This is going to be a long post - so apologies up front.
I'm very new to pond "management" and I need a lot of help. I've been participating and reading tons of posts on this wonderful forum, but somewhere along the line I got lost. I bought this property in late 2009 and it came with a small shallow pond. In it where LMB and some type of catfish and another fish that I can't identify (they almost look like large Oscar tropical fish). The goal of the pond is beautiful landscaping and healthy, clean and clear water that doesn't stink to high heaven. My Golden Retriever uses the pond as a drinking fountain and to stroll through the water anytime she wants - not that I had a choice. The property is in Northern Nevada, east of the Sierra's and over the hill from Lake Tahoe. The pond is fed by artesian spring and artesian well overflow. I'm not a fisherman, but expect to have nieces and nephews to show up to go fishing and fishing for fun and entertainment. I'm not looking to have "trophy" bass as a priority. I may want to add Koi and/or large Gold fish to the pond when or if their size is appropriate to not be a snack for the LMB. The largest LMB I've seen are three 12 to 15 inch fish, though they were pretty skinny. There are hundreds of smaller LMB. I've inquired about getting Blue Gill as forage fish, but so far have not been successful in finding a hatchery approved and certified to bring BG into Northern Nevada. I'm open to suggestions here if anyone knows who can provide BG to here?
When I purchased the property, the pond was probably a third of an acre. The overall size of the lot is 2.5 acres. In 2010 I dug a new pond section that mirrored the shape of the original pond only a little smaller. Then I dug a channel connecting the two. The reason behind the channel choice, was I didn't know how long it would take to fill the new pond addition. I have a very high water table, though that changes depending on the season and local rancher's well pumping. I didn't want to risk losing all of the fish in the original pond if I suddenly opened up the channel and it drained that pond into the new one. So I basically have two ponds sharing one body of water. So the two sections of my pond have different issues though connected at one end by a shallow channel. To add to the pond concerns is a 200 foot long stream that is seasonally fed by artesian spring and well overflow of my northerly neighbor. Because it is seasonal, I pump water from the new pond section up to the beginning of the stream for year round water flow. I will attempt to post a google earth image so you can see what the configuration and layout is. It may take me a couple tries to get this done, so bare with me please. I'll try to post some photos too.
The original pond is the largest section on the right or east side of the property. The new pond was dug in 2010 and is slightly smaller and has the lined stream flowing into it. Overall estimate is 1/2 acre pond with 1 million gallons of water. My artesian well overflows into the old pond section at the northern end. The new pond section has the new EPDM 45 mil lined stream running into it at its northern section. The old pond is mostly 3 to 4 feet deep with 6 feet at its deepest. The new pond is 8 to 9 feet deep in its southern section across from the channel connecting the two ponds. The stream water flow is helped by a Hayward variable speed pump giving 80 to 160 gpm of water flow depending on settings. There are four tiers to the stream with overall estimate of 10,000 gallons storage in total. I just installed a Vertex aeration system with three shallow water aeration stations with their 3/4 hp compressor unit. The system was designed for four stations, though I'm only using three at present. I was thinking about adding aeration devices in the stream sections to aerate the small pond sections along the stream where the water is only 12" to 18" deep. They would act like fish tank aeration devices I suppose. Would that be beneficial? Or would it matter?
The problems that I seem to be having are the original section has good water clarity, but is full of coontail weed so thick that you can't maneuver a small boat with trolling motor through it. The new pond addition was clear up until about 3 weeks ago, and is now like green tea with minimal clarity. I thought I was doing good up until then. The stream used to be clear as well, but since the water comes from the new pond section, the green tea is what I've got in the stream now too. To make matters worse, I'm still in the construction/landscaping stage for the property and with normal high winds here, I get a lot of blowing dust and dirt going into the stream and new pond. So even when the stream was flowing clear water, the rock covered liner was mostly brown with string algae (I believe). I've got two or three types of algae growing in the stream now. Some a beautiful blue/green color and another bright Florissant green. I have the same algae growing in the east side of the original pond too.
Here are the chemicals that I have on hand: 50 lb.. of GreenClean Pro granular; 1 gallon of Reward aquatic Herbicide; 1 pint of non-iconic Surfactant for Herbicides; 5 gallons of Micro-Lyfe Blue Power pond dye; 25 lb.. Micro-Lyfe Digester soluble packets; 6 gallons of Micro-Lyfe Complete.
