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I have a pond and I put Crystal Blue in it to have the water a nice shad eof blue and it becomes green-very green..What should I use to have the clear blue?
Bland,
Here’s a question for you, how much Crystal Blue are you using and how big if your pond?
The Pond Guy
I’ve been “feeding” the bass, bluegill and catfish in my pond with minnows from a nearby creek. Once a day from April – June, I’ll drop 2-3 dozen minnows into my 1 acre pond. Are there any concerns in doing this?
Bob Razem,
There is no problem at all with feeding your bass, bluegill and catfish with minnows. Actually when we hold our Semi-Annual Fish Day at our retail store, we recommend getting minnows when stocking your pond. They reproduce quickly and keep the fish feed well. The only thing I don’t know, is the source of where your minnows come from. As long as your source (creek) has no issues than you should be fine. Ours come from a fish hatchery, so we have minimal concerns. Hope that helps answer your question. Thanks for commenting!
there may be a problem with collecting minnows from a local creek besides the obvious one of pollution; many counties have laws protecting aquatic life and special permits maybe required to capture fish.
Thank you for having a blog where I can get great information. I have learned more today then I have learned in the 5 years we have had our pond.
I am anxious for my order so I can get our pond clean and clear like it was when it was new. Thanks again.
You are welcome,
I’m very happy to hear that you enjoy the blog Debbie!
Your email address has been changed in our database. Thanks!
CAN I USE MUCK AWAY IN MY KOI POND. IT IS 20X19 AND 4 FOOT DEEP. I BUILT THE POND 3 YEARS AGO AND JUST FILTER THE WATER, AND RUN IT THROUGH A UV STICK. I HAVE NEVER DONE A PARTICAL WATER CHANGE OR ATTEMPTED TO ” CLEAN-UP” THE MUCK
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
Hi Jean,
Treating muck will greatly help the health of the pond. We have a product is the same as Muck Away but the dosage is geared for a pond your size. The product is called Muck Defense.
Can we use a pool filter on a koi pond with a bottom drain to circulate the water and clean botton waste?
I have had a pond for a long time when we moved I put in a 40 x 50 pond with one water fall and filter, I’m adding another water fall and would like to use the pool filter system. Also on a bottom drain would it pull in the river rock that I have on the bottom of the pond?
Hi Sandy,
Pool filters work a little differently then pond filters. Pool filters are usually sand filters and are designed to polish water that is already clean. With a pond you need a filtration system that contains lots of surface area that natural bacteria can cling to. The bacteria that live in the filter are what actually maintains your pond. You can still use a bottom drain though if you would like.
i have a pond with a filter after a rain it turned dark brown and i was wondering if there is a chemical that will clean it up without hurting the fish or plants ? any ideas .
Hi there pond guy,
I’m a member of a Labrador Retriever club near Fargo, ND. We have a good deal of water to train our retrievers in, however within the past few years, excessive weed growth has become a problem with keeping the ponds clear and swimable by our dogs without them returning with 5 extra lbs of material hanging on them. Here are a couple google links to our grounds.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=46.874781,-96.624729&spn=0.002853,0.004823&t=h&z=18
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=46.896159,-96.581588&spn=0.002852,0.004823&t=h&z=18
Much discussion has been made about controlling that weed growth next season in the spring and would like a recommendation as to what application you would recommend. Not the entire area would need to be treated as there are some very large areas of water in our ponds that are very deep while other areas are only 5-6 feet deep.
One consideration that was given to us was the use of Karmex (Carmax)? However recent reading has identified that product as possibly harmful to humans and animals coming in contact with it. Also, any application that has a faster recovery time of being harmful to being safe would be great.
Thanks for your help.
Troy
tfeeken at gmail dot com
Troy,
You are correct to be concerned about the toxic effects of Karmex ( Diuron) in a pond. Karmex is not an aquatic safe chemical.
The pesticide, Karmex, which contains, Diuron, is not registered for aquatic applications.
