Just as human beings need oxygen to live, so do the crucial members of an aquatic ecosystem. Without natural or artificial aeration, all water goes through a process of aging called eutrophication in which organic material accumulates under anaerobic conditions. The beneficial microorganisms and higher life forms need oxygen in order to survive and convert these organic materials into biomass which can then be consumed by even higher life forms. In this way, E P Aeration provides the keystone for a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

       
Your Water and the Life Within It Needs Oxygen!

Your water needs oxygen...
Each body of water has a Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), which, if not met, can cause oxygen depletion. Even non-living materials, like iron, manganese and phosphates will consume oxygen. Oxygen depletion of the lower layers in a lake, pond, or large water feature can produce:

• Anoxic release of nutrients, metals and other minerals such as phosphates
• Release of hydrogen sulfide and other noxious gases
• Ideal conditions for algae blooms and anaerobic pathogens
• Fish kills

Aeration. Aeration, properly applied, will meet the BOD of the water feature, and produce a balance in dissolved oxygen (DO) levels throughout the water column, between the surface and bottom, or sludge, layers. Benefits of aeration include:

• Encourages healthy, desirable life forms to compete for nutrients with algae and pathogens
• Keeps metals, minerals, and other substances sequestered on the bottom
• Creates a sound ecological environment for the entire food chain
  

Aeration Only Occurs From The Point of Bubble Release Upward...
Moving water from the lowest levels to the surface is the real job of aeration. Even with the high oxygen transfer rate of our systems, most oxygenation takes place at the surface through wind and wave action.
Bottom Aeration...
Bottom aeration makes the most sense, because that’s where oxygen is most needed – at the bottom, or sludge, layer. High oxygen levels at the sludge/water interface encourage the growth of beneficial microorganisms and other forms of life at the beginning of the food chain.

“Thermal stratification is the single greatest cause of eutrophic lakes and ponds...”

Oxygen suppresses the release of substances that nourish filamentous algae, anaerobic bacteria and other pathogens, as well as the release of phosphates and heavy metals like iron and manganese.
LAMINAR FLOW TECHNOLOGY™
Fine-bubble, bottom-laid aeration also moves the most water at the lowest cost. By producing a gentle, laminar flow of small bubbles, at a consistent rate of rise, water molecules are moved easily to the surface, where the greatest amount of oxygenation occurs naturally. Fine-bubble, bottom-laid aeration systems are the least expensive to operate, because they are pumping air to the bottom, through special tubing which controls the bubble size and rate of rise. E P Aeration systems also operate on standard household (120 VAC, 15-amp circuit) current, which represents a considerable operating-cost savings over competitive systems.

 Aerators which create coarse bubbles, such as air stones and flex diffusers,  employ an uncontrolled release of air, which has been shown to be much less effective at moving water. Large bubbles and uncontrolled air release create a phenomenon identified by the Army Corps of Engineers as the “coning effect”. As the bubbles rise swiftly to the surface they entrain or cone with each other, creating turbulence. Turbulence produces eddy currents in the water which actually slow down water circulation and can scour the bottom, stirring up the bottom sludge. The gentle, laminar flow of bubbles produced by E P Aeration systems produce convection, or “turn” in the water. This “turn” ensures a balance in the DO levels throughout the water column. Our systems also produce the highest documented oxygen transfer levels in the industry. Finally, the laminar flow and turn produce more even temperatures throughout the water column, and eliminate thermal stratification – the formation of a thermocline layer which prevents circulation and results in oxygen depletion of the lower strata.

LAMINAR FLOW TECHNOLOGY™
Does not roil the bottom, keeping nutrients sequestered in the sludge.

This illustration shows the relative effectiveness of a laminar flow versus a turbulent bubble pattern. The crucial difference is in the amount of water moved to the surface from the bottom, without disturbing the sludge layer. 100 feet of our triple cut tubing can circulate more than 22 million gallons of water per day without turbulence.