Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Natural Plant/Algae Cycles.........???

I bought my farm property in the spring last year and have watched the 5 acre pond go through natural cycles. In the spring the FA arrives with a vengeance then disappears then surges again finally dissipating. My feeble attempts at removal does not explain it disappearing. I have only sprayed and physical removal once this year and only on 1/8th of the shoreline around the dock.

The next cycle is the plants both submerged and growing from the shoreline....then they nearly disappear. Got so bad in May it was difficult to fish in ~2/3's of the pond but now its great!

I have also had three phytoplankton blooms that turns the water very green....then it slowly clears only to bloom again.

The pond is watershed only coming from run off out of cattle and hay-fields. No creeks. We did lime the fields this winter.

FWIW, I have bumper crops of BG and BC, a moderate population of LMB and a few catfish.

Though I am happy the problems are resolving themselves I am curious what is doing the clean up?

1) Is it natural to have these cycles in the spring and summer?
2) Did the previous owner put GC in it that I haven't seen yet? I haven't stocked anything yet.
3) Are the resident Canada geese that spend 1-2 days a week on the pond eating the weeds and FA?
4) Is it something I haven't thought of yet?

Tbar, geese and grass carp do not eat FA at all, unless eating something else in it....kinda like us eating a fly, only because it was on our sandwich. But Geese are crapping a LOT of fertilizer directly into the water.

A wide buffer strip between your pond and any fertilized fields will greatly reduce unwanted nutrients reaching your pond...especially the cattle manure, further reducing possible FA growth.

When you say the FA is bad, do you mean once it floats up from the bottom? Any FA "mats" started life on the bottom, trapping oxygen produced in sunlight and CO2 when respiring at night in the filaments, then when too buoyant, the FA floats to the surface.

Bumper crops of BG are good....maybe not so much on the BC in a couple years.....

Algae blooms shade the sunlight that the FA needs on the bottom, and reduces FA growth

As Rainman said FA starts it's life on the bottom on a pond. So that's where the first attack on FA needs to start. So what does the attacking. Coppers can do it but leaves heavy metal in the soil long term as I understand it. Water plants can steal the nutrients from FA but it take's a lot of them, (a weed infested pond) but which produces lots of frogs that intern produce tadpoles that eat FA. Certain carp, UGH, some that are pretty like KOI and some ugly like Israeli but do the job. I have seen the Israeli eating the FA floating on top of the water. Also the tilapia, but in most areas must be replaced every year. All ponds are different and getting to know your pond and what you want from it is what you need to determine the methods to set in place. You can use combinations of the above to shape a pond. You can use GC to keep the water plants down but then use tilapia, KOI, or Israeli to shape your pond and control the FA. That takes some work and thinking. Or you can just kill FA with chemicals.

Or you could add some dye. Works decent enough for me.

We had an epic/biblical crop of frogs this year. Around parts of the pond it looked like the ground was moving in waves of tiny frogs when you walked the shore line. Maybe the tadpoles put the hurt on the FA. Or did the FA run its natural life cycle and fall back to the bottom?

So do I have a 5 acre healthy/self correcting ecosystem or should a pond not go through this many cycles in a 6 month period of time?

I am betting your in a part of Texas that has that lovely acidic clay soil. If this is the case the clearing of the pond was due to the Lime finding its way into the watershed and your pond.

A water test will tell you lots about your ponds water. The water will change during the year as well as a bit during the day.

If you have lots of weeds, FA, and muck on the bottom you can find a C02 and or carbolic acid release each day. When this happens it will release more acidic nutrients that is in the water that may be tied up or buffered. They then can make more acid available pushing the PH even lower. Lime will balance or soften the release of FA, and weed feeding acid fertilizers. This could be the change you are seeing in your pond. More of your natural fertilizer is being balanced with the lime applied to the farm land. Buffered nutrients is finding its way into the pond this year making it different than last.

I do agree with the above. Pond dye is a great tool and the water looks so refreshing you just want to jump in for a swim.

Cheers Don.

We are on sandy loam and the lime was put on the fields Jan 21st of this year. This water test was done in March.

From that water test I can 100% guaranty you that your low FA is because of the low phosphates and good bicarbonates. Your still seeing some FA I expect but not covered in it. I have learned that some is good for the small life in the pond. Good hiding places for the smaller minnows and crayfish from larger minnows.

If that was my water test I would add more lime to the water for sure and your phosphates are low too for the PH. The lower the PH the higher your phosphates should be. With your phosphates that low when you raise the PH or add lime to the pond water you will tie up more. Small changes don't go nuts.

What works for me is 10-52-10 triple super from Plantproducts. Lots of good micro nutrients as well. With this product I put in 2-4 pounds per acre with equal parts of hydrated lime. I divide this up over a three week application every three days, and put it in the evening. So about a half pound every three days of each. I take my amount that I will be putting into the pond in a five gallon pail. Fill it halfway with water and mix it up. First the fertilizer then the lime. Do not breath any of the gases that come off it. You can get some ammonia gas.

This is a super charged solution and very little will go a long long way. I have not had the balls to mix up this mix to the acre foot amounts. The plankton just kicks in and away we go. I have some aerators too so they mix the solution in for me.

It would be nice to see your alkalinity closer to 150-200 and you could be good for years depending on how much water flow in and out your pond has. Your Bicarbonate of fifty is good. This is your buffer capacity. Your ponds ability to hold the PH stable. If your soil calls for more lime in the water shed and your crops are responding to it I would keep it up. I have found you can never go wrong with lots of lime on the soil. I have found that grass can become quite drought resistant with lots of good lime.

We are lucky here to have access to sugar beet lime cheap and tons and tons of it. We spread it with a shit spreader and put it on thick. Run harrows over it after the sun drys it out and it makes the grass land grow like crazy.

Cheers Don.

EDIT: guessing you grow some Bermuda grass down there? I had some sprigs for Gordan's gift shipped up here to give it a try. It was allot like strawberry's where it needed good cover. We had three winter thaw years in a row that just about killed it all off. Back to rye grasses, and alfalfa. The Bermuda did very well with limed soil.

Thanks Don....!!!

Yes we have coastal Bermuda in the fields. It is a very hardy grass that like the heat and can survive the droughts down here.

FWIW, hundreds of GIANT tad poles are popping the surface today in an odd display that makes it look like it's raining on the water. Some are leaping out of the water.

We have a little mud puddle of a pond that the bullfrogs were doing this in the spring. The first time I seen it I thought what am I seeing in the pond. I had to get the wife to see it. They looked like turtle heads but were way to fast. All they were, were bullfrog tadpoles by the hundreds. Crazy once you take the time to slow down and observe mother nature.

Cheers Don.

For those that may not have seen it before here are bull frog tadpoles popping the surface. You can also see that my 3rd photo plankton bloom has disappeared.