Keeping a Pond Clean...

[MrsMcClain]

We have 2 small ponds on our 10 acres. One is back in the woods and stays real clean and clear. The other is up closer to the house and lays next to the fence that seperates me from our horse breeding neighbor.

My problem is that the lay of the land is such that all the rain water runs across my neighbors property into the pond. This wouldn't be a bad thing except she has overgrazed her pastures and they are full of manure. Therefore, the runoff is nutrient rich and my pond stays green all the time.

It is a pretty pond with large oak trees on the backside and brush and tall grass along the sides. Our house sits on a small hill and you can see the pond clearly from our deck.

Is there anyway to clean up the water? Someone told me to get some grass carp and that they would help. The pond is approximately 8 to 10 feet in the middle and is spring fed so does not dry up during a drought. It's probably 1/4 acre in size.

We see deer come down to drink every morning and it is so pretty. It would be even prettier if we could keep the green slime and growth out of it. The water is not green, just the stuff growing on top. On a windy day, it will all be blown to one side and the water itself is pretty clean.

Any suggestions on how to keep the surface clear of the green 'stuff'? I really hate to use chemicals, but will if it will help. I don't want to disturb the natural inhabitants... turtles, frogs and small minnows.

I have attached a picture showing the pond in the background. It was only half covered on this day as it rained, but by the next day it was fully covered again. That is my small herd of Pygmy goats in the foreground.


Thanks !

[kellenw]

MrsMcClain -

You've got a filamentous algae problem. Between the endopyte worry on the pasture (from your other thread), and the filamentous algae in the pond, you've got quite a lot going on right now! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

My first question for you is where are you located?

Grass carp are not fans of filamentous algae (FA). They'll eat some of it, but they really prefer other types of aquatic vegetation. More often than not, grass carp can create more NEW problems than the ones they were stocked to correct. When they get older and bigger their appetites also decrease substantially, making them a bad choice for long term vegetation control.

Tilapia may be a better choice depending on where you live. They love FA, and will eat it like crazy. Tilapia are a tropical warm water fish however, so they die off every year in all but the warmest parts of the US. However, people routinely stock them each year throughout the US because of the benefits they provide to a pond. They spawn like crazy, providing tons of forage for predator fish like bass. They gobble up filamentous algae at an amazing rate, and since they die off when the water temps get into the 50's, you never have to worry about them overpopulating. They also grow incredibly fast, and are quite tasty. It's not uncommon for the stockers to reach 3-4 pounds over the summer.

There are also chemical and mechanical methods that are options. I prefer to avoid chemicals, but others find them to be effective and safe. Mechanical methods are effective but require repeated "treatments" throughout the year to contol the FA. There are commercial "water rakes" available for this. You can also make one yourself. The collected nutrient rich FA makes an excellent soil amendment for gardens by the way.

So, as you can see, you have many options, but some of them are dependent on where you live. Let me know when you get a chance, and I'll narrow it down a little more if you'd like.

[MrsMcClain]

Thank you for your reply. Tilapa... I heard of those back when we lived in Texas. I am in Southeast Missouri now, right in the foothills of the Ozarks. I know we get cold weather here... it was only 18 degrees this morning... but I don't think it gets much colder than that... rarely. But most of the time it will get above freezing everyday.

I like the idea of Tilapa... I wonder if I can order some around here. I know they have a guy who delivers fingerlings for pond stocking... bluegill, bass, catfill... etc. Don't know if he could get some Tilapa.

I hate to use chemicals also. Will avoid it if at all posible.

Oh, by the way... my husband and I have decided to work on the pastures all at one time. We are going to cut the pastures as low as we are able, then have a local farmer come in and plow and turn the soil. We will have him turn it several time over the course of a year... then the following year, reseed it. I have to go up to our local extension office and see what they recommend for horse pasture here in Missouri. I'm going to keep my horses at my sisters til we get everything done.

I will keep a careful watch on the pasture and if I see any clump grass coming up... I will spray it and kill it immediately! [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[kellenw]

You should be perfectly fine stocking Tilapia in the spring when water temps are high enough. Missouri does not have any restrictions with regard to stocking them. Nile Tilapia are a good choice if available. Again, they do die off in the fall, so you'll have to stock them every year to keep a relatively FA free pond. I believe the benefits are worth it, and many pond management pros (which I am not) will say the same. If you like to eat fish, Tilapia is really yummy also. If you have largemouth bass in your pond, they'll be really happy with the extra food source from the nearly constant summer spawning of the stocked Tilapia. Don't worry about the dying Tilapia causing water problems. Turtles, channel cat, bass and even blue gill will make quick work of them when they begin to get sluggish in the fall (they become easy targets).

