How much lime should I use to clear up a ½ acre pond? The water is very muddy to the point that I can't see ½ foot down.

Jimmy

Jimmy, I used 5 tons of Agg lime on a 3.5 acre pond in Harrison Co Texas. I am not sure where u r located in Texas and so I am not sure of your soils and that will come into play on how much lime to add. And u need to get some pH paper or a meter to add Agg lime (if needed) so u can keep the pH @ or around 7.4 which is the pH of the blood of the fish.

Tracy

I can't stress enough make sure you use calcium carbonate and not cal/mag. The magnesium can be toxic and be a time bomb if your PH swings in the future with muck on the bottom of the pond.

You can't wreck anything with calcium carbonate. You can't have to much. It is a natural buffer and trys to bring you PH to 7.2 all the time.

If you can't get calcium carbonate and only dolomite lime then make sure you get samples and put in only the recommended amount.

Cheers Don.

My pond is located in east Texas. We have lots of red dirt with Iron ore in it. I have heard that catfish can cause the pond to turn muddy is that true?

How old is the pond? Have you had a water test to see the condition? After getting a water test post results and the Gurus here can give you answers to your muddy water issue. Is there grass around the pond?

Yes catfish can add to muddy water under certain conditions. Need to test first.

See this

https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/262/

The pond is only one year old. We have had lots of rain the past three weeks. could that be the reason for the muddy water?

jimmyc,
what county are you in? I'm in Polk. Yes, we have been inundated with rain as well. Have you tried a jar test to see if your water clears up in a couple of days? Absolutely get it tested first, to see where your pH is at. Then, you can determine the true cause of your turbidity.

JC
Runoff can cause muddy water especially if no grasses to slow down the runoff. Have you had your water tested for hardness and alkalinity? That will tell you lots of things about your pond,have you taken a jar full and leave it for few days to a week and serif it clears any? Water test important
The pros will be along to explain more things to you

Pat

Charlie you type faster than me!

I live in Wood county 40 miles north of Tyler. I will get a jar and test the water for a few days to see if it clears up.

Thank you,
Jimmy

Don, can you explain what it is about magnesium that is toxic? This is the first time I have heard of any danger at all from Ag Lime. Granted, too much of most anything can be considered toxic, yet Ag Lime (Dolomite,(CaMg)(CO3)2 ) has been considered the best, long term, buffering additive there is. Gross over application directly in the water is often recommended to increase the length of time between applications. Both Magnesium and Calcium are essential elements for good fish growth. It also dissolves slowly and can not raise pH over a maximum of 8.2, which is very safe. Some of the best fishing can be found in old Dolomite rock quarries.