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#385815 08/24/14 09:37 PM
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My pond water has taken on a decidedly brown tint. Its not like when the mud is stirred up but translucent brown....with limited clarity. We added a aeration windmill earlier this summer. Not sure if that is causing the brown color. Earlier in the summer the water was more green. Wondering if the algae is dying? Is this something I should be concerned about?

Drogo #385816 08/24/14 09:58 PM
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I've noticed the same thing adding aeration.

The big pond is in its second year, with no aeration the first year then aeration put in this spring. The water turned what I would describe as a stained color. Somewhat like a tannin stain from decaying leaves. Or a blackish color would be another way to say it.

The forage pond was built early this year, with no aeration early on but put in about a month ago. It also changed from a greenish tint to a color similar to the big pond but not as bad.

The sediment pond was built recently and aeration installed within a month of filling. It has kept the green cast color.

The refurbished old pond has never had aeration and it maintains the greenish healthy look also.

I have a theory. It may or may not be right.

My theory is that the aeration is working on the sediment that had developed in the ponds. Big pond had good growth of FA first year that turned into a black muck over winter. I'm guessing the aeration is causing this muck to be recycled.

The forage pond had less time to develop sediment, although it did have some early very heavy algae growth that died off, so it did have a thin layer of muck when the aeration was installed. Thus, if my theory is correct, the added DO is working on this muck layer also, but to a lesser intensity.

My old pond without aeration has a much better or healthier looking water than the ponds with it. With the exception of the sediment pond, which had no time to build up a muck layer.

If my theory holds correct, as the muck in the ponds gets recycled and diminished, these ponds will eventually get better looking water. I've already noticed my big pond got a better looking greenish cast a week or two ago. Now with really hot weather it is looking the tarnished color again.

I may be all wet in my assumptions, and would welcome comments. But my early experience is that when the aeration is initially installed in a pond of some age, the water gets worse looking. Hopefully that will change with time.

Am I sorry I installed aeration? Not yet. In fact, in my big pond the current water level is approaching 2' below full pool. We started out with a deficit after last summer and the usual heavy spring rains never showed up to refill the pond. Although we have had rain this year, the rains have been in relative small events with little to no runoff. Right now we are loosing a lot of water to evaporation. I think it would be very possible, if winds died down, my big pond might be set up for a fish kill. Maybe not, because it is still fairly young and the fish not really big. But I would worry about it. With the aeration I'm satisfied I don't have the stratification that I would otherwise have, thereby allowing the fish to utilize the lower level of water.

I think I have the same problem with visual water quality as you Drogo. And based on other ponds very near, I also think it was caused by the aeration. The question for me is if this condition will pass. I believe it will, but do not know.

Last edited by snrub; 08/24/14 10:03 PM.

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Drogo #385820 08/24/14 10:27 PM
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Interesting. If you put some pond water in a clear jar and set it against a white background does the water look tea colored?

My old pond was almost 20 years old before it had aeration and the water color did not change after I added aeration. I was adding bacteria for several years before and during aeration and oak/maple leaves fell in the pond yearly but I always tried to remove what I could. The pond had muck too.


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Drogo #385951 08/26/14 12:50 PM
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Thanks for your comments. Your theory, snrub, makes a lot of sense. My pond is 3 years old and we had a lot of FA over the past couple of years. (tilapia controlled it last year, but I didn't put any in this year) Tannin stain is a very good description even though we have no trees around the pond to contribute leaves into the water. Maybe we have to wait until next year for the natural system to work itself out....

Drogo #386025 08/27/14 07:38 AM
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Drogo,
My pond does the same thing starting in about July. I have nearly zero muck but do have algae. I attribute it to certain types of algae dying off with water temp approach 85 deg. because I start seeing some dead algae floating up to the surface at that time also.


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Drogo #386049 08/27/14 11:25 AM
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I have a pond that takes on a brown tint if I shut down the well for a few weeks. (Trout pond). Bill Cody analyzed the water and it's a form of golden algae -- albeit a benign one.


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Drogo #386053 08/27/14 11:45 AM
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When I get a brownish tint I figured it was a form of planktonic algae and/or zooplankton bloom? Guess there are a myriad of possibilities...but I always preferred thinking it was zooplankton feeding all my YOY fish.


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Drogo #386288 08/29/14 10:06 PM
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In my case it is certainly a bloom. More bown than green, it certainly is not suspended clay. Seems temperature dependant between 70 and 80f. Above that and its gone. I may try to collect some and stick it under our microscope to see what it is.

teehjaeh57 #386289 08/29/14 11:03 PM
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Originally Posted By: teehjaeh57
When I get a brownish tint I figured it was a form of planktonic algae and/or zooplankton bloom? Guess there are a myriad of possibilities...but I always preferred thinking it was zooplankton feeding all my YOY fish.


That could very well be my situation with the aeration also. The aeration keeping more nutrients suspended feeding the bloom.

Water is clearing a little now. 83 degree water temp.


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Drogo #389514 10/13/14 10:28 AM
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It is working. The water is getting clearer. I shared that I had posted this question with my father-in-law. He was there when they installed the windmill and the installers had commented to him that the aeration would bring up sediment from the bottom and it could take a year or so to get back to clear water.

Drogo #389524 10/13/14 11:04 AM
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My water has gotten a whole lot better in the last few weeks. 3 inches of rain, then 4 more and now another inch and the pond is at full pool after having been as low as two feet low. Has been below full pool for a year and a half now, which is very unusual for us. I think there were just so many nutrients trapped in slowly reducing water volume that the water quality was suffering badly. Hate to think of what it would have been like with stratified water without the aeration.

Had some flow through out the overflow pipe the last day, so maybe some of the excessive nutrients will go elsewhere. Water looking MUCH better now.

Last edited by snrub; 10/13/14 11:05 AM.

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