When the oxygen level in the pond becomes insufficient, you can turn on the pond aerator to prevent fish and shrimp from "floating their heads." The pond aerator accelerates water convection, increases oxygen levels in the lower layers of the water, slows down the rapid growth of fish and shrimp, improves the nutrient utilization efficiency, promotes the oxidation and decomposition of organic matter, and reduces the incidence of diseases. Moreover, water circulation fosters the reproduction of plankton, thereby enhancing the pond's primary productivity.

How to Properly Use a Fish Pond Aerator

When the oxygen level in the pond becomes insufficient, you can activate the pond aerator to prevent fish and shrimp from exhibiting “floating heads.” The pond aerator accelerates water convection, increases oxygen levels in the lower layers of the water, slows down the rapid growth of fish and shrimp, improves feed conversion efficiency, promotes the oxidation and decomposition of organic matter, and reduces the incidence of diseases. Moreover, water circulation fosters the reproduction of plankton, thereby enhancing the pond’s primary productivity.

How to Properly Use a Fish Pond Aerator

1. Starting from 2 to 3 p.m. on a sunny day, the surface water above 1 meter in depth reaches high temperatures and abundant sunlight, resulting in vigorous photosynthesis and supersaturated levels of dissolved oxygen. Once the aeration system is activated, the dissolved oxygen from the surface layer mixes with the deeper water layers. Below 1 meter, light dims and water temperature drops, causing photosynthesis to weaken progressively and the dissolved oxygen concentration to decline. At this point, turning on the aerator helps mix the water, break up the thermal stratification, and promote convective exchange between the upper and lower water layers, replenishing the oxygen supply in the lower layers and ensuring proper maintenance of the entire water body. The duration of aeration depends on the load capacity of the aerator—for example, for a 3-kW oxygen-producing aerator, set it to operate in sleep mode 3 to 5 times every 30 minutes. If the aerator’s load covers an area of 6 to 10 mu, run it continuously for 1 hour. By late afternoon on a sunny day, when sunlight begins to fade, the oxygen balance in the lower water layers will be fully restored, and the overall dissolved oxygen reserve in the pond will also increase. Generally speaking, the pond won’t need to be re-aerated the following morning.

2. The system will activate when the weather is cloudy. Generally, on cloudy days, it’s best to turn the system on the following morning, with the aim of directly aerating the water and increasing oxygen levels. Since photosynthesis is weaker on cloudy days, the pond’s dissolved oxygen reserves are lower. Nighttime consumption can cause the pond’s dissolved oxygen levels to drop close to the fish’s oxygen threshold. Therefore, the system should be turned on between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., thereby reducing the duration of intensive aeration during peak fish activity hours.

During the rainy season, when water levels are high or when there’s a serious risk of oxygen depletion in ponds—particularly for fish, shrimp, and wheat—machinery should be started before the fish begin to float to the surface. Specifically, for wild fish in ponds, lights will typically come on when there are signs of floating shrimp, usually around midnight. At this point, the pond’s oxygen level is extremely low, and once the aquaculture fish have stopped moving, it becomes nearly impossible to save them. Fish are prone to dying quickly if they experience oxygen depletion. Wild fish and shrimp have lower oxygen thresholds than farmed fish, making their oxygen levels a useful reference for determining the appropriate time to start aeration.

Don’t turn on the machine during the rainy season. During the rainy season, photosynthesis is weak, and the surface water doesn’t become excessively saturated with dissolved oxygen. If you turn on the machine at this time, the surface water will mix the overly saturated dissolved oxygen into the bottom layer, failing to achieve the intended purpose of increasing oxygen levels.

3. At night, do not turn on the aerators in the fish pond to promote early convective mixing in the pond’s drainage area and increase oxygen consumption. If water quality deteriorates, you must start the aerators—do not stop them—and prepare to use stimulants simultaneously. It’s worth noting that the role of fishpond aerators goes beyond simply increasing oxygen levels in the water; they also enhance the pond’s primary productivity and self-sustaining capacity. Research has shown that while water circulation is not suitable for certain breeding species such as eels, sturgeon, and shrimp, it does promote the healthy and rapid growth of fish and shrimp.