In Nevada, Tilapia is illegal for stocking in ponds. But if large Gold fish or Koi can be used as an alternative, that option is available. It might even be desirable. But what additional food would be required to keep them fed? Where do I find Bluegill to use as forage for the LMB? Is it possible to have a shallow stream running with clear and clean water? Or is it destined to fail because of the shallow depth of the water? Would using a filtration system help the stream for clarity? How do I get both pond sections working together and consistently? Do I need to drag the coontail plants from the old pond to the new pond for balance or oxygen production? Or should I use Gold fish and/or Koi to try to control those plants in the old pond? If I use the Reward Herbicide on the coontail, do I need to remove the dead plants afterwards, or let the Micro-Lyfe Digester or Complete products decompose those plants? What to do in the new pond section? It was clear, but now it is not. Is the green tea color algae or a combination of dirt and dust being held in suspension too?
So I really need some help in getting my ponds and the stream cleaned up and hopefully working on a low maintenance regime. Is that possible?
Here are photos of the wonderful green tea, pond scum and plant coverage on the original pond section. New pond section and stream photos in the next posting.
I forgot to mention this - hard to believe I left anything out of the first post. The original pond has an island in the middle of it. The two aeration stations are on either side of the island. The water level has dropped 12 inches in the last three weeks due to the heat and lack of rain or snow this past winter. I'm guessing that the water levels might drop another two to three feet if it keeps up this pace. I might be able to walk across the channel by the end of august without installing the planned bridge crossing the channel. We'll see what happens. Back to work on rocking in the stream and pond areas.
DL, great post. Don't be discouraged that you haven't gotten any replies. There's a lot to "digest" and I'm sure one of our experts will chime in soon and have some suggestions for some of your questions. Do you have a liner in your pond?
Neither of the ponds have liners. With the water table being so high, any liner would be floating. When I dug test holes where the new pond addition is, I hit water 3 to 4 feet below the surface. It is what fills the two ponds. I decided to line the stream, for I didn't want to waste the water soaking into the ground before making it to the ponds. It also helped in pumping water year round so the stream would not stagnate.
DL, I'll probably miss some points, but I'll give it a shot.
What fish are legal to stock in your area of Nevada? That might help direct our suggestions.
As for stocking Koi, it depends on how many. If only a few, say 1/2 dz or less, and the reason you're putting them in there is for ornamental viewing, then I'd say go for it. I wouldn't stock goldfish, they'll muddy the water from rooting around in the pond bottom.
Are you 100% sure that it's coontail?
One last thing, then I'll try to hit your questions. The bloom (green water) is normal and a sign of a healthy pond. It's caused by Phytoplankton, and that is the building block of the food chain. A good water clairty is being able to see a secchi disk at 24" depth. But, it sounds like you want the water to be clearer than that. That's O.K., we'll just have to work at getting it clearer for you. The color is caused by nutrients in the water, which feed the phytoplankton, algae and other plants (such as coontail). Remove the nutrients and you'll reduce the amounts of plants, algae and phytoplankton.
The biggest contributor to the problem is Phosphorous. Unfortunately, a little goes a long way. IIRC there was a good article in the last issue of PB Magazine about managing Phosphorous. If you don't subscribe, call the office and get that issue.
Some of the nutrients could be coming into the pond in the form of dust on the wind.
In Nevada, Tilapia is illegal for stocking in ponds. But if large Gold fish or Koi can be used as an alternative, that option is available. It might even be desirable. But what additional food would be required to keep them fed? More fish = more nutrients that have to be managed. If you grow and remove fish, then you're removing nutrients. Adding food will contribute to more nutrients in the pond Where do I find Bluegill to use as forage for the LMB? See adding legal fish above. Is it possible to have a shallow stream running with clear and clean water? Just thinking out loud here. It might be possible to put a filtration system between where you suck water out of the pond and where it enters the stream if you just want the stream to be clear. Or is it destined to fail because of the shallow depth of the water? It's not so much the depth, but if sunlight can reach the bottom of the ponds. Would using a filtration system help the stream for clarity? Possibly How do I get both pond sections working together and consistently? Time will balance them out if the channel stays full of water. Do I need to drag the coontail plants from the old pond to the new pond for balance or oxygen production? Only if you want weed problems in both ponds. Most of the O2 gets into pondwater from water sucking O2 from contact with air, or phytoplankton. Both plants and phytoplankton add O2 to ponds when it's sunny out, and use O2 when it's cloudy or at night. Or should I use Gold fish and/or Koi to try to control those plants in the old pond? I think you'll have more problems with them than they'll solve. If I use the Reward Herbicide on the coontail, do I need to remove the dead plants afterwards, or let the Micro-Lyfe Digester or Complete products decompose those plants? http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/management-options/coontail/ What to do in the new pond section? It was clear, but now it is not. Is the green tea color algae or a combination of dirt and dust being held in suspension too? It's the bloom that you are seeing in both ponds.
