Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Yahoo, we close on our new house and pond Friday..

Sweet!! Not only is the pond awesome, but your house, patio, and yard are great too. You can tell someone put a lot of effort into it all.

Welcome to lawn fertilizer! I would bet that the nutrient level in the pond is pretty high from lawn run-off. Get that water tested ASAP to see what you have to work with.

Thanks..The pond was built and the the lots were prepared about 15 years ago...The house we bought was built is 2005...The builder actually lived in this home until they were approached about selling...They originally planned on staying so they put alot into upgrades...

Where can I get a tester that tells all you guys need to know?...All I have found local is ph and water hardness testers...

Here in WV and VA we can get it done through our USDA/Extension Service offices. Since Illinois has more than just a little bit of agriculture, I would expect that you have an extensive Extension Service network. I'd start with this website: Illinois Extension Service.

I've been formally and informally involved with Extension Service since I was a little kid (think 4-H) in Wisconsin, and I still work with them nearly every week. I don't think I've ever run across an Extension Service employee who was unfriendly or incompetent. They can give you a lot of assistance besides just testing your pond water.

Yep, Ag services or take a sample and send it away. Great Lakes in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Texas A&M University, etc. all do the testing that you are looking for. There's other universities that do the testing too. I haven't looked into Purdue but they are heavily into agriculture among other subjects.

Nitrogen, Phosporous, Alkalinity, Hardness, pH, etc.

Grass Carp will eat FA, but it's a ways down their preferred food list. For a FA only problem, I wouldn't stock them.

Okay, Spent my entire lunch hour on the phone trying to get answers on water samples...Talked to local water and soil conservation then ILDNR and finally PDC labs...PDC is going to call me back with answers on what they can do for me...

Will on the phone withmy local DNR fisheries biologist he suggested planting water celery, water stargrass and american pond weed to help with the addition nutrient overload...Is this good advice for a 1/2 acre pond that I want to use for swimming and fishing?..

He also suggested shore line plants and grass even though it is edge in rock...I was already thinking a filter strip of some kind, but my wife is not going to let me grow 5' tall switch grass around the pond...

Am I heading in the wrong direction with filtering nutrients or should I just spend the money and chemically treat every 6 weeks?...

Got a call back from PDC...All of their test are individual...Great Lakes in Fort Wayne said they didn't do the test and gave me Sherry labs #...No answer from them yet?..

All this for a simple water test?...What are the important things needed?..

•Conductivity
•Estimated Total Dissolved Solids
•pH
•Nitrate/Nitrite
•Chloride
•Sulfate
•Boron
•Calcium
•Iron
•Magnesium
•Manganese
•Potassium
•Sodium
•Cabonate/Bicarbonate Alkalinity
•Sodium Absorption Ratio
•Ortho-phosphate

Checked the temp of the water tonight, it was 55° at the surface and 50° at about 3 feet down... Still way up after the rain yesterday, probably 15 inches..

From the archives.

Soil and water test links

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92617#Post92617

Thanks...I still have not figured out the search feature of this forum...

This link adds to more questions...Am I looking for a soil sample from the bottom of the pond, water sample or both?...

I have been looking into the same stuff too.

I have often seen mentioned Alkalinity and Hardness as other info needed. It seems like there isn't one place that gives you all the needed info in a single test/place.

Looks like we got a little friend out the new pond...

Finally came in...$37 out the door and the local feed store...

Your friend pic above will love the AM and so will the fish.

Was actually surprised at the size of the pellet of the 500... Not sure what I expected but wasn't that...

We have at least 2 different turtles because I saw 2 on the dock sunning the other day...

With moving, work, baseball and life in general, pond projects are kinda on hold... Hopefully the weather starts warming and I can get some free time to fish it a little more than we have been able to...

Ya got until around June 21, then the days start getting shorter.

Fish are already eating the AM500...