Clearwater Habitats has professionally designed aeration systems for:

1. 1) Shrimp Farms
2. 2) Tilapia Farms
3. 3) Milkfish Farms

Paddle Wheel Aerators vs. MARS Aerators
 

Aeration is extremely important when growing and harvesting fish. In order to operate a successful aquaculture facility, you must maintain a high enough dissolved oxygen (DO) to keep the fish healthy and active. The fish are more likely to become active if the DO remains at a high level. Active fish grow larger.

The key is to figure out how to provide the most oxygen for the least amount of money.

Paddle Wheels

Paddle wheels aerators are often used in aquaculture facilities to restore oxygen to the water. However, these aerators are unreliable and are susceptible to maintenance problems. Additionally, they have been proven to be less efficient in terms of energy consumption.

See the graph below that demonstrates the difference in power consumption to achieve similar DO levels (data taken from independent tilapia farm study):

MARS Aerators

There are three main benefits to instalilng MARS Aeration at your fish farm:

1. 1) Lower Operation and Maintenance Costs - The MARS is a diffused aeration system that utilizes both fine and coarse bubbles in order to thoroughly mix and oxygenate a body of water. Fine bubble aeration has been consistently proven to be the most efficient aeration technology at independent testing facilities (GSEE - the only independent testing facility in the United States of America). Most surface aeration technologies (paddle wheels included) are only able to achieve about 2-3 lbs/O2/(hp)hr - as compared to the MARS 5-7 lbs/O2/(hp)hr. This means that the MARS can transfer 2-3 times as much oxygen to the water, while consuming the same amount of power as paddle wheels. The result is higher levels of DO and lower cost from electric consumption.
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3. 2) Increased Oxygen Transfer for a Higher DO Level - This was mentioned partially in #1, but with the fine bubble component of MARS Aeration, the water has the ability to reach and maintain a higher dissolved oxygen content. By aerating from the bottom of the pond, the oxygen is transferred throughout the water column. This results in a high DO content spread uniformly across the entire facility. A higher dissolved oxygen content results in healthier and more active fish. More active fish grow larger, which creates a larger yield at the end of the growth cycle.
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5. 3) Aerating From the Bottom of the Pond - Aerating from the bottom of the pond allows oxygen and mixing to occur from the bottom all the way to the surface of the pond. Any gases or loose sediment that normally decrease the quality of the water in the lower layers of the pond are released into the oxygen-rich layers where they can be broken down. This results in a pond where the entirety of the water column is comfortably livable for the fish. In many facilities where paddle wheels are used, there are dead zones in the water that do not receive proper aeration and mixing. An overall higher water quality results in healthier fish, which in turn will grow larger.