Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,902
Posts557,120
Members18,452
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,420
ewest 21,475
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,112
Who's Online Now
11 members (jbird5986, Sunil, Justin W, Bing, Boondoggle, bstone261, DenaTroyer, Theo Gallus, Shorthose, Freg, Fishingadventure), 878 guests, and 193 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
M
Murph Offline OP
OP Offline
M
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
I built a 3/8 acre pond in the hill country. Aerated with a vertex, stocked it with fish from Overtons and I have been burying fish for 2 days now. Why did the vertex not keep any fish alive? I obviously had a algal bloom that sucked all of the DO out. I am frustrated and am wondering if I wasted all my money putting in aeration to prevent this from happening. The fish were growing and reproducing great. I have scooped up tons of perch,catfish and fathead fry! I do not have any aquatic plants in this pond and will be getting some soon. What else can I do? I tried to do it right, and still got burned. I also had a feeder on the pond as well.

Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,930
Likes: 2
R
RER Offline
Offline
R
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,930
Likes: 2
Could be like a new aquirium, the beneficial backteria and plant life etc might not have been able to keep up with the fish load ( waste nitites/nitrates etc). Perghaps it needed to mature a some before a heavy fish load. I am not sure if this appies to smaller ponds or not.?


Goofing off is a slang term for engaging in recreation or an idle pastime while obligations of work or society are neglected........... Wikipedia
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Offline
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544
Might wanna get your water tested.. Sounds odd to me.


I believe in catch and release. I catch then release to the grease..

BG. CSBG. LMB. HSB. RES.

[Linked Image from i90.photobucket.com]
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
E
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
E
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
What is the time line on the events ? Start with the building of the pond date to current.
















Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
M
Murph Offline OP
OP Offline
M
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
Oct 2010 pond built and I pumped water from my well to keep about 3 feet deep
February 2012 filled with spring rain
May 2012 stocked it and began feeding and aerating
August 2012 crashed

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
G
Lunker
Offline
Lunker
G
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
Originally Posted By: Murph
I built a 3/8 acre pond in the hill country. Aerated with a vertex, stocked it with fish from Overtons and I have been burying fish for 2 days now. Why did the vertex not keep any fish alive? I obviously had a algal bloom that sucked all of the DO out. I am frustrated and am wondering if I wasted all my money putting in aeration to prevent this from happening. The fish were growing and reproducing great. I have scooped up tons of perch,catfish and fathead fry! I do not have any aquatic plants in this pond and will be getting some soon. What else can I do? I tried to do it right, and still got burned. I also had a feeder on the pond as well.


Murph, your story sound all too familiar to me – same story ….
Perfect Pond – Had one…
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=23883&Number=299979#Post299979

My 2 acre pond was in “perfect balance” for my goals until the extreme record breaking Texas heat wave shrunk it to 1 acre ….
Too many fish and not enough air to go around - recipe for a a fish kill every time.

My solution has been for Overton to install a Kasco surface aerator for emergency use.

Good luck – it happens to all of us at some time or another – you also have more survivors than you realize.
George Glazener



N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
Original george #173 (22 June 2002)




Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
M
Murph Offline OP
OP Offline
M
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
George thanks for the encouragement , I will get it right eventually, but dang it hurts when you have spent as much money on this as I have!

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
E
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
E
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
Very strange for a brand new pond to have O2 problems with only stocker fish. Should not be a carrying capacity problem. How much has the pond shrunk in size , if any ?

Has the water been tested?
















Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Offline
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544
Doesn't aeration help with DO?? He had a Vertex system installed..


I believe in catch and release. I catch then release to the grease..

BG. CSBG. LMB. HSB. RES.

[Linked Image from i90.photobucket.com]
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 201
I
Offline
I
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 201
Get the aquatic plants. And, as Ewest suggested, get a comprehensive water test done. You could have other problems than just DO.

Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
M
Murph Offline OP
OP Offline
M
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
Water has not been tested, and the pond was down about 1 foot and did not lose much surface area. I will get the water tested when I get a chance. I took my pool water kit down there and ph was 7.8 and the alkalinity was high at 180. I do live in the hill country and it will always have high alkalinity.

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,318
Likes: 6
Ambassador
Lunker
Offline
Ambassador
Lunker
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,318
Likes: 6
PH of 7.8 is starting to get a little high I think, when did you take that test? PH can go up and down a lot. Lots of times it will spike in the evening. So if your PH was 7.8 in the morning or mid afternoon I wonder if it's spiking into the mid to high 8's in the evening and the fish couldn't handle it? PH high's and low's can be very stressful on fish. Not sure if that was your problem just throwing around ideas?? Like Mr. Eric said you should get a real water test done. Maybe a soil test too if you can.


