they use Benzin/Diesel and its very expensive in the long run for just aeration...

i use it only to pump water in/out my pond...

Aeration means pumping oxygen into the bottom of the water to dissolve waste and these methods doesnt do that...

anyway i already found everything i need to aerate my 10 Rai pond @ http://www.kasipantarut.com/

Thank you all for your help!

 

BozZFX

[BozZFX]

4 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Yes I am interested to what you can find. I am sure I haven't seen air compressors that can get sufficient air down 4 meters that use little energy and can run 24/7. I am hoping to learn a thing or two though.

I do know that there plenty of pond pumps that run for years.

 

Something like this will do fine and last for years with only minor maintenance... http://www.hakkoairpumps.com/subcat12.html

I believe these diaphragm/rockin piston air compressors are available in Thailand too...

Air diffusers i can get for cheap at http://www.kasipantarut.com/ for only 300 - 700bth

or i can go with Air tubes that has tiny micro holes in them that are 50 and 120M long... another great option...

anyway thx for all your help...

i finally found what i searched for ^^

happy farming Tilapia fish!

[ozzydom]

45 minutes ago, BozZFX said:

Aeration means pumping oxygen into the bottom of the water to dissolve waste and these methods doesnt do that...

Who told you that?

Aeration is a means of adding DO (dissolved oxygen )to the water supply.

Pond bottom bubblers do not mix the water as the bubbles just rise o the surface.Air lift pumps are one of the few ways of mixing .

Tilapia only utilise  water to a depth of 1.5m with 0-0.5m being their preference 

In ponds deeper than 2m the bottom is dark and nitrate and toxin loaded which is not conjusive to sustaining phytoplankton and zooplankton which are Tiapias natural food.

[passedout]

Sorry for hijacking....

I'm looking at digging a pond and put in some pla nin (Tilapia), pla tab tim (?) and some pla ka-phong (Seabass) the fresh water type. How deep should I go to make it suitable for that sort of fish? Any idea what size should I make it to just catch two or three fish per week or thereabout for family consumption? Will I need some sort of pump to move the water about now and then maybe?

Thanks a lot.

 

Edited January 16, 2017 by passedout
grammar

[canuckamuck]

If I wanted to improve the DO content of a 10 rai pond, I would be looking at some fountain features with electric pumps and a timer.

[pigeonjake]

or solar pumps

[BozZFX]

38 minutes ago, passedout said:

Sorry for hijacking....

I'm looking at digging a pond and put in some pla nin (Tilapia), pla tab tim (?) and some pla ka-phong (Seabass) the fresh water type. How deep should I go to make it suitable for that sort of fish? Any idea what size should I make it to just catch two or three fish per week or thereabout for family consumption? Will I need some sort of pump to move the water about now and then maybe?

Thanks a lot.

 

 

Your Pond should not be deeper than 2 meters for any kind of freshwater fish,

and also considering an area where its shallower so you can go down and open/close waterpipes.

Depending what size your pond is you need proper aeration for the fish to grow bigger and faster and maintain stable water quality,

especially in hot summer when there's no water available to add and algae start to build.

[BozZFX]

3 hours ago, ozzydom said:

Who told you that?

Aeration is a means of adding DO (dissolved oxygen )to the water supply.

Pond bottom bubblers do not mix the water as the bubbles just rise o the surface.Air lift pumps are one of the few ways of mixing .

Tilapia only utilise  water to a depth of 1.5m with 0-0.5m being their preference 

In ponds deeper than 2m the bottom is dark and nitrate and toxin loaded which is not conjusive to sustaining phytoplankton and zooplankton which are Tiapias natural food.

 

Pumping water out and back in is not Aeration but Circulation,

And bottom air diffuser's are the best way to circulate and aerate the water no matter how deep your pond is.

Its practically water boiling with air and those diffusers produce microbubbles that dissolve oxygen in water better than any other method.

and most important is, they move water/waste/toxic muck from the very bottom to the surface

I know every method of water aeration and tried many of them,

My topic question was where to buy such Large Pond/Lake Aeration systems in Thailand.

Ive searched for 3 days now and found finally a company that sells affordable diffusers/airtubes/venturi made in Thailand.

but air compressors i need to search locally or order online.

thx for your thoughts and help!

[BozZFX]

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

If I wanted to improve the DO content of a 10 rai pond, I would be looking at some fountain features with electric pumps and a timer.

A fountain is just a water pump attached to a sprinkler system, it does quiet nothing to a large lake ^^ but visually beautiful,

but a timer attached to a aeration system is quite helpful for automatic on/off without interference ^^

[grollies]

1 hour ago, passedout said:

Sorry for hijacking....

I'm looking at digging a pond and put in some pla nin (Tilapia), pla tab tim (?) and some pla ka-phong (Seabass) the fresh water type. How deep should I go to make it suitable for that sort of fish? Any idea what size should I make it to just catch two or three fish per week or thereabout for family consumption? Will I need some sort of pump to move the water about now and then maybe?

Thanks a lot.

 

30m x 30m x 2 - 3m deep. Depth depends on how much your water level will have dropped by the end of the dry season. Ours drops by around 1.5m by end of dry season. Half is around 6m deep, half around 3m deep when full. Nile tilapia and bamboo fish, some turtles (goodness knows where they came from), eels and loads of toads. Also the occasional snake.

 

We don't areate and have had quite a few 2kg tilapia out over the last few months. My wife prefers them half that weight, any bigger only suitable for deep-frying or salt-baked in the ground.

 

Happy digging.

[Hutch68]

Forgive me for popping in on this one but surely a 10 rai pond should be able to take care of itself with thousands of fish in it.

[BozZFX]

1 minute ago, Hutch68 said:

Forgive me for popping in on this one but surely a 10 rai pond should be able to take care of itself with thousands of fish in it.

 

100-200K fish excactly^^

but the problem is that i have a poultry farm over the pond that dumps a lot of chicken manure every day into the pond,

its good natural food for the fish but for the water its quite acid especially if you cant circulate/aerate the water.

last summer/dry season i've got thousands of fish kills because of water shortage and no aeration.

thats why i asked on the forum where to buy aeration systems in Thailand.

I'm Thai btw but speaks 3 languages.

[grollies]

11 minutes ago, Hutch68 said:

Forgive me for popping in on this one but surely a 10 rai pond should be able to take care of itself with thousands of fish in it.

Additional aeration will help clean up the nitrites at the bottom of the pond.