Here is an excerpt from our Pond Guy Blog and a comment from one of our treatment staff:
http://blog.thepondguy.com/2009/03/19/controlling-emergent-weeds-pond-amp-lake-q-amp-a-week-ending-march-21st/
justinmcleod, on March 27, 2009 at 9:40 am Said:
Yes there are long term problems with this! Karmex (Active ingredient: Diuron) is an extremely bad chemical to use in your pond. Not only is very illegal to use in and around your pond, it is hazardous to your health as well! Karmex has been shown to cause cancer, and is very capable of entering the groundwater that runs underneath the pond causing problems with the neighbors as well.
The biological effect is substantial. Karmex will kill almost every plant touching the pond. While this seems like a great idea, the problem lies in the few things that survive. These survivors are extremely hardy, and honestly if Karmex wouldn’t kill them, nothing will. Eventually these plants will take over the pond, and there is not much you can do to stop it.
Karmex is a soil sterilant that was designed to kill farm fields where no chance of runoff will occur. Sadly, many small stores and elevators sell it as a pond product, not knowing how extremely bad this chemical is for humans and the environment.
Use Algae Defense for Filamentous Algae, provided that you do not have Koi or Goldfish in your pond and Cutrine Plus Granular to treat a form of algae called Chara. I have provided a link to our web site for these items. http://www.thepondguy.com/category/algae-control-pond-and-lake-aquatic-weed-algae-control
There are no water use restrictions and these chemicals would be safe for your dogs. Treating for Chara in the spring is more advantageous, as Chara develops a calcification as the season progresses. Treatment is more effective when the Chara is supple and first emerges in the spring. Water temperatures should be 55 degrees to treat. Always treat first and rake to remove dead plant material second. Caution must be taken when treating ponds with fish and no aeration. Decaying plant matter depletes the oxygen in the water when the algae is dying. In this case, treat only a fourth to a third of the pond, allowing 10-14 days in between treatments. I have provided a link to our Pond Guy Blog with information on algae treatment.
http://blog.thepondguy.com/2009/09/03/how-do-i-control-floating-and-bottom-growing-algae-in-my-lake-pond-lake-q-a-%E2%80%93-week-ending-september-5th/
Coontail, or sometimes called hornwort, is a dark olive-green, rootless submerged perennial plant that often forms dense colonies. Leaves are relatively stiff, whorled with many forks and small teeth along one edge. The tips of branches are crowded with leaves giving it a “Coontail” resemblance. Coontail reproduces by seeds and fragmentation.
Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates. The fruits of Coontail are consumed by ducks and it is considered a good wildlife food.
I have provided a link to our web site with a description of Coontail and chemical choices for control. http://www.thepondguy.com/category/109
Please call us if you have additional questions, so we may further discuss the options with you. You may also send us photos of the weed and/or algae that you are dealing with at: mrwig@thepondguy.com
We have a pond 10 feet long by 6 foot wide and 18 inches deep. There is a water fall on each end. The water is clear but we get green slime on the rocks and it will turn to black slime
We have used Muck buster on the rock that helps for a few days then it is back.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Diane,
Algae is able to grow in your pond due to a build up of nutrients in your pond. Using beneficial bacteria, such as Nature’s Defense, helps to reduce the overall amount of nutrients in the pond. That in turn, reduces the amount of nutrients that are available for algae growth. Plants are also an excellent filters for your pond as they draw on the nutrients for their food source. If you are looking for season long pond care, you might want to check out our DefensePac.
I have what I think are bloodsuckers in my small preformed pond. I have not noticed them attacking the fish but these little red worm like critters with sucker mouths are visible on things I see in the pond including the filter system. They cling to surfaces and are difficult to dislodge. I will be taking my fish out for overwintering in another tank but don’t want to transfer these little creatures. I will be draining and cleaning the inground pond but how can I prevent these little creatures from showing up again next year and do they overwinter somehow in the water plants or in the ground where they may re-enter the pond next spring? Could they be attaching themselves to the fish gills? How do I safely eradicate them? Yuck!
