Hello, this is my first time posting at this site. I need help. We built a pond last year and had beautiful water until the first part of this year. Now it is kind of like chocolate milk. We have fathead minnows, coppernose brim (put in fingerlings last year) and tiger bass (6" put in last month). We read this site and got a feel for what we needed to do as far as the jar test. Our pond is about 90 feet wide and 300 feet long and is 10 feet in the deepest part. Yesterday, we put 400 lbs. of hydrated aluminum sulfate and 200 lbs. of hydrated lime. Within a couple of hours it started clearing and you could see 18 to 24" on the white disc. At 10:00 p.m., it was still as clear if not a little better. At 5:30 a.m. this morning, it was chocolate milk again. We have a vertex bubbler which we turned off thru this process(what was recommended). What happened, did we not use enough or do we need to do it again and if so, how soon?

Welcome to posting on PB. Can you post a pic of the water ? Do you have muddy runoff into the pond (grass around the banks)? Have you turned on the aerator or did it stay off the entire time through now?

I will have to study on how to post picture but I will try. There is very little run off but we have a very good stand of grass and the water going into the pond is very clear even when it rains. The aerator is still off, It did stay off the entire time through now.

Gunner, welcome to the forum!

My GUESS is you have some bullhead catfish in your pond stirring things up. Any creeks nearby that could have contributed fish during a heavy rain? Put a fish trap out and see what gets caught.

Rainman, what kind of bait in trap for BH's?

Hi Gunner,

If you spread the chemicals widely, it's possible that the pond temporarily cleared on the surface because of flocculation. After it mixed thoroughly, it may have turned out there were not enough chemicals.

I don't know if that's actually the case, but I have seen that happen. You may need a little more alum and hydrated lime to finally clear it up.

TomG's bait (dynamite) is the best I've ever used for Bullheads!

Seriously, I'm not sure. Maybe chicken liver od catfish food inside an old nylon stocking should attract lots of them.

Yeah, I knew TomG would be my best and FINAL option ...

Just wanted to reply to my previous post. We did not receive any replies on the thread except the one to post pictures, so we treated our pond again. We just assumed that it was not enough alum. We do not have any bullheads or any type of catfish at all in our pond. We have no creek run off either. Two weeks after the first treatment we put an additional 400 lbs. of aluminum sulfate and 200 lbs. of hydrated lime (for a total of 800 lbs. of alum and 400 lbs. of lime). It started clearing up within the first hour and was clear the next morning with app. 3 1/2 foot of visibility. It has been a week now and it is still clear. We fertilized it a couple of days later and already have a green bloom. The fish are eating much better. I guess they can actually see the food now. Thank you for your replies.

Glad to hear that it cleared up!

Gunner, glad it worked out for you! You lend real experiance and credance to when I suggest people add 50-100% of what the jar test detirmines the MINIMUM amount of alum needed to apply is.

how long should this keep the water clear? do you have to reapply often?

If suspended clay was the only thing causing poor clarity, the pond will stay clear until something muddies it up again. Catfish-Cows-Creeks but not necessarily in that order. In my experience with Aluminum Sulfate, a treated pond seems to settle more quickly if it is stirred up again. I have before and after pictures of my 1 acre pond if anyone's interested. It's amazing how well and fast the stuff works. Gmanspann@aol.com

George, we LOVE pictures!

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2664553110073277771PfWSOm

George, isn't it amazing how quick you get a healthy color once sunlight can penetrate the water?

Looks good!

I was amazed. I have ordered 10 more bags to keep at the store if anyone needs any. I think James Holt is going to give it a try at his place. I'll need more than that for his pond (lake).
Thanks for the compliment.

I posted on another link but I have an old lake that is 105 acres. We drained it and killed all fish and lake filled up and we restocked. The lake gets clear only in the fall once the rain comes and floods the shallows and the decompostion of plants takes the clay particles down. However, we only get use of the lake for 2-3 months a year when it's healthy. Can I line the shallows with crushed limestone and gypsum rock while the shallows are dry or is it wasted time and money? Will the lake clear up yearly if I do or is it something I am going to have to do every year. I need help as to put the gypsum in once will cost a fortune. I am willing to do once but don't want to have to do every year. The shallow end of lake is south and only 0-2 feet deep so the wind just keeps it stirred up that is why I was suggesting lining it. I just need help!!