Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants FA Treatment with Cutrine Plus

Got some floating mats of FA around the bank about 2-3 feet out. Tried raking them out but they fall apart when I do this. Got some Cutrine Plus to spray. What is the correct mixture amount to spot spray using a 2 gallon sprayer?

i was told to mix it 1 part Cutrine to 9 parts water...So that being said my sprayer is 2.5 gallons sprayer I dump in 1 short quart of Cutrine to 9 quarts of water then add a couple of ounces of cygnet surfactant..

Has work very well and that will take care of my half acre shore line with a little left over...

When I use the liquid, I use the 9/1 ratio as ODL states.

BTW... I use a long-handled dip net to remove the FA. The handle is about 6 ft long and the mesh about 1/4 inch. You can get them at Walmart for less than $10.

Thanks for the replies! good idea on the net. I will look for one asap.

Ok, been told I didn't need to use a surfactant? Do I need to?

No

Correct, but it will work better if you do use one. Cutrine Plus doesn't have one in the mixture, but Cutrine Ultra does.

Cutrine Ultra cannot be shipped via UPS but Cutrine Plus, with a separate bottle of surfactant can be shipped. I've never been able to figure out that logic.

It's based on the container-size (evidently, size does matter). A dozen 1-gal of CUTRINE PLUS may be shipped by UPS, but not a single 2.5-gal jug because it is considered "hazardous". Bureaucrat logic.
btw- Cutrine Ultra isn't available in 1-gal containers

Can I spray Cutrine Plus on top of matted filamentous algae? I have a big problem with about 10 percent of a 6 acre pond covered around the shore. It moves around with the wind so spot treating is what I want to do.

Yes that will work but may not be the mot efficient method given the way FA grows (life cycle). Copper products are contact herbicides.

Put a boat in there with a motor that is large enough so you can make a good wake. Go around the pond a few times and really get the algae moving to break it up. It'll sink to the bottom.

(Bill Cody tole me to do that with my pond, and it works.)

Bill Cody knows his stuff!

When he mentioned that at your gig, it became a no brainer issue!

They should do that with the pond's out back.

The "sinking algae tactic" simply involves dislodging the trapped gas-bubbles that otherwise provide buoyancy. Other factors remaining unchanged, the sunken algae will pop back to the surface in short order (1-3 days). However, treating with an algaecide during or immediately after the process of sinking the floating mats oftens yields very good results - though usually temporary, ie. until the released nutrients are recycled.

I think I am going to invest some hours and muscle power to mechanically rake up most of the mats and remove the nutrients trapped in the mats by carting them off after they dry. Do you think applying Cutrine Plus after a section has been cleared is ok? If the wind shifts and I clean the same section again then I suppose I wouldn't reapply the CUtrine Plus since the first application should still be viable for the area ?

Shelby County, I see you that you are a new PB member so welcome to you from a old time neighbor that grew up in Nacogdoches.

I wouldn't get too excited about shoreline F.A. this time of the year and begin researching the archives on using tilapia next year for control. It's a magic bullet as far as I am concerned, going on ~ten years successful usage.
BoatCycle in Henderson is a tilapia supplier as well as Overton Fisheries in Buffalo.

Some advice given is for northern ponds and it is wise to check the source due to sometimes not practical for Texas ponds.

I have found that biological control of unwanted aquatic vegetation works for me.
Good luck!
George Glazener



Shelby, just saw this post - interested in your tilapia experience in large ponds.
G/

Hi George, I have a3 year old pond that is 6 acres and constructed between two large hills.
The pool depth is 25 to 30 feet at the dam and has a very deep center line more than half the length. I estimate the average depth is more than 10 feet. I put 20 pounds of tilapia in there two years ago in May. They have survived two winters now and are close to 2 pounds each now. I can observe large schools when cold months have bright sunny days because they come up to the surface to bask and loiter in the sun. It is a sight to see 50 to 100 large fish on the surface in one school. Sometimes I can run my well water into the colder lake water for a few hours and they will come up where the pipe discharges the warmer well water. I know the depth is what allows them to survive. I never see any juvenile tilapia in the colder months. I think the bass get them when the get sluggish. I still have a FA problem though.

1.2 acre and 6.0 acre with LMB, CNBG, REB, CC. Also tilapia in both ponds.

Wow that's the first I've heard of Tilapia
surviving the Texas winter...multiple winters in fact!

Hi ZEP, I am sure it is the depth of my pond. I have a large pool of deep water at the dam end.

Shelby, I'm with Zep - first time I have ever heard of tilapia survive our Texas winters except for a couple of cases that had deep well and/or dependable springs.
Maybe your well water is the answer and knowing your country, springs are prevalent.
Overton grows out and carries over his tilapia each winter on well water.

Are you saying your tilapia do not control your FA?
Interesting - your predator fish may be eating you baby tilapia before you can get adequate numbers to control FA?

Shelby, my experieced based opinion is that 20lbs of tilapia for 6 acre pond is way too light for FA control.
My stocking norm is about 10-15lbs/acre, more or less depending on problem.

G/

George, I suspect that you are right about the bass eating all of the tilapia fry. I have seen some young tilapia in warmer months but not nearly as many as I was seeming when I stocked the bass fingerlings. Those bass are 14/15 inches now and they have spawned twice so I may be getting overstocked with bass. I do see a lot of fingerling and one year old bass. I am going to resort to chemical and mechanical control of the FA this fall and maybe get ahead of it next spring. Thanks for your comments.

We actually have small one inch tilapila in our one acre pond still. We see them in a ball swimming in he shallow. Over wintered. No big one though.