Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Fertilization I added to much fertilizer by accident

I put a 40 lb bag of 20-20-5 with the top cut out of the bag laying on a platform around 18 inches deep in my pond. The bag busted and let around 30 lbs go in the pond. Now I have a big green algea bloom with some fish dieing each day. Visablity is around 8 to 10 inches and dont seem to be getting any better. Is there anything I can do to help clear this mess before it gets any worse. I am on about day 10 with this problem with around 40 fish died so far.

Pond is an 1/2 acre with Vertex two cell areator... I have been leaving areator running the whole time this has been going on.

I can get some algeaside cemical called Cutrine Plus here local but I wanted to see if this would be a good or bad way to maybe help start clearing the pond up a little.

This is my first post and Im sure it want be my last...
Thanks for any help...
Kelly

Hi Kelly, welcome to Pond Boss. Hang on and I'm sure one of the experts will chime in.

Hi Kelly -
I don't think adding Cutrine would be a good idea - that would kill the algae which would further deplete your oxygen. Were you running the aeration system 24/7 before this mishap? I'm not an expert on fertilization, but I think you should just hang in there and everything will work itself out - I could be wrong, but I really think killing the algae bloom would be the wrong thing to do...

Kelly it is necessary to know some info to try and address your problem. What killed the fish ? - I doubt it was a DO problem if the aerator has been running the whole time. What is your alkalinity ? Can you post a pic of the water ? What was the visibility before the fertilizer dump ? Do you have a source of water (well ) ?

You don't want to kill the plankton bloom as Sue says. It is possible to reduce it some but I would not recommend that for several reasons. I have however used that concept successfully in the past but it takes a lot of info and experience with your water before I would try it. It is a last resort measure.

Thirty pounds per 1/2 acre does not, by itself, sound like a real problem. Did you have a fertility problem before? Like Ewest says, this doesn't sound like a DO problem with the aerator running.

I'm wondering if the aerator stirred up something bad from the bottom of the pond..

Thanks for all the help guys... The visibility before I fertilized was around 2 feet pretty clear, with some green color. We are still dealing with a drought here in Alabama and I have been hauling water from a spring feed creek for over two months trying to get it full. I havent had any fish to die until I fertilized. I dont know what the alkalinity is but the Alabama Game and Fish biologist was here just before i started with the fertilzer and checked out everything and said it was good to go. The water looks somewhat clearer today with only one died fish. The bigger Blue Gill and smaller Bass where the first to start dieing. Only other thing that I have noticed that the fish are not feeding as most all the fish pellets are left floating? Could this be dew to the visisblity in the water? Maybe I have come through the worst already - I hope...
Thanks again for your help

I don't think you should be feeding right now either - that will just be adding to the waste and decomposition. Isn't the purpose of fertilizing to bring about a plankton bloom to feed the zooplankton and smaller fish and to promote the food chain?

Kelly 2 feet is not my definition of pretty clear. Do you have a secchi disc to check tvisibility? If you have an agressive feeding plan the lake may be farily fertilie already and the fertilizer but it over the top.

If your fish are feeding at all this is a good sign. They will not when stressed. I think you made it through but I suggest monitoring things a little closer. WIth a Vertex system running it shoudl help cleanse the water. how long have you had this system in place? Can you call the installer to get advice since they were there.