Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Muddy water

Has anyone tried Prosclear (buffered aluminum sulfate)?

Pam, it works, but no where near as well as claimed, as packaged and directed it be spread. Using alum and hydrated lime is about 1/5 the cost when both are applied properly.

Read the first couple threads in this Muddy Water section...Alum kicks clay but, and alum kicks clay butt, again.

Feel free to call, PM or email me also....I'll be happy to help guide you if wanted. Alum applications are one of my specialties.

Thanks Rainman for your advice. Think we've found a local source for the aluminum sulfate and will let you know how it works. Appreciate your guidance.

I finally cleared my minnow pond enough by pumping clear creek water into it, displacing the muddy water. It is probably temporary, only until the next big rain.

Any thoughts on why my pH went from 8.5 to 4.5 after using 180 lbs of Alum Sulfate in a water slurry sprayed and 100 lbs of hydrated lime in our 1 acre foot pond yesterday. Killed a gazillion tadpoles and 80% of very young minnows. Pond looks great with clarity down to probably 3ft. Great color. Have redear and blue gill with a few bass stocked that are staying in the middle where its 6 ft. deep and pH is probably better. Usually depth is at 8ft. but have had no rain. Checked pH again this morning at 4.8.
No fish kills yet, but....Thanks! Pam

Did you make a slurry of each and spray each one? Which one first?

Made a slurry of the alum sulfate and sprayed it out of the front of the boat and broadcast the dry lime out of the back of the boat at the same time.

I'll bet a lot of the hydrated lime sank immediately to the bottom, and didn't mix with the alum in the pond like it would have if it was mixed into a slurry and sprayed into the pond too.

Thought I had read on one of the forum comments that hydrated lime could be applied in a dry form. The hydrated lime I used was very fine like powder and seemed to dissolve as soon as it hit the water. However, your idea about it not mixing does make sense as our pH is still low at 5.5. Still no problem with fish going belly up--fingers crossed! Think it would help to add more lime? Pam

This will be a PITA to keep cleaning the equipment but I would mix up a hydrated lime slurry and apply it in bands in the pond to allow the fish to escape the high pH water. Apply 50# and see what the pH is a few days later.