The Importance of Aeration in Split Ponds

Adequate aeration in the fish culture cell of split ponds appears to be the limiting production factor for these systems.  The required horse power of aeration per split pond should be based on the maximum expected biomass and not the size of the fish culture cell.  These 11-acre split ponds pictured below had only 30-hp of aeration which isn't enough to sustain the 200,000 lb of fish expected in each at the end of the growing season, let alone to account for the respiration of the algae and mud in a 2-acre pond on a hot summer night.  Low dissolved oxygen levels over a long period of time can lead to reduced growth and higher feed conversion ratios.