High-quality sub-surface aeration for small dams and ponds
about
Matala
The Hakko aerator is a product by Matala. Matala is a Taiwanese aquatic equipment manufacturer founded in 2000 by Aquaculture Engineer, Marc Talloen. Matala has distributors in over 40 countries and produces an extensive range of equipment for dams, lakes and ponds. The company is recognised as a global leader in water treatment solutions, renowned for striking a balance between quality and price.
What's included in the Hakko kit
How does sub-surface aeration work?
Frequently Asked Questions
Sizing a Hakko Aerator to dam surface acreage depends on multiple factors, e.g. sun exposure, water temperature, dam shape and depth, nutrient levels, surrounding land use etc. We would need to look at your water body’s specs to provide a more accurate estimation. That said, here is a rough idea of sizing based on optimal conditions:
- 1/8 acre = Hakko 40 - 60L
- 1/4 Acre = Hakko 80L
- 1/2 Acre = Hakko 100L
- 3/4 Acre = Hakko 120L
- 1 Acre = Hakko 200L
Matching a Hakko Aerator to your pond’s volume depends on many variables, e.g. sunlight exposure, water temperature, pond shape and depth, nutrient content, nearby land use etc. We would need to look at your pond’s specs to provide an accurate estimation. That said, here is a rough sizing guide based on optimal conditions:
- 0 to 23,000L= Hakko 25 - 60L
- 15,000 to 30,000L = Hakko 80L
- 17,000 to 38,000L= Hakko 100L
- 23,000 to 45,000L = Hakko 120L
- 34,000 to 76,000L= Hakko 200L
The simple answer is the deeper water is, the greater the pressure is. Water deeper than 2m places too much pressure on the Hakko pump which can burn the motor out. The recommendations of optimal depths are:
- 25LPM: 1m deep
- 40LPM: 1.2m deep
- 60/80LPM: 1.5m deep
- 100LPM: 1.8m deep
- 120-200LPM: 2m deep
The deeper an air station is placed (up to 2m), the more effective it is. This is because as the air bubbles rise, they get bigger, and therefore they drag more water to the surface and agitate the surface water more. This agitation of water at the surface is where aeration takes place, i.e. oxygen enters the water. You can learn more about how sub-surface aerators work here.
Placement of your air stations is important because of the zone of influence for each diffuser. You can think of this zone of influence as an inverted cone. The air station is the small point of the cone, and the water surface above is the large area of the cone. This is why placing air stations at the deepest points of your dam is important because the deeper the water is, the larger the span of the cone at the surface. This zone of influence is also impacted by anything that gets in the way of the cone. For instance, islands or shorelines will restrict the zone of influence by stopping the agitated surface water from spreading. As part of our free water treatment plans, we’ll provide advice on the exact locations to place your air stations to ensure your entire water body is adequately aerated.
The air stations are essentially self-cleaning except for in the case where you don't run them for an extended length of time. That said, it's good practice to blast the air stations every few months by shutting off all but one air station, pushing all the air through it, and then doing the same for remaining air stations, before resetting them to their previous valve settings.
Yes, although we supply bags of zeolite as part of our kits which we recommend you use. Zeolite has the added benefit of removing small amounts of ammonia from the water, and it comes clean which means when you put the air station in the water, you don’t get dirt entering the water which is what typically happens when you use sand. The reason we mostly supply bags of zeolite with our kits, however, is because it’s part of our promise to supply you with absolutely everything you need to start building your kit in the morning and be operational by the afternoon.
Yes, with our kits we send you everything you need to start the job in the morning and have it finished in the afternoon. No last-minute Bunnings runs.
Yes, you can. The kit comes with instructions and is fairly easy to assemble. It can also be put together with common tools like a spanner, screw drivers etc. If you prefer someone else to do it, we offer an installation service for customers in the Melbourne area. Or we can put you in touch with a local installer.
We recommend and supply weighted hose for in the water, so it sits on the floor of your dam, and you don’t have spaghetti-like strands floating on the surface of your water. If you use unweighted hose, the likelihood is it will cost you more purchasing materials to weigh the hose down, plus it always moves and floats again over time. This will drive you crazy.
Although it’s outdoor rated, we recommend you bury the non-weighted onshore hose in a shallow trench to protect it from UV rays as well as the lawn mower and to prevent the dog chewing it. That said, you don’t have to. For instance, if you’re running it across a garden bed, that’s okay—it's low pressure and not like electricity that must be buried.
Yes, you can because there is no power in the water. The powered compressor is placed on the shore and only air is being pumped through the hoses to the air stations.
