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our 8 yr old swimming pond had leeches for the first time this year. It's a large pond, about 35,000 gallons and 7 feet deep. stone and sand bottom with water fall for aeration. We have managed to keep water clear in the past with Pond Boss Beneficial Bacteria and the occasional dose of Think Purity Algaside. However to kill the leeches we gave a few heavy doses of copper sulphate and then also some chlorine. The family wouldn't swim in the pond with leeches and didn't want fish. The chlorine and copper killed all the snails and leeches. I am now having trouble getting the water clear again...probably the copper at the bottom of the pond is killing the beneficial bacteria that I add. I hate to keep adding the bacteria if its just dying off, as its expensive. will time resolve this or is there something I can do to get my nice clear water back? I know it did take a few years to get a real clear pond...do I need to reestablish the Eco system all over again?

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Won't the leeches come back too?


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

BG. CSBG. LMB. HSB. RES.

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Copper is toxic to ALL aquatic organisms including and especially bacteria. How much Copper Sulphate did you add?

Bluegillerkiller has a point. When the ecosystem eventually (and it may take a while) reestablishes itself, it is likely that the leeches will also return.

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Stocking a few male pumpkinseeds or female yellow perch would have been a safer and more natural approach. And yes the leeches could come back if their are no predators.

Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 08/01/13 08:08 AM.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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we didn't have leeches for 8 years....I assume they came in on a goose or duck. It's a completely closed pond...how else would they get in? I'm hoping for another 8 years without leeches. so assuming I have too much copper in the pool, do I even other adding the bacteria? or do I keep adding weekly? I assume adding any Algaside at this point to clear the water will only make things worse...?

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They may have been present but in such small numbers you didn't notice them. Something changed to make things more condusive to them.

Personally think you're wasting your money with the algaecide and bacteria.


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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I don't know anything about leeches, but a friend of mine with a one acre pond has had them. They use to pick them off their golden retriever after he would go swimming. I believe they used sunfish to get rid of them at the advice of a pond management co instead of chemicals. They also lowered their water & shoveled out the muck in their shallow area, because they were told that is where they stay when it gets colder out.

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Can we see some pics of the pond? Any plants in it? What's the banks like? Any wind? Where does the water come from for te waterfall? How bigs the waterfall? Alot of questions that need answered before we know how to clear the water.. Also whats in the water column to make it cloudy have you bottled any of it too see if it settles out?

Last edited by Bluegillerkiller; 08/01/13 12:20 PM.

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

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Nature abhors a vacuum, the leeches will come back

They are liking the current conditions in your pond

I would personally add some fish to the pond to control the leeches

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The copper and chlorine killed many, many other beneficial things in the pond that maintained the balance for clear water. The treatment "threw the baby out with the bath water". The ecosystem will have to reestablish to regain the ecological balance prior to treatment. It may take several years.


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andedammen, I opened the link, but didn't see an answer, what was their recommendation?


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Farther down they recommended making a trap that is baited with liver etc.


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Trap the leeches and use them on your next YP expedition!

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The little buckets that my beneficial bacteria came in says to wait 3-4 days after treating with algaecide or herbicide before adding. I don't know about the chlorine but I think it dissipates rather fast, you could check it with a pool kit.


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The leeches were probably the fish leeches that are 3/8"-5/8" long.


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I have seen leaches migrate through wet grass in long lasting damp weather. They march right out of a swamp or pond when conditions are right. You may hope your pond is a closed system, but it isn't.

Not to be critical, but in a swimming pond, I think the chlorine was a bad move. When reacting with organic compounds in the pond, who knows what nasty things are created as a result. Chlorine gas only being a minor one.

I'm also not so sure you will ever get rid of the copper unless it goes insoluble and is buried under sediment. If you treated with enough to kill leaches, it must have been a substantial dose. You are just going to have to wait it out, then put in some fish that eat them as the best way to keep the numbers down.

Good luck, I hope it turns out well in the end.

A possible solution is to start over. Drain, dry, and enlargen the pond, thereby removing the copper and winding up with a bigger place to swim. Expensive perhaps, but could turn it into opportunity.

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the pond seems to be clearing up. but you're right...I think they are back. Just tiny ones at this point. so I'm ready to try perch. I have o idea where to get them, how many etc. Do I just start with a couple? do I feed them at all, or is there enough in the pond to keep them alive?

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Probably your best bet is to go fishing in your local lakes or ask some fishing friends to bring you some perch - maybe try or start with 6-12 at 5"-8" long. If you still have leeches after one year add a few more perch. They have to be mature so you know they are female or male. As CB1 mentioned you want only female perch those fat with eggs in early spring before water temps get to 50F. OR you could use just males that when the belly is squeezed ooze white stuff in early spring. Male perch stay smaller than females of the same age. Do not feed them make them eat natural foods which some will be the leeches. Mixed male and female perch will reproduce and overpopulate in your small pond to the point the small perch will peck swimmers and you don't want that.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 08/17/13 09:40 AM.

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You are far enough north that you could put a few walleye in there to keep the perch under control, and they shouldn't reproduce. I'm not sure what a good number would be for your size pond.

So, bear with me, I am still learning...
Stock some minnows like fathead minnows to get a forage base for the rest of the fish (not sure what water temp should be), and a few smaller perch 3-4" so they will start on the leeches but too small to eat larger fatheads. In the spring, stock some more perch, the following fall, the walleye, 3-5".

I am guessing the WE would get rather large after a few years of keeping perch in check. So far this combo has been nice to swim with in our pond, you never see them. It is the large bluegill that is the nuisance in the pond, it thinks certain exposed body parts are good eating. Except of course my lures.

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In a small pond of 1200sqft X ave 4 ft deep (35000g) I'm not sure you want fish reproducing in that pond. Management of the numbers would be time consuming compared to non-spawning fish. Weigh your options.

Consider draining it dry, dry no puddles, for the fall-winter season. Maybe apply a layer of hydrated lime to the sediments pre-ground freeze. These two methods should kill leeches and allow pond to break down and decompose a lot of the accumulated organic materials which is a common practice in fish farm ponds. Refill in spring for a good leech free swimming season.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 08/17/13 02:37 PM.

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Originally Posted By: Bill Cody
In a small pond of 1200sqft X ave 4 ft deep (35000g) I'm not sure you want fish reproducing in that pond. Management of the numbers would be time consuming compared to non-spawning fish. Weigh your options.

Consider draining it dry, dry no puddles, for the fall-winter season. Maybe apply a layer of hydrated lime to the sediments pre-ground freeze. These two methods should kill leeches and allow pond to break down and decompose a lot of the accumulated organic materials which is a common practice in fish farm ponds. Refill in spring for a good leech free swimming season.


Bill, I think you are spot on with both statements. If it was mine, I'd drain it and sprinkle a couple hundered pounds of hydrated lime (quick lime) in it. That way if rain/snow melt entered before it completely froze over, there would be enough extra to cover the increased volume of water. Don't just cover the remaining water in the pond with the H. lime, cover the whole pond basin from where the water is on down.

If he can source Male Pumpkinseed Sunfish when they are spawning, I'd think about tossing them in the pond next year as well.


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The pumpkin seeds are nippers though... I just worry that another few years down the road, they will have to do it again without fish balance. However pumpkin seeds are the most visually appealing fish imho.

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Unfortnately I think he's too far North for RES. But, unless he stockes a buttload of them, I wonder if they'll nip or not. It'll take some work to catch single sex PS. They aren't colony nesters like BG or RES.


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From my observation, which is what Esshup is eluding to, the nippers are typically only a problem when there are too many bluegill.


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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