R Marq,
What you are describing are leeches. There are a wide range of leeches with various sizes and not all are parasites. If the leeches are attached to your fish, this may cause a problem. The leeches can leave wounds, where they were attached. These wounds then could harbor bacteria and/or fungi, thus increasing the risk of a secondary infection. Plants in the pond will also harbor leeches and is often the way that they enter the pond. Fish will enjoy feeding on the leeches if they are accessible to the fish. If the pond is drained and let to dry out it will kill the leeches. Remember that plants in the pond may be the harboring leeches so check them thoroughly. Since you are draining the pond and cleaning it you should be able to gain control. Once you refill your pond in the spring, allow it to stand for 5 – 10 days (with the filters running) so the whole system is cleansed thoroughly. Keep an eye on your fish during their indoor season for any signs of the leeches on the fish.
Another way to remove leeches is to make a leech trap. You can create a leech trap by:
1.) Take a container with a lid, such as a plastic deli container or coffee can.
2.) Poke holes in all sides of the container from the outside in, that creates a burr in the inside of the container.
3.) Put some raw meat, liver works well is not expensive.
4.) Put the lid on and submerge it completely in your pond. Adding a few rocks helps to have it sink. Attaching a string or
some method for retrieving the container.
5.) Leave in pond for several days to a week
6.) Remove the trapped leeches from the container and repeat the process.
This method will cause no harm to your fish and has been found effective at removing leeches.
I have 1 acre pond. My question is this. I have bass- blueGil and crappy in the pond, I recently was told to put catfish in to help with keeping the pond clean. How many and will this help? The pond is 80% better since adding airation, twilight blue dye and raking many loads of weeds and grass. I plan on adding muck away and twightplus this spring
Hi Peggy,
Many pond owners do have catfish however aeration, dye and bacteria to remove muck deposits will provide more of an impact on your pond that what the catfish could nibble away at. A large amount of catfish will also stirr up the clay or sand in the bottom and actually cause the pond to become cloudy.
Hello Pond Guy. Great Website you have here. I have just a couple of questions. I have a pond that is 95′ x 65′ and 5 feet average depth. I have cattails along one edge of the pond. The other day I went out and pulled the dead growth from the stalks. The growth seperated from the stalks right at the water surface. Is this method acceptable or should I cut the Cattails further under the water? Also what product do you reccommend to treat a pond this size to get rid of the muck caused by leaves and such. My pond has a cascading waterfall stream that empties into it. I have 3 SLV-56 pond pumps that take a suction on the pond via skimmers and it just recirculates, but I do have algae problems sometimes. I currently am using aquashade to help. Any comments or help is appreciated.
Hi Barry,
Any of the cattail stems that remain in the pond will just continue to break down. It sounds like you removed the majority of the dead debris so now its just a matter of visual satisfaction. In reading the description of your pond, just to be sure are these cattails that you have planted in a lined pond or are they growing freely in an earth bottom? To treat the muck in a pond that size I would use Muck Away or Pond Clear natural bacteria.
Hi,
My pond is a lined pond. I raked most of the muck away from the bank however there is a small amount of muck stuck to the rocks. You can see a pic of my pond at the following website. http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5411-74th-Ave-NE-Marysville-WA-98270/38517909_zpid/
I noticed your truck and service people working on a pond near my home and stopped to talk with them. I was ecstatic to hear about the company! I’ve been trying to get answers about pond maintence for years. I’m looking forward to a response to my email to schedule an appointment. Based on the various information on this blog, it looks like I found the right company to help me. Thanks!
Glad we could help Jean, feel free to ask us any of your pond questions.
I need to reduce the algae Chara from swimming ares and reduce the muck. Do algeasides ship to Vermont? If not can you ship to NY or MA? I have close relitives that I could drive to to pick up a delivery.
Hi Cherie,
We can ship to Vermont. Would reccomend Algae Defense for algae pending you do not have koi or trout and Pond Clear and Muck Away to reduce the muck in the pond.
Is Karmex unsafe for use in a pond where kids are swimming? Also, if it is safe, what is the wait time before they can go in?
Hi Nancy,
This product is not approved for aquatic use and should not be used under any circumstances for ponds. If you are looking to treat algae or weeds try an aquatic approved chemicals like Algae or Pond Weed Defense. Neither of these products have swimming restrictions though I always reccomend to wait 24 hrs so you are not in direct contact with concentrated chemical.
How do I get rid of a blue herion coming to my pond? It ate up all my fish I think.
Hi John,
Heron Decoys work well as long as they are not placed during mating season and are moved often.