Any Pond folk out there?

[JeremyBX2200]

I have a 1/2 acre pond on my property. The prior owner completely neglected the property and it was so grown up around it that you couldn't even see the pond. It was also completely covered in algae.

Since I moved in I have cleared all around it, treated the pond with blue dye and enzymes, added grass carp/catfish/bass to try and help control the weeds and blue gill. However, it still seems like every spring/summer I am in a constant fight with algae. I have some copper powder that I can spread on the surface algae to kill it. I also have an aluminum landscape rake that I attached a pool noodle and rope to so that I can throw it out into the pond and rake out/remove the algae.

Is there an easier way to control the algae? Am I missing something? I do fish the pond and eat the fish, so I like to try and keep chemicals in the water to a minimum if I can.

Would adding some kind of a fountain or aeration setup help?

It's a whole lot better than it was when I moved in, but still trying to find an easier way.

Thanks

 

[DustyRusty]

Aeration and live aquatic plants. Copper will kill the fish. Also, raise the PH to about neutral or 7 I would also go fishing to remove some of the fish because they will devour the aquatic plants unless you keep them well-fed.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

I have a pool but wish i had a pond…pond would definitely be better for me.
Seriously I think with out flow of water or chemicals it’s going to be a continuous struggle. If there is light and no movement there will be algae (doesn’t matter pond, fishbowl, pool)

 

[NCL4701]

We have a pond. Pics attached just for reference. We have bass, crappie, bream, grass carp, leopard frogs, bullfrogs, tree frogs, snapping turtles, geese, ducks, millweed, and some algae. My parents bought this place about 35 years ago. The pond was already here. My brother built on the place shortly after. My wife and I built on the place about 30 years ago.

When Dad bought the place, the pond was a neglected mess. The dam had trees all over it, you could barely get to the edge of the bank without a bush axe, and it was choked with algae and aquatic plants. It was already stocked with everything listed above except the grass carp. He conferred with a local hatchery, they looked at the pond, and advised how many grass carp it would take to clean it up and maintain it. So he bought some little 10” grass carp knowing this was not an instant fix. It took about 5 years for the grass carp to get it near to in order. They don’t do much with the millweed. There’s still some algae and aquatic plants. Putting a fountain in it to aerate it might be nice. The amount of algae kind of comes and goes depending on the season and how active the grass carp are. Early spring it gets a little messy with algae and aquatic plants until the now 3’ grass carp crank up feeding and knock it down.

I’ve thought about doing something about the millweed. But the ecosystem in the pond seems to be working pretty well so I don’t care to mess with it dumping chemicals in it and potentially messing that up, particularly not just to make it “look pretty”. There’s a ton of fish in it and we’ve never stocked anything but grass carp ever. It’s self sustaining. A pond with fish and frogs and stuff living in it isn’t exactly a pool. It’s kind of messy, and that may be OK to some degree.

You have a lovely pond. Maybe just have some patience with your grass carp and let them do their thing assuming you have enough of them. And no, I got no clue how many you need.

 

[Flintknapper]

We get a little algae in our Fish Pond in the Summer Months. Not enough to cause any problems. Some aquatic weeds up around the shoreline....but honestly that makes good cover for the bait fish.

 

[Vlach7]

Yes an aerator will help some with your pond clarity issue but it’s by no means perfect results, Shop on Amazon for a capable pump and kit, hopefully your pond isn’t too deep or you’ll have to get a more expensive pump. I have put aerators in two different ponds and they definitely help. Oh my gosh

 

[Vlach7]

Sorry that was my wife’s “oh my gosh” about some thing else.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

curious as to what the leg breaking manmade hole in the foreground is for ?
must be getting old as I see that as a huge hazard,especially for little kids running around.

if you fertilize your lawn the runoff goes into the pond and BAM , lots of 'green'.

maybe some of those solar powered floating fountains would help ?

It'd be kinda neat to have a 'farm windmill' next to it, to pump the water up and around.....

 

[JeremyBX2200]

curious as to what the leg breaking manmade hole in the foreground is for ?
must be getting old as I see that as a huge hazard,especially for little kids running around.

if you fertilize your lawn the runoff goes into the pond and BAM , lots of 'green'.

maybe some of those solar powered floating fountains would help ?

It'd be kinda neat to have a 'farm windmill' next to it, to pump the water up and around.....

It is a firepit

 

[JeremyBX2200]

Thanks for all the feedback. This is my 4th spring with the pond. I don't have any real good pics showing it's condition when I moved in (only a couple vids). But the one is me walking up to it and you can't even see it due to the brush. The older on from Google maps shows what the algae looked like when I moved in.

This pic was yesterday. I had just raked it the day before, but couldn't get to the stuff in the middle. The wind came up and blewit in to the corner over night. It is not uncommon to have a few feet along the edge a day or two after I rake it all out. If I let it go it can take over half the pond. I added 10" grass carp last spring to help keep the weeds down. I think lack of water movement is an issue. I can tell a huge difference if the wind has been blowing or if it has sat still. Looking at some floating fountain option. Pond is about 8' deep at the deepest.