There are products on the market that are supposed to "lock up" phosphorous making it unavailable to plants and algae, but I have no first hand knowledge how well they work. You can and should also rake out the FA that is there. That will remove nutrients from the pond too. If the LMB are skinny, take a bunch out. I mean a bunch! All sizes that are skinny.
You sure have a beautiful place. Just some thoughts. KOI I believe would help with the algae but on the other hand you want clear water and they are a carp that will stir the bottom. Coontail will clear the water and add oxygen but can grow out of control. They could be controlled with grass carp, but not muddy the water I think. The green tea is most likely photoplanton that is beneficial for lower life and adds oxygen but clouds the water. I've had no Algae this year using plants and Golden Shiners and have fairly clear water with a little tannin color but so many plants that I have aren't for you I think. I expect the experts will say to aerate and use chemicals.
Here are the allowed fish species per Nevada Dept. of Wildlife:
1. A person does not need to obtain a license to possess, propagate, breed or otherwise maintain the following species of privately planted live fish, including hybrids thereof, in a pond or lake which is not connected to a state water system by means of a natural water course and which is located wholly on private property: (a) Rainbow trout; (b) Brown trout; (c) Cutthroat trout; (d) Brook trout; (e) Largemouth bass; (f) Smallmouth bass; (g) Bluegill sunfish; (h) Redear sunfish; (i) Channel catfish; (j) Black bullhead; or (k) Crappie
Grass Carp under a special permit might be allowed if over 30% of my pond is covered in weeds. However I don't think they'd give me a permit, since my pond when full and overflowing eventually leads to public waterways.
John, thanks for the complement. I've been planting trees and working on this property non stop for nearly three years. The backyard section was horse pasture and riding rings when I bought the place via a "short-sale". It was overrun by weeds and lack of care. The original levy was only 10 to 15 feet deep and was leaking with the help of muskrats. In digging the new pond addition, my southerly neighbor/rancher allowed me to dump my excess dirt behind the original pond. The levy now has 60 feet of depth and no longer leaks. I still have muskrats, but at least I know they won't be digging through the levy.
The process has been slow and difficult at times. I'm the sole "contractor/worker-bee" and I'm feeling pretty old right about now. But I see progress every day, and as long as that happens, I'm able to keep on going. It was great fun this past april and may when I found the three "large" LMB and a whole gaggle of catfish in the new pond addition. That was before aeration system and sunny hot weather. I hope I can continue to see progress and eventually have a park like backyard to enjoy and watch the grass grow. Right now I'm hoping to find the bottom of the rock pile. I'll update later to answer EESHUP's questions. I need to subscribe to the magazine. That might help some. Thanks gentlemen, Dennis
Esshup, I don't think Nevada will give me a permit for triploid grass carp since my pond when full and overflowing leads into a public water way. Even though I get freezing water and winter conditions, because of the warm summers and fall, they could find their way into the Carson River and therefore are not allowed. It does not matter that they are sterile. Nevada won't allow them into the state - or that is what they told me. I guess it goes along the lines of condoms are only 98% fool proof. It's that 2% that they worry about. Dennis
Texas Parks and Wildlife issues permits before we can stock grass carp. However I have to install fish excluders to keep them from going out the overflow. I have to photograph the excluder prior to getting the permit to purchase.
The excluder is nothing more than hogwire over the pipe or drainage area.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
DD, Do you need a permit for triploids? If so, is that because the state doesn't necessarily trust that the grass carp fish suppliers are selling are "really" triploid?
The grass carp we stock are triploids. Their concern is that they might escape and denude public waters. GC are about the only fish that prefers to go downstream in a flood. That's why I have to build excluders.
Of course, that would take a lot of them. I personally believe it is too much "guvmint". Sorta like some Northern and Southeastern states not allowing tilapia. We can legally only stock Mozambique tilapia because they die at a higher temp than blues and others. However, I think most of our tilapia are mixed genes.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
I received the permit application and instructions from NDOW. It does not allow any carp or tilapia into a BOW if the water can flow off of the property to another. It does not matter if they are triploids or not. Any specie they prohibit cannot be imported if the BOW is not wholly contained on the parcel of property. So I'm out of luck on that item.
