Ttruthfully, Cecil, I was right there with you - felt I didn't need one. Then a week ago a hatchery guy was standing on the bank of a half-acre pond he had brought me 20 tiger bass to stock into, and he threw his DO meter probe out into the water and it came back under 1ppm. I had had no idea previously the pond had low oxygen; it's full of small bluegill. Granted I did treat it a month ago for watermeal, so it's possible that the dying watermeal is taking up some of the oxygen, but I wouldn't think it would take that much a month after treatment?
There's another pond (phosphate pit) on the same property, this one close to two acres, that had the same problem - under 1ppm. It, too, was treated a month ago for watermeal. It's completely clear now, but was covered from one end to the other before treatment.
Both of these ponds have a lot of trees all the way around them, and both are off in holes, especially the first one. They've both been very exceptional ponds in years past; a 1.75 pound bluegill was caught from the larger pond a little over twenty years ago, with no management whatsoever. The owner ruled out months ago spending the money to get aerators, and I don't have anywhere close to that kind of money myself, as the ponds are a good ways from a power source and the aerators would have to be windmill or solar-powered. I've asked the owner if it would be possible to get one bank of each pond cleared of trees with the thought that the added wind action might help.
Could clearing a bank make a significant difference?
Last edited by Walt Foreman; 07/31/09 02:14 PM.
