Air diffuser to push waste to bottom drain?

[KoiFan84]

My friend is building a pond and wants to avoid a dead spot without using a jet. The pond is like a kidney bean one corner especially, due to the space he has available to fit the pond into. We were thinking about running a rigid pvc pipe that is tightly secured. It would elbow into the pond, run down the wall and then elbow into a very sturdy stand alone air disc at the bottom of the wall. The air disc’s bubbles would shoot out parallel to bottom of pond so that the waste can be better pushed toward the BD. Would the bubbles shooting sideways instead of vertical work better at pushing waste toward the BD that will be in middle of pond? Or would having an air disc sitting flat on the bottom of the pond 1 foot from the wall be more effective at moving the waste towards the BD? Thanks!

[aquaholic]

Water depth is important as your relying on air lift circulation.Deeper water producing more lift.
It won't matter which direction you release air, it will rise vertically.
What's wrong with water jets? They are invisible and adjustable

[KoiFan84]

Water depth is important as your relying on air lift circulation.Deeper water producing more lift.
It won't matter which direction you release air, it will rise vertically.
What's wrong with water jets? They are invisible and adjustable

Thanks. So would an air disc pointing up on the bottom up against the wall help push waste toward the BD in the middle?

[aquaholic]

It will reduce settlement in the small area within its reach. The reach area dependent on water depth / air lift capability which is probably not as large as you hope.

It won't push dirt towards a bottom drain, just put dirt back into suspension. If your pond turn over is sufficient, particles in suspension have a better chance of getting pulled into the bottom drain. Heavier particles drop out much faster and are harder to move along. Luckily KOI are generally good at stirring up the bottom.

If you already have the pond, just drop in your air disc into trial locations for a couple of days and see.

[KoiFan84]

It will reduce settlement in the small area within its reach. The reach area dependent on water depth / air lift capability which is probably not as large as you hope.

It won't push dirt towards a bottom drain, just put dirt back into suspension. If your pond turn over is sufficient, particles in suspension have a better chance of getting pulled into the bottom drain. Heavier particles drop out much faster and are harder to move along. Luckily KOI are generally good at stirring up the bottom.

If you already have the pond, just drop in your air disc into trial locations for a couple of days and see.

Pond dug but that’s all. Friend is putting really really small koi in it (told him he’s going to have to put some type of soft cage around the bottom drain gap so they don’t get sucked in.) I will see if he wants to install a jet in the spot instead. Pond is 4ft deep. Jet should be what about 8 inches above pond bottom? Thanks.

[NolanRhett]

Sideways bubbles may help, but a centrally placed disc is better.

[JMorris271]

Why not just add aquarium pumps that are about 75 gph or whatever, on the ponds bottom and using tubing to direct the circulation around the bottom drain.

[fly4koi]

Usually the diffuser is placed above a bottom drain such that it create a circular flow that sweeps the debris towards the drain.

[JMorris271]

Usually the diffuser is placed above a bottom drain such that it create a circular flow that sweeps the debris towards the drain.

I was always under the impression that it was there to put oxygen in the water column and that thr bubbles rise.

[fly4koi]

I was always under the impression that it was there to put oxygen in the water column and that thr bubbles rise.

It can serve multiple functions, aerate the water and create a circular flow to make fish happy and sweep the debris towards the drain. Pumping air is much easier than pumping water, there are even bottom drain that designed with a platform for the diffuser to sit on.

[hacnp]

I have 2 spindrifter drains, the lift of water by the rising air extends the reach ( if you will) of my drains to about an 8 ft circular area.
My pond is 4 ft deep at the drains. Pond is a 10k gallon eclipse with a somewhat bowl shaped bottom.
It's influence on the circulation is massive, even though I move more than 8 k gph thru mid water returns. The air lifted water is what keeps the center bottom of my pond clean. JMO but I think 40 liters a minute from each drain moves more water than my 2 1/3 HP Sequence pumps.