THE NEED TO DEVELOP BETTER POND AERATING SYSTEMS  

Aeration is an essential means to achieve higher yields in ponds. Aeration systems are designed to achieve several goals:

a.      Supply oxygen to cover oxygen consumption and to overcome oxygen limitations and thus enable higher stocking growth and yields.

b.      Distribute the oxygen in the water, horizontally and vertically.

c. Mix and supply oxygen to the soil/water interface

Do we have the aerators required to fulfill these goals?

During the last few decades, aquaculture systems have been changed. We have different genetic lines of animals, feed formulation has changed dramatically etc. But we are still using in most cases, the same aerators and aeration strategies.

An important consideration to achieve goals listed above and to efficiently use power, is that aerators should be designed in way as to aerate the pond bottom water (having low oxygen) and to deliver oxygenated water preferentially to the bottom layers. Most presently used aerators do not follow these demands.

The suitability of presently used aerators will be discussed and some ideas toward the development of new generation of aerators will be presented.