Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Muddy water 2 Events

New member needs help from you experienced guys:
I added sunfish and LMB to a 1/4 acre pond to try and control a bullfrog problem. All seemed to be going well but struggled with milfoil, sago, algae. After tiring of different herbicides, I tried Tilapia. I thought I had a good handle on management, but now a new problem for the last 2 years;
Each spring, about May-June the pond goes cloudy. I will clear up after a very long time, but this year I used gypsum. Again all looked good until Aug. when again muddy.
It's a clay lined pond and I do aerate 3 times a day for 3 hours. Do you think it's turnover or could the bass breeding in the spring and tilapia looking for food in summer be stirring it???
I plan on trying alum to clear it, but it will clear itself when it gets ice.
This may have been asked before but I couldn't find a good search...
Thanks in advance!

Welcome to Pond Boss. Can you post pictures of the situation. Generally speaking clay turbidity is a chemical imbalance and will not clear absent adding a chemical ( gypsum , alum , lime , barley straw or others). It could be a plankton bloom which is needed for food chain purposes. Disturbed dirt can settle out. High numbers of rooting fish can make matters worse and aeration can stir up bottom soils and muck. The timing you provide sounds like normal plankton blooms which should not be viewed as a problem.

What are the species and number of each in the pond (if you know).

Heck, I would have taken care of that bullfrog problem myself - frogs legs taste pretty good!

I have about 6 perch, 2 stripped bass, about 10 lmb, and I used to have a dozen sunfish but I haven't seen any this year. I put in about 10 tilapia for weed control.
Is there a way to tell the difference between clay and plankton? I put bluing in so the color is a light bluish color. I can take pictures if needed.
Thanks again!