Good to hear you've chosen to do the whole pasture. I think that's a wise choice, and you'll ultimately be much happier with the end results. You could also do a controlled burn to get a little better handle on any undesirable grasses that could possibly escape the plowing. It will add some more nutrients for a spring planting too. Just a thought.

[Pat]

A good controlled burn PRIOR to plowing would be a good idea if you can do it safely (access to experienced help.)

A good hot burn will help control some of the weeds by ruining the seed and the minerals freed up by burning the plans will do good for the grass when you seed.

Pat

[kellenw]

That's what I meant (prior to plowing). In reading my reply, it wasn't at all clear on that. Thanks for clearing it up Pat.

[Pat]

You pretty much hit the bases on the filament weed, want to try your luck on turbidity?

I have several ponds, some of which are lined up like pearls on a necklace on one seasonal creek or another. With significant rainfall these all overflow into the next pond downstream and so forth.

Of course there is always water clarity issues after significant rain events but I have adjacent ponds with distinctly different characteristics. The first in one of the chains is usually fairly clear water and if muddied it clears fairly quickly. The next pond downstream from it never gets clear, it gets very muddy and then clears up to just pretty muddy. It overflows into another pond that stays more muddy than the second one (previously described.) This always muddy pond overflows into the last pond in the chain. This last pond is shared as the last pond in another chain. This second chain is composed of 4 ponds with the last one also being the fouth in the first chain detailed. This second chain, including the last (shared by both chains) is virtually always pretty clear, varying from not muddy, just a little turbid, to pretty darned clear. When the always very muddy pond flows into the last (shared last) pond it makes it pretty muddy but it clears right up to its status quo.

So this is a mystery I need help with. The pond that is #4 in both of the mentioned strings of ponds gets a substantial amount of overflow in heavy rain events from the super muddy pond B U T it clears up in a couple days.

So I have ponds that are clear and when muddied clear back up as it seems to be their "preferred state" and I have ponds that are muddy or muddier all the time.

I also have other ponds that are "isolated" with no other ponds overflowing into them. Some of these are nice and clear and some are quite muddy. Again, the ones that "want" to be clear can get muddy after a big rain but clear right back up while the ones that seem to want to be muddy just stay muddy.

It is not an issue of erosion or bare ground as the pond that is #4 in two chains is in my back yard and when we built the house there was significant disturbed earth and lots of muddy runoff into that pond but it still cleared up in a few days after a rain.

Now then, although Oklahoma is famous (infamous?) for red clay, red mud, red muddy water (Red River, Washita, and a host of others) I still prefer clearer water in my ponds. The fish seem to do well in both the clear and the muddy ponds. Light penetration to support phytoplankton and the general aquatic flora is better of course in the clear ones but fish still make it pretty well it seems in the muddy ones.

After we get the water cleared up then I will be a candidate for having more aquatic weed problems. One of my weediest ponds (a small clear one) has a 30+lb grass carp who can't keep up so I was thinking of getting him an apprentice or two.

I would love it if someone could explain to me why some of the ponds act as if they were designated to be muddy and the others to be clear. I would be willing to go to a considerable amount of trouble if I could clear up the other ponds. I prefer some sort of environmentally friendly approach. I don't want to dump a ton of alum or other chemicals into the ponds unless they are pretty benign with few side effects.

Any advice welcomed.

Pat

[egon]

Pat; when the ponds are all muddy take a water sample from each and put each in a clear mason jar that has had the corn squeezings removed. Monitor them to see at what speed they clear up. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] This may give some idea of the particulate size causing the clouding. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Egon, I understand the test you suggest but... Since the source of the muddy water in the clean pond is the muddy pond's overflow, don't you think the initial muddy water is caused by the same stuff in both instances since it is the same muddy water? There is something about the clear ponds that allows or causes the muddy water to settle out. This same water doesn't settle out very well, if at all, if it stays in the muddy pond.

Pat

[egon]

Yep, but this test will verify those facts. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Avoid assumptions! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

It will also give you some exercise digging up them jars filled with mouldy money. The other upside is you will have a nice garden spot dug up. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon