I have a dilemma, my water is too clear. Was at my pond in NE Texas (paris area) yesterday. Air temp 70 degrees. Water temp unknown, but too cold to stand in for more than 1 minute. I'm already getting some FA growth at surface and visable underwater. I hit what i could with Copper Sulfate. However, my water is very clear, several feet of visibility. I also have considerable baby pond weed (looks to be dead but still in place). I have obtained my grass carp permit and will be stocking them in the next few weeks. It is clearly way too cold for tilapia, and will be until probably April. Pondweed making my pond almost unfishable.

My dilemma. I've read not to fertilize with significant weed/FA problem as it will consume fert. But with water clarity, the sun is going to play havoc on growing the FA and more weeds.

Can someone/ anyone weigh in on how best to proceed to return my pond to being fishable, and enjoyable to look at (ie - limited FA)

Attached water test conducted last year -

Have you thought of dye or starting a photo plankton bloom?

Sorry diy? -

Yes on the photo plankton bloom, but have read to NOT add fert if substantial plant life already in the pond as the existing plant life will use up fert and make it grow even more, and not have any left for photo plankton -???

Pond dye is what he was talking about. You can get pond dye at TSC there on the loop or from several advertisers here on the forum.

I changed the diy. If I changed it in error, it can be changed back.

David, correct, with the clarity, and the FA growing I think you have plenty of "fertilizer" in there now to get a bloom going. If you can kill off all the FA, a bloom might very well start on it's own, but up here, in colder waters I rarely see a bloom that is dense enough to severely limit visibility.

Many ponds turn clear during winter due to not enough nutrients present at the end of the year to keep a mild bloom going. When clear, FA attached to the bottom often grows well 'feeding' from the nutrients in the sediments.

Did you get a good even application of CuSO4? If so it should kill most all the FA and as mentioned a bloom may form if the water is near 60F. Get us a surface water temp. If the pond is not very big I would get a lake rake or some sort of 'bottom drag' tool and use it to rake the sediments, tilling them disrupting them, and roiling the sediments. This will do several things: 1. create turbidity short term, 2. put some dissolved nutrients into suspension so phytoplankton can have a little more available nutrients, 3. rake loose some of the pond weed to see if it is dead or still somewhat green. If green you may need to add a herbicide such as Weedtrine D, diquat, Reward, Harvester, or similar product to do a burn down so the pondweed does not utilize the available nutrients before the blooms occurs.

Pond dye will help suppress the FA but it will also suppress development of a bloom.

I have been reading a lot on FA as I had a small amount floating last fall on our pond.

I found this link which I thought was interesting in that they state SOME FA is a good thing for the pond ecosystem.

http://www.noble.org/ag/wildlife/filamentous-algae/

Bill D. will Tilapia control FA? And here in N.E.Texas where water temps might allow them in the pond for lets say 7 or 8 out of 12 months?
Thanks
Tracy

Tilapia are not legal to stock in Illinois, unfortunately.

I'm bettin they will eat it. I just got that stuff for the first time this fall after starting feeding the fish with the feeder. Also read that catfish consume it also. FA is the only plant life in my pond so far, it just now a year old. Saw my first cormorants this weekend.... Ugh


Pat W

Sorry Tracy, I have no first hand experience with Tilapia. As Rex pointed out, they are not legal here in Illinois. From what I have read here and elsewhere, they do a good job of controlling it. If I could get them, I would buy them if I thought FA was out of control. I don't have that problem yet and may never have.

In your post you said "the water color is an aqua marine or turquoise shade of green." I had that same thing for a few of weeks when our pond first filled then it changed to a more "normal" green. I wonder whether that unusual green has to do with the particular minerals in the soil. Now, I think I have no problem getting a good bloom. My water is pretty much always green with about 2 feet visibilty.

Don't bank on catfish consuming enough to make a bit of difference. I think that a lof of the FA that is found in catfish digestive tracts is eaten along with whatever they targeted to eat and is just a "by catch".

Yeah, they will eat it but, if you get to an infestation stage, they can't control it.

David B from TX does say that currently he thinks his water is too cold for tilapia. The tilapia allowed my TX (Mozambique) may require slightly warmer water for survival compare to the blue tilapia which is stocked in many states north of TX. Rex might provide more info on this temperature and species topic.

Well your not the Lone Ranger......my water is crazy clear right now in Van Zandt County. Hate to see the FA and other plants taking hold.

David, we stock Tilapia when the overnight water temp stays at 65. Usually this is around April 1st.

I have also used dye in a small pond, and that has worked well for algae control.