Magno Managbanag Jr. of Bluewater Fish Cage Manufacturing Company showcased the new Whitewater Pond Aeration System at the recent Agri-Aqua Festival at the new AANI weekend market at the St. Vincent Seminary along Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

 MANILA, Philippines – A new aeration system for fishponds was showcased at the recent AANI Agri-Aqua Christmas Festival at the St. Vincent Seminary along Tandang Sora in Quezon City.

This is the Whitewater Pond Aerator System distributed by entrepreneur Magno Managbanag Jr. of Bluewater Fish Cage Manufacturing Company based in Metro Manila.

Sufficient aeration is needed in fishponds so that the fish are provided with sufficient dissolved oxygen, otherwise the lack of dissolved oxygen could lead to fish kill. That is why commercial fishpond operators worldwide use paddle wheels to aerate their ponds. These are expensive equipment that are run by electricity.

Managbanag claims that the new aerator system is not only more efficient than the paddle wheel, it is also much cheaper. There are lesser units used per unit area.

He explains that the new aerator system was developed in the United States but the Aerotube diffuser is now manufactured by Tekni-plex of China which distributes the same throughout Asia.

Managbanag explains that the aerotube that is submerged in the water produces very fine bubbles that are generated through the countless micropores in the tube. These bubbles generate the oxygen needed by the fish or crustaceans that are cultured in the pond.

Since the aerator is submerged near the bottom of the pond, the bottom water is pushed upward and then forward, effectively recirculating the water. In the case of the paddle wheel, Managbanag says, only the water surface is stirred. The new aeration system is run by only a one-horse power generator, hence it uses much less electricity than the paddle wheel. Energy savings can amount to as much as 75 percent. Another advantage of the new aerator system is that there are no moving parts of the equipment so that there is very low maintenance. Since it is more efficient in generating dissolved oxygen, it is possible to stock the ponds with more fingerlings.

Managbanag said that the new aeration system was launched in the US only in 2007 and is now manufactured by Tekni-plex in China and a few places in the US and Canada.

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PANGASIUS FOOD FEST — The public is invited to the Pangasius Food Festival next Tuesday, December 28, at 3 p.m. at the Las Brisas Resort in Antipolo City. The chefs of leading restaurants in Rizal will showcase the different ways of cooking Pangasius, now popularly served as Cream Dory in local restaurants.