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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 951 Likes: 39
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 951 Likes: 39 |
Nephew called. Came home to a fish kill.
Details: Southern Illinois 5 years old 3 acres Half covered with watermeal (no chemical treatment since last year) Crystal clear water No big rains in last three weeks No crop spraying in immediate or upstream area Cool front did come in last couple days No dead fish as of this morning Guessing 230 dead fish seen as of few minutes ago Bluegill, Bass, Channel Cats
Pond is close to his house. Encouraged him again to consider an aeration system for future.
I think he is going run boat motor on in hopes does at least a little good.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
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Joined: Mar 2014
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Joined: Mar 2014
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Test the PH??? That would be one thing that he could adjust with Alum or lime.
1.8 acre pond with CNBG, RES, HSB, and LMB Trophy Hunter feeder.
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,930 Likes: 2
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,930 Likes: 2 |
could it have been a turn over from the cold front cooling the surface water cooler than the bottom water?
Last edited by BobbyRice; 09/30/16 03:29 PM.
Goofing off is a slang term for engaging in recreation or an idle pastime while obligations of work or society are neglected........... Wikipedia
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Joined: May 2002
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Ambassador Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Ambassador Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: May 2002
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I live in So. Ill too, Fayette County. We have had quite a cold snap. I have full pond aeration and my water temp dropped from 82 to 78 in about 5 days.
FB
"I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they've come up with so far." � Neil Simon,
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 670
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Joined: Oct 2012
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Oh no. Sorry to hear this. No suggestions other than what others have already shared. Hope you can save some fish.
CMM
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Joined: May 2003
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 951 Likes: 39 |
I'm a little stumped. More dead fish; but not huge numbers more (probably 3XX total). At same time, other fish are apparently biting well.
Tempted to blame on cold snap.
Nephew going to purchase / install a 4 diffuser aeration system designed for up to 4 acre pond since pond doesn't receive much wind action or anything.
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 187
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 187 |
I'm in Clay County and had a bad fish kill last year about this time. Per my experience, I had dead fish show up for about 5 weeks before it stopped. Not all fish succumb at once. I had a weird pond anyway, but it wiped out all but my forage and panfish. I restocked and have aeration now. My sympathies.
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Junior Member
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I have been there its not fun. I know my kills have been from low DO. In my cases it has been fast turn over do to heavy cold rain in a stratified pond without enough aeration. Anything that kills off vegetation in the pond will also do it, even a plankton bloom. Lets hope your passed it, if other fish are biting that's a good sign. I fully support adding aeration. I wish I could offer more.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,055 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
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This is Ponds 101 and y'all probably already know it. I'm suspecting the water meal. Plants emit O2 in the daytime and suck it at night. Get 3 or 4 days of low sunlight via clouds and the plant life, including microscopic algae, keep sucking it. The bigger fish seem to go first from DO crashes.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 951 Likes: 39
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Suspect you're right. Lots of watermeal. Cold front came through. Combo killed fish. The aeration system should help. Not sure how soon he is getting it.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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This is Ponds 101 and y'all probably already know it. I'm suspecting the water meal. Plants emit O2 in the daytime and suck it at night. Get 3 or 4 days of low sunlight via clouds and the plant life, including microscopic algae, keep sucking it. The bigger fish seem to go first from DO crashes. Plus if it's 50% covered, that is 50% of the pond water that is NOT getting sunlight to grow phytoplankton, which puts more O2 into the pond than anything else. My bet is the Watermeal, not a 5°F temp drop. What everybody is missing is this young pond is loaded with Watermeal. WHY????? A pond that age shouldn't have that problem. There are more underlying problems that aren't being addressed.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,055 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
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Good question Scott. However, the watermeal divides(reproduces) pretty rapidly. I don't recall the rate. I ran into one not far from me that was covered within one season. I can only surmise ducks brought some in during the Spring. We're in the flyway when they are heading back North in the Spring.
Since he said no chemical treatment this year, could that mean it was treated in the past for WM?
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,798 Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,798 Likes: 68 |
What is the best duckweed or watermeal treatment?
