Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Muddy water Muddy pond, can't figure it out

Never used/been on a forum before...

We have about a 2 acre pond. It's almost 2years old. I've been on the Internet off and on for the past year trying to learn how to manage our pond. Finally found this place. Seems like a whole bunch of good people!!!

Our pond has never been clear. It looked like it was going to clear up twice but it didn't. We have no live stock. And pretty much have grass all around the pond even in the runoff areas where the land drains into the pond. We've been weeks with no rain and it doesn't clear even then.
I have stocked only perch. We had a lot of baby catfish. Don't know how they got there but we trapped them out with crawfish traps til I wasn't catching anymore.

I've tried the vinegar test and NOTHING settled out. We did put 1000 lbs. Of gypsum in the pond. Powder gypsum and we cast it into the prop wash of a small boat. NO results. The pond is irregular shaped. Has two 14-15 feet spots, a trench at least 15 ft deep about 60 feet long, and the rest is 3-4 feet with one side having a shallow sloping bank.

What next,
Thanks
Donovan

We filled the pond from the Sabine River Authority canal. There was VERY clear water in the bottom of the pond which looked like it was coming from under ground before we pumped canal water into it.

Donovan, Welcome to the show!

The catfish probably came in with the canal water.

I would suggest you read the thread in this section (Muddy Water) titled "Alum kicks clay butt!". Between the hijacks and humor, there is a lot of great info.

What worries me is the "Catfish". Are they Bullheads, aka yellow-bellies or mud cats? If so, they will be a big problem in any clearing attempt!

No offense, but 1000 pounds of Gypsum in 2 acres of water is about as good as one jalapeño in 5 gallons of Texas chili...it might give a slight taste, but won't clear your sinus's. It would take several ton of gypsum in 2 acres for it to clear any, if at all. (Gypsum often does not clear a pond)

You will probably need to add a lot of Ag Lime to your pond also...maybe 15-20 tons. Get a soil test and send it to Texas A&M to know for sure...(it can be way over applied without harm)

To know if Alum would help. first do your jar test by letting the water set undisturbed for a week without adding anything to it. If it clears, even partially, something mechanical, bullheads, common carp, or wind/wave action is stirring up mud and stopping it from clearing...this will need to be addressed first.

If there is no clearing, go to the spice isle of any larger grocery store and purchase some Alum (Used in canning veggies). Take a nice pinch or two of the granules and put it in your test jar. Shake well and wait a few hours to see what happens. If it clears, you can either follow the steps outlined in the thread I suggested you read to determine an application rate, or plan to apply it ad hoc.

If Alum is used, ALWAYS use HYDRATED Lime at a 50% by weight (of alum used) rate to buffer the acidic effect of the Aluminum Sulfate. (Alum)

I kinda figured that on the gypsum but that's what the feed store guy said.

The catfish are yellow belly. It rapped about 400 out a few months ago. I'm not seeing anymore when I feed now. We also put around15 2-3pound bass in last year so hopefully that will help keep the baby catfish numbers down

When you say soil sample, are you talking pond side or pond bottom?

I do have a friend who owns a water recycle/treatment plant. We are going to run some bench test with alum and some with lime.

Thanks for your help,
Donovan

The soil sample should be of the pond basin and surrounding areas....several small dirt clods dried then mixed thoroughly to gate the general PH and fertility of your soils.

If you go the Alum route using Jar tests to determine an application rate, keep in mind this gives you the minimum amount required...I always double that before getting good results.

Again, buffer the alum with 50% by weight of HYDRATED Lime....NOT AG lime...there is a huge difference and could mean the difference between helping and killing your fish.

I would also suggest you fish your pond or set out some jug lines using chicken livers as bait for bullheads and soured corn dough balls for any common carp, just to remove them or know that they are there. Both fish root around in the sediments and cloud the water badly.

Sorry I been out of pocket. I did find MORE catfish in pond. could be part of the prob. But I can draw a sample and let it set for weeks and it won't settle out. So I'm gonna take the advice and read the whole thread on the alum. Talk at y'all later. D

Just to save others the search-hassle, here's a link to the referenced thread:
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=232494&page=1

I just dug my pond last october is it about 1/5 of an acre and it has not cleared up. when i dug it there was clay. i have a 1 1/2 water line that fills it up and it is well water. the pond is 120 feet long, 35 ft. wide and the deepest part is about 10 feet. what should i do to clear it up????

bass master, welcome to the forum.

The information in this thread would be the same place you will want to start at wih your pond also.

Do the jar test, test your PH and hardness, and then it will be easier to make a choice. Dry clay usually causes an abundance of colliodal clay to suspend in the water. Given the size of your pond, you only have about 1 acre foot of water and 200 pounds of Alum buffered with 100 pounds of hydrated lime should clear your pond to a crystal clear state and allow a natural algae bloom to begin assuming your water has adequate fertility.