Pond help

Dylan W.

Dylan W.

lone resident of Bro-Lite Island
Joined
Mar 17, 2007
Location
Mocksville NC
This is my buddies pond. How do we get rid of this green scum? Thought I'd ask here before google.
20180605_190256.jpg
 
I use Diquat on my pond to kill that stuff. The stuff I get is $115 a gallon but it works good. Make sure to use some kind of surficant to make it stick or float. It doesn't take long to work, usually I can see it turn brown a few hours later or the next day.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
 
Copper Sulphate (crystalplex)

Liquid Pond Algae Control

Algae bloom happened from runoff after I fertilized. This cleared it right up (although mine didn't get as far along as that one).

I used the liquid. Diluted per the label, and sprayed out with 25-gallon 12v sprayer as far as it would shoot (30-35'). Have used the granular copper sulfate before...you have to be careful with it...one of them pieces gets in your shoe or down your back as you spread it, and you'll feel it.

After you get it cleared, throw some pond dye in it...keeps the light from helping the stuff grow.
 
Is any of that stuff safe for fish??? I can see a lot of dead fish if it isn't.
Edit...
Read the link info........safe for fish and humans.

Next line or two.......don't use for koi or trout. Hmmmm wonder what gives??
 
Dylan W. said:
Ive noticed that this scum is easily wind blown.
Tell me if this is brilliant, or dumb...
I formulated a plan to take my back pack blower on a paddle boat and try to blow it all to the little end..and then spray it.
Click to expand...
Neither.....you have to much free time!
 
Dylan W. said:
The stuff kaiser posted is safe for everything ,so it says. Even smimming.
Click to expand...
Edited my post.....I was wanting to try it on my koi pond......
 
We don’t have a pond, but my microbiologist wife remembered from one of her classes barley straw can prevent it. I googled it, it can prevent it, but not get rid of it. So you may look into that once you get it cleared up.
 
VortecJeep said:
We don’t have a pond, but my microbiologist wife remembered from one of her classes barley straw can prevent it. I googled it, it can prevent it, but not get rid of it. So you may look into that once you get it cleared up.
Click to expand...
Tell her I said hello, and thank you!
 
Have you tried throwing oranges at it?:D
 
I remember broadcasting copper sulfate from a jon boat as a kid w my dad. It cleared out the green muck in a few weeks. I've also seen round bales of some kind of hay? barley? rolled into farm ponds.
 
Last edited:
note: No experience with a large pond

I know with a small pond, a UV light works. Not sure if there is anything that would work on this scale

natural consumer? like carp or catfish?
 
Carp/catfish won’t work. It doesn’t have much as far as a consumer, and it grows faster than it can be eat. I dealt with this at a friends pond years ago. She wound up buying something (not sure what) that was supposed to kill it. Well the idiot that put it in the pond did not read the label. He got in a boat and dumped it right in the middle, 2 days later we had dead fish so thick it looked like you could walk on the surface. You could smell it a mile away. Bad thing is the green scum/seeds (mill weed if I remember the name) never even went away.
The stuff put in was supposed to be diluted and sprayed, not dumped in at once. I say all that just to say don’t be a typical man, read the dang instructions!!

We restocked the pond 2 years later with fish caught from other ponds locally. It is back to normal now, even the green scum continues to thrive. Since then we have tried Carp and Catfish with no change.

I’m not against using some of the chemicals above, just do it the right way lol.
 
There's a good sized carp in there. You can see it roll every once in a while. Also, there' been catfish caught out of here too.
 
83oldyoda4x4 said:
Grass carp, i think its one fish per acre of pond.
Click to expand...

1 to 6 per depending on the source. It will take 2 full seasons for things to settle out. Quessing game to get a number. Got to figure pond daynamics. Grass Carp eat thert weight in soft plants a day. Normally stocked at 12 -14 inches. Grow to 36 inches. These fish are sterile in NC
 
You have an inorganic environment that allows the algae to flourish. Im surprised many fish are living.
The ONLY chemical free way to get rid of it is proper aeration and beneficial bacteria. Currently cleaning out the Africa Lake at the NC Zoo. 15' deep, 6' muck with only 1-2' at the top was non-algae. Dissolved oxygen level as less than 1, should be between 5-7 ppm. This lake receives about 200-250 lbs of fecal matter a day and $20k/yr for chemicals couldn't knock it out. We started the process in March 2017 and the single year change from previous is amazing. 10- 48' aeration discs and 4-24" (at the bridge) being pushed by a Kaiser blower and we put about 200 lbs of beneficial bacteria in every month. If ya want to go for a boat ride, that can be arranged!
 
A lot of good information here

My thoughts, regardless of what you use only treat half the pond at a time

Reward or diquat is safe in smaller amounts for fish, copper sulfate also safe, but the best advise so far is pond dye after it’s cleaned up, less light less algae

My favorite product for this is a liquid copper sulfate called TAC or total algae control from Brandt Consolidated

Also a good all in one product called AquaShade

Pond aerifier works good also

Please also be advised that legally you need a aquatics pesticide license if it has water running in or out of the pond, not trying to be that guy just letting you know
 
Following this thread closely, but my problem is more Duck Weed than algae. Normally I just spray for it early in the spring but this year it has bloomed like I've never seen. It has gotten to the point some of the big cat fish have died. As a way to try and save the we took the big lagoon pump from the farm and basically churned the water.
 
Back
Top