Problems with a nasty pond. Help...

[gibbsgirl]

Well, we're going into our second year here. And, I am not making much progress with the nastiness in our pond.

The two biggest problems I think are that I really want to stay away from using any toxic chemical solutions, and draining it and starting over is not an option. Second problem, I thought nk is that the only two water sources are rain and farm field runoff which is very chemically, and the water does not flow at all except for evaporation and an overflow pipe that periodically is used when the water level is too high.

I'm really frustrated by the information I've found online so far because almost all of it seems to be for people who have much smaller ponds frequently they seem to be the plastic ones you buy at the store and o use like an outdoor koi aquarium, so the info seems to be totally irrelevant.

We use this pond for livestock to drink from and fish for us to eat. It is thriving with several types of fish, frogs, crawdads, wild birds, bugs, turtles, and even occasionally snakes (ugh!)

The problem is we have a disgusting amount of hairlike stringy algae in it and a large annual growth of viney flowering plants. And, I am at my wits end about how to eliminate it or at least maintain it at a reasonable level.

I would appreciate any help from folks with more experience. For reference, our pond covers about an acre of ground, and based on the depths we've measured, probably holds around 5 million gallons. We are in western ky zone 6.

Thanks all.

[Danaus29]

My grandpa had a big farm pond. And it occasionally had that filamentous algae. One year I was scooping it out and found there were hundreds of hatchling fish in the algae.

Only way I know of controlling it is to keep the livestock out and eliminate the field runoff. Or you could do like some pond owners and add that stuff that turns the water blue. I don't know how safe that is for the wildlife.

[gibbsgirl]

The livestock we currently have (fainting goats and poultry) don't actually enter the water.

Unfortunately, because of the topography, I don't have a way to redirect the field run-off.

[Danaus29]

That was the same problem Grandpa had with his pond, no way to redirect it so there was no run-off. He never did figure out a way to get rid of it. He spent a lot of time just fishing it out and tossing it on the bank, every year.

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone else has a solution.

Found this info from Penn State, again mostly about herbicide:
http://extension.psu.edu/natural-res...amentous-algae

[Seth]

Get three or four mesh laundry bags, fill each with loose rye straw and a cinderblock. Sink them in the pond with floats tied on so you can recover them. This gets the best results if done in springtime, but will start working this year in about a month. The decomposing rye straw kills algae.

[jwal10]

Is there enough wind to run a pond aeration system?

http://www.livingwateraeration.com/wmnp16.html

....James

[poppy]

Your pond has too many nutrients and probably a lot of muck on the bottom built up over the years. Sorry, but there is no easy fix. If the vinning plants have yellow flowers, it is likely water primrose. It is very aggressive and the filamentous algae will come back even if you treat it with something like Cutrine. I'd make plans to redo the pond at some point. A little water primrose isn't really a bad thing and sometimes it will use up excess nutrients enough to keep the algae down. Don't count on the pond for a long term fishery unless you plan to drain it and have it cleaned out. At some point you will have a fish kill either because the pond turns over or enough plants will die to take the oxygen out of the water as they decompose. Other water plants can also help cut down on the filamentous algae by consuming nutrients. Cattails work well but can be a problem themselves. Draining a pond is no big deal and a trash pump works well. A good operator on a track hoe or dozer can move a lot of dirt or muck in a day or two. Farm field runoff is a common problem for pond owners and there are things you can do to help, depending on how far the fields are from the pond. Often a buffer zone of certain plants that consume lots of water can help, but field runoff is usually not a major factor in the nutrient overload. Livestock manure can be a major contributor as well as goose or duck droppings. Sometimes they can be fenced away from the pond to provide a buffer zone, except in one small area so they can drink from the pond. Usually the biggest source of nutrients is the fish manure itself, especially if you feed the fish. Check out the pond boss forum. Lots of pros on there and several people ask questions like yours. Good luck.

[gibbsgirl]

Originally Posted by jwal10

Is there enough wind to run a pond aeration system?

http://www.livingwateraeration.com/wmnp16.html

....James

No. I have read about getting something like that that's solar powered. But, the cost is rather high, and I'm hesitant to tie up that much money into it if it's not almost a sure thing.

[gibbsgirl]

Poppy, where is the pond boss forum?

I don't think we'll have too much trouble with fish kill. I know the people who built our house in the 30s and built up the pond in the 50s and it's always had fish and been fished in. I do know that it is not as deep as originally though.

I have St don't have a way to drain it without damaging my neighbors property. The field where the run off enters is less than 10 feet from the pond. But, that end is very shallow. I could plant stuff there and actually thought of willows. But, I have water and power lined trenched right near there that run out to my barn, so I haven't cause I was told willow roots will destroy the lines.

[poppy]

Originally Posted by gibbsgirl

No. I have read about getting something like that that's solar powered. But, the cost is rather high, and I'm hesitant to tie up that much money into it if it's not almost a sure thing.

Try here: http://forums.pondboss.com/
Aeration is good for a pond but it will not stop filamentous algae or water plants. There are some places selling bacterial concoctions that supposedly eat the muck on the pond bottom but they are also expensive and don't always work. Personally, I would save the aeration money and apply it to cleaning out the pond. How deep is the pond? If your state allows them, Talapia will eat a lot of filamentous algae. Many pond guys stock several hundred fingerlings in the spring and fish them out to eat in the fall. They grow very fast but they die if your water temps get below about 60 degrees in the winter and need to be stocked annually. It's a good solution because the Talapia are turning the algae into food for you and you are removing those nutrients permanently from your pond.

[gibbsgirl]

Deepest places are about 15 ft. A lot of it is in the 6-10 foot range we believe. We checked all over last year drooping weighted fishing line, so it wasn't a perfect test.

[jwal10]

There are electric models also....James

http://www.outdoorwatersolutions.com...o-remove-algae

[Wanda]

Copper sulfate and reducing the nutrients coming in is the only solution. If you treat the algea do it in sections so the decomposing mass does not rob the oxygen from the water and kill your fish.

[gibbsgirl]

The pond boss place seems like a good resource. I'm very interested in trying out tilapia too. Especially because my kids love eating it!

[Steve_S]

I'm no expert on ponds but have some experience of my own and my friends who have ponds, some of which are for their own fish stocks (small personal aquaculture & fish farming).

Consider digging a swale (rock filled ditch) around the perimeter so that field runoff can be directed away... Typically a swale could be clay soil lined or even plastic lined then back filled with fist sized rock and then topped off with Professional landscaping cloth (the good stuff will last 20 years) and then some top soil seeded with a short fescue or other short ground cover plantings.

Aeration will interfere with many forms of algae while oxygenating for the fish in the pond. Some types of algae will flourish though.. so a balance has to be found.

Certain types of Rushes, Lillie pads and such can also be of help.

You said this is not active water (from & to stream) and is supplied by rain & runoff... This is essentially semi stagnant water... Besides aeration via a small solar powered pump (1 panel -> battery -> pump to air line) possibly adding something that will move the water may be an option.

Adding chemicals or using non-natural solutions could & likely would affect any animals that drink from this pond and the fish within it... That would be cause to pause & think about it.

Lastly, Pond Depth will affect the types of algae and plant growth within the water... When this pond was made in the 50's it was likely twice the depth and the sediments have slowly filled it in... You know the folks who put it in, maybe worth asking them how deep it was and what they lined it with (most likely natural clay).

[ksfarmer]

Check into putting in some Grass Carp, they eat the algae.

[gibbsgirl]

They said the deepest they dug was a diving hole where the old dock was that went down 14 ft. I don't remember what they lined it with, but it wasn't any type of plastic liner I know that.

We rekaid the overflow pipe last year to cause it was collapsed.

Itwas a smaller pond originally, they built the berm up an dug it out to enlarge it.

We added some more fish last year including a dozen grass carp.

I don't know about sinking the straw or hay in the water. We played around with that a few years ago in our stock tanks and didn't seem to help. But, I know that some things work depending on the details of how it's done and varying conditions.

I don't have a lot of room to play with the area around the pond where the run off enters. But, I do have a decent shallow area there where the water is about knee deep. So maybe I could add some plants or trees that would help.

I found some websites that sell tilapia in ky. I think I'm gonna try and give them a call too, Maybe they can give me some recommendations ndations.

[poppy]

Originally Posted by ksfarmer

Check into putting in some Grass Carp, they eat the algae.

Grass carp eat little, if any filamentous algae but they are great for water plants.

[gibbsgirl]

Originally Posted by poppy

Grass carp eat little, if any filamentous algae but they are great for water plants.

good to know. maybe they are at least doing something!

I don't know if it's just too early in the season to tell. but, I will say that the viney flowery plants we had last year are definitely back. but, they are not as much as before, and definitely not climbing the banks of the shore. at least not yet.

maybe my grass carp are keeping those more under control. I certainly hope so.

my goal has always been to not do any regular maintenance to the pond if I can help it. but, I am very interested in finding what plants or animals are needed to help the pond become a self managing environment.

may not be completely possible, but, it's at least the goal, I was to work from.

[poppy]

Originally Posted by Wanda

Copper sulfate and reducing the nutrients coming in is the only solution. If you treat the algea do it in sections so the decomposing mass does not rob the oxygen from the water and kill your fish.

Copper sulfate is a temporary fix but I use it occasionally. The problem is it doesn't get the nutrients out of a pond. It kills the algae which then falls to the bottom and decomposes, releasing those same nutrients back into the pond system to grow more algae. Physically removing algae is a real chore but it does allow you to remove those stored nutrients away from the pond to get rid of them for good. Raking out and removing water plants does the same thing but it is hard work.