I built a 70ft by 70ft round pond 12 feet deep at its deepest last year and it was nice and clean. When the ice melted this spring i noticed algea comming from the bottom of the pond. The pond is fed from the top of another pond at a bout 3 gallons per minute. This water was just allowed to splash on to the surface of my pond. Is there benefit to plumbing my inlet water to the bottom of the pond as opposed to letting it splash on top. Would this have similar function as aeration creating a rising column of water?
Welcome to the forum.
If the inlet water is coming from the pond surface of the upper pond, and fed to the bottom of the 2nd pond there will be a minimal benefit to the 2nd pond in regards to O2, but a determental effect to that pond in regards to nutrient loading. What nutrients are in the first pond are getting added to the 2nd pond.
When you compare a bottom diffuser aeration system that can lift 3,000 or more gallons per hour to the surface vs. the 3 gpm that is entering the pond, the difference in O2 added to the pond is tremendous.
Thanks for the info. What I have done is filtered the water comming from the upper pond with a screen to keep leaves and visable algea out. Is there any benefit to feeding water to the top of the pond? Sounds like aeration could be beneficial?
What I would really like is a realatively clean pond for swimming, not so much for fish but if they were part of the solution i would not be opposed.
If aeration would be a good option how would i size an aerator and is there any make/model i should be looking at. Also any idea what they would cost to run.
Aeration won't necessarily fix your algae. What about using some dye? Esshup?
I am all ears. I am looking for help as I know very little about algea. What benefit does die have. Sounds like I need to eliminate what ever is causing the algae to grow.
Sun and excess nutrients cause it too grow. Dye eliminates the suns ability to penetrate in turn slowing some algae growth, also killing beneficial micro organism needed for the food chain it's kind of a catch 22
Is there any way to isolate the problem? I am guessing that aeration helps digest nutrients and the dye blocks the sun light. Are there other possible causes/solutions or are there just too many variables to identify the problem on this forum. Thanks to all for the help.
Here's a primer on water testing:
http://wildlife.tamu.edu/files/2010/04/4_Understanding_Water_Analysis_Reports.pdf Just one of many places that can do a test if you so desire:
http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/files/waterweb1.pdf You can treat the algae with chemicals when it becomes offensive, Cutrine Plus works well. You probably should have some fish in the pond just to eat any mosquito larvae, even if it's just some minnows. I sent you a PM regarding the aeration system.
What kind of fish would be suitable for my application? With proper aeration would trout survive?
That depends on your goals for the pond and for the fishery. What is the maximum water temperature of your pond during the summer? What is it's temperature (1' below the surface)now?
In looking ahead into future for you, and in reagrds to trout and FA. If you have trout, your options to control the FA is more restricted. Generally, the cost of the proper chemical with trout is more expensive for the same amount of result as when there is no trout. You could add tilapia for FA, if they are legal there.
How do I find out about tilapia in Vermont? What is the best method to record temps at specific depths?
Cheap way is a wired indoor/outdoor digital thermometer. They usually have a 10' or 12' probe to run outside. Mark the wire in foot increments, weight the probe and record the measurements.
Or you can go the expensive route and get a YSY thermometer or dissolved O2 meter with temp., although a typical pond owner won't "need" one.
http://www.ysi.com/productsdetail.php?550A-22