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Joined: May 2003
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: May 2003
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I think he might have treated for algae last year.
Pond was almost covered by watermeal about six? Weeks ago - at which time i told him i thought a pond boss member had some clipper for sale. Got about 10 inches of rain in about a week with most of watermeal going over the overflow. Then became at least half covered again in pretty short time. Had cold front come through and several fish died.
Pond has mix of deep and shallow areas. Upper end is pretty shallow with standing dead trees. Dam and valley (was a deep valley before dam) area is probably twenty some feet deep. There have been a number of ducks on it, but not near comparable to numbers on my bigger pond.
Pond doesn't get much wind or wave action at all.
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Joined: May 2003
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Would also like to know why so much watermeal.
With all the watermeal this year, he didn't have algae problem.
I wonder if he should try to plant some plants of some type to lock up nutrients to starve out the algae and watermeal. What do you think?
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,534 Likes: 842
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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What is the best duckweed or watermeal treatment? It depends. If you have water flow thru, or other plants that you want to keep, and don't mind spraying a few times, Clipper. If you don't have water going in and out of the pond, no other plants in the pond that you want to keep, 90 ppb Fluridone. Treat once and maybe bump it after 20 days to ensure the 90 ppb stays there and you're done. It's growing because of little to no wave action, no weeds/algae utilizing the nutrients and something brought the seeds to the pond, or viable adult plants. It's the worlds smallest flowering plant.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 951 Likes: 39
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 951 Likes: 39 |
Update: Another big fish kill.
Backstory: He installed aerators. He had to have them rebuilt after 6 months. They did so under warranty. They quit again about a month ago. Lots of water meal again. Temps dropped again. Fish kill again.
He's frustrated at apparent lack of longevity for aerators and at second fish kill.
Advice?
Also asking if any consultants in this area of southern illinois who could take a look at it and offer guidance.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 951 Likes: 39
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: May 2003
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Nephew seeking advice before duckweed starts up again. Any suggestions?
Also, I'm considering tiger muskies for my biggest BOW to help control smaller LMB. Anyone sell in south central Il (Effingham area)?
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,534 Likes: 842
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Posts: 28,534 Likes: 842 |
RE: aeration. What kind of compressors, and what pressure are they running at? Rotary vane, diaphragm or rocking piston? Are the compressors in a cabinet where there is sufficient air flow to keep them cool? He will need to either do something to help reduce the nutrient load in the pond or start up an aggressive herbicide application program to keep it under control. Since Watermeal is a flowering plant, there is a tremendous amount of seeds on the bottom of the pond waiting for sunlight and warmth. Then they explode. https://extension.psu.edu/duckweed-and-watermealHave him read that link and pay attention to the nutrient reduction and treatment options. With the upper end in dead/standing trees to me that means that the topsoil was not removed before the pond was filled, and I'm guessing that is where a lot of the nutrients are coming from..... When watermeal covers the water surface, no or very few underwater plants can grow, and there is not much O2 transfer from the air to the water either. Catch 22 here. He can stock a lot of Triploid Grass Carp. They will eat any and all vegetation in the pond and when that runs out they will start eating watermeal. (eat that or starve) Once that is gone they will start rooting around in the bottom for something to eat and muddy the water. It's Illinois, so you can't stock Tilapia. As for the Tiger Muskies, they are typically only available in late October/November and have to be pre-ordered earlier in the year, as they are not a fish that hatcheries keep on hand. BUT to stock them and expecting them to only eat "X" fish is unrealistic, they will eat whatever swims in front of them when they are hungry, as long as they can fit it in their mouth, from 4" fish to ducks. Try calling Nate Herman @ Herman Brothers Pond Management in Peoria, Illinois. https://www.hbpondmanagement.com/ We have a client in Newton, Illinois, and drive thru Effingham every few weeks, but try Nate first; who knows, he may still be able to source the Tigers for you this year.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 951 Likes: 39
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: May 2003
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Thanks!
Family has some land in Jasper county (Newton is in Jasper county).
The biggest