The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
E
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
E
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
That is a very good alkalinity for fish. 75-200 is ideal.

I have posted this before. From https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/112/
A desirable range of total alkalinity for fish culture is
between 75 and 200 mg/L CaCO3.

Fish and other vertebrates have an
average blood pH of 7.4. Fish blood comes into close contact
with water (1- or 2-cell separation)
as it passes through the blood vessels
of the gills and skin. A desirable
range for pond water pH
would be close to that of fish
blood (i.e., 7.0 to 8.0). Fish may become
stressed and die if the pH
drops below 5 (e.g., acidic runoff)
or rises above 10 (e.g., low alkalinity
combined with intense photosynthesis
by dense algal blooms –
phytoplankton or filamentous
algae).
Pond pH varies throughout the
day due to respiration and photosynthesis.
After sunset, dissolved
oxygen (DO) concentrations decline
as photosynthesis stops and
all plants and animals in the pond
consume oxygen (respiration). In
heavily stocked fish ponds, carbon
dioxide (CO2) concentrations can become high as a result of respiration.
The free CO2 released during
respiration reacts with water, producing
carbonic acid (H2CO3), and
pH is lowered.
H2O + CO2 = H2CO3 = H+ + HCO3
-
Table 1 summarizes the relative
changes in dissolved oxygen, CO2
and pH over 24 hours.
Carbon dioxide rarely causes direct
toxicity to fish. However,
high concentrations lower pond
pH and limit the capacity of fish
blood to carry oxygen by lowering
blood pH at the gills.




Last edited by ewest; 08/07/12 04:48 PM.















Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 201
I
Offline
I
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 201
Listen to Ewest. With Alkalinity at 180. the pH is going to be buffered quite well. There will not be any wide range of fluctuation.
Ph of 7.8 is actually near ideal.

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,420
Likes: 794
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,420
Likes: 794
How many of what species of fish were stocked? How much were you feeding? (how long did a 50# bag of food last?)

Was the aeration running 24/7?


www.hoosierpondpros.com


http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4
3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
M
Murph Offline OP
OP Offline
M
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
About 90 bass from different sizes ranging from 4 inches to 2 pounds,
200 6 -8 inch catfish,
500 bluegill
Tilapia and minnows
I wanted to put as many fish as I could, I am not going to lie.

I was feeding about 15 seconds twice a day and a bag of food every month.

Aerator was running 24/7.

Last edited by Murph; 08/08/12 06:36 AM.
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
G
Lunker
Offline
Lunker
G
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
Musta' missed it Murph.... what size pond?



N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
Original george #173 (22 June 2002)




Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
M
Murph Offline OP
OP Offline
M
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6
Little over 3/8 of an acre

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,420
Likes: 794
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,420
Likes: 794
Unfortunately, you found out what happens when there's too many fish (too large of a biomass) in a pond.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4
3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
G
Lunker
Offline
Lunker
G
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
Originally Posted By: Murph
Little over 3/8 of an acre
Murph, some of us push the envelope - same song second verse...cry

I have a problem of falling in love with my fish - gotta start harveting - cull all of your female CNBG except the giants.
You probably have more survivors than you think.

I know some fish farmers overcrowd their brood ponds sucessfully with surface aerators - botton diffuser systems circulate water - not enough air in these 105 temp days.

Good luck!



N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
Original george #173 (22 June 2002)




Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
E
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
E
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
With it being a new pond it must have been a explosion of tilapia and BG growth and reproduction, if it is a carrying capacity problem. I am not sure that was the problem although it will be if that many stay and grow.

















Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
cro, HC1968
Recent Posts
pond experience needed
by jbird5986 - 03/29/24 07:35 AM
Can anyone ID these minnows?
by Sunil - 03/29/24 07:31 AM
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by Boondoggle - 03/29/24 07:18 AM
Dewatering bags seeded to form berms?
by RogersTailgate - 03/29/24 05:45 AM
New pond middle TN: establishing food chain?
by Bill Cody - 03/28/24 07:57 PM
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by FireIsHot - 03/28/24 07:33 PM
Working on a .5acre disaster, I mean pond.
by PRCS - 03/28/24 06:39 PM
Fungus infection on fish
by nvcdl - 03/28/24 06:07 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/28/24 04:48 PM
Yellow Perch Spawn 2024
by H20fwler - 03/28/24 04:29 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by LANGSTER - 03/28/24 03:49 PM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5