 

[JeremyBX2200]

We have a pond. Pics attached just for reference. We have bass, crappie, bream, grass carp, leopard frogs, bullfrogs, tree frogs, snapping turtles, geese, ducks, millweed, and some algae.

Yeah, mine definitely has some wildlife. It was over run with just bluegill. They were way overpopulated and all stunted. I added some small catfish and bass 2 springs ago to try and cut the bluegill population down. Thinking I should see the effects this year and next since they are starting to get larger now.

Just the other day I was walking by the pond and watched 2 large snappers getting after it. Some pretty large common black water snakes, red ear slider turtles, all kinds of frogs and crawfish. I even have some Blue Herons that frequent it to hunt for food.

I chase the geese off though.

 

[JeremyBX2200]

curious as to what the leg breaking manmade hole in the foreground is for ?
must be getting old as I see that as a huge hazard,especially for little kids running around.

if you fertilize your lawn the runoff goes into the pond and BAM , lots of 'green'.

maybe some of those solar powered floating fountains would help ?

It'd be kinda neat to have a 'farm windmill' next to it, to pump the water up and around.....

I don't fertilize, so don't need to worry about that runoff. I know that was a big issue in some of the more developed lakes around here.

I have been looking around at floating fountains and windmills. Probably an addition down the line.

 

[NCL4701]

Yeah, mine definitely has some wildlife. It was over run with just bluegill. They were way overpopulated and all stunted. I added some small catfish and bass 2 springs ago to try and cut the bluegill population down. Thinking I should see the effects this year and next since they are starting to get larger now.

Just the other day I was walking by the pond and watched 2 large snappers getting after it. Some pretty large common black water snakes, red ear slider turtles, all kinds of frogs and crawfish. I even have some Blue Herons that frequent it to hunt for food.

I chase the geese off though.

With all that going on, I’d be very hesitant to throw any chemicals at it. Sounds like you’ve taken good steps to get the pond population in a good balance but it’s a slow process for the predator fish to grow to the point of controlling the blue gill population and the grass carp to grow to the point of controlling the aquatic vegetation and algae such that the whole system is in a good self sustaining balance in a steady equilibrium.

Aeration certainly wouldn’t hurt anything and would be my next step unless you choose to leave it as is for a few years and let the various inhabitants of the pond sort it out. Worst thing about not aerating IMHO is you’ll likely have millweed on the surface. Sometimes ours is near covered in it if the wind hasn’t blown it to the sides recently. Some care; some don’t.

We’re obviously a few decades further into a similar project but this is the sort of stuff we have in ours now after much patience. For size reference, the guy in the photos is 6’4”.

 

[Flintknapper]

I think lack of water movement is an issue. I can tell a huge difference if the wind has been blowing or if it has sat still. Looking at some floating fountain option. Pond is about 8' deep at the deepest.

^^^^

Shallow water depth will always present a problem for algae growth (assuming no moving water).

So that will be an ongoing battle in warmer months. Warm water helps promote algae growth and the sunlight can reach the bottom of the pond in many places.

But continue to do what you can. You've certainly made big improvements already.

 

[Flintknapper]

With all that going on, I’d be very hesitant to throw any chemicals at it. Sounds like you’ve taken good steps to get the pond population in a good balance but it’s a slow process for the predator fish to grow to the point of controlling the blue gill population and the grass carp to grow to the point of controlling the aquatic vegetation and algae such that the whole system is in a good self sustaining balance in a steady equilibrium.

Aeration certainly wouldn’t hurt anything and would be my next step unless you choose to leave it as is for a few years and let the various inhabitants of the pond sort it out. Worst thing about not aerating IMHO is you’ll likely have millweed on the surface. Sometimes ours is near covered in it if the wind hasn’t blown it to the sides recently. Some care; some don’t.

We’re obviously a few decades further into a similar project but this is the sort of stuff we have in ours now after much patience. For size reference, the guy in the photos is 6’4”.
View attachment 103383 View attachment 103384

Yep.

Its worth the effort to stock ponds (large and healthy enough to support fish) with bait fish and game fish. I stock ours with fathead minnows and coppernose bluegill for the bass.

I hardly ever fish our pond anymore unless family or friends are visiting.

My older brother likes to come up and fish because fishing a farm pond is pretty much guaranteed to be productive. I mean....its not like the fish can go anywhere....right?

He will catch a slew of 3-4 pounders and a handful of larger fish in just a couple of hours. Always makes him happy and relaxed. Amazing what getting away from the big city can do for a person.

Happy Brother below:

 

[JeremyBX2200]

Always makes him happy and relaxed. Amazing what getting away from the big city can do for a person.

Yes it is. That is exactly why I live out in the country. I have about a 35 minute commute to work and it is a bit more of a drive to get to any substantial grocery store, but when I sitting out by the pond enjoy the sun and a beverage......listening to all the nature. Just can't beat it.

 

[DustyRusty]

I would rehome the snappers if they are large enough to eat your fish. I have some snappers that come into the backyard that weigh over 30 pounds and can cut a small branch in half with their jaws. When we had the dogs, the turtles were relocated to another stream about a 1/2 mile away. I knew if I didn't relocate those mud snappers one of the dogs would get injured if they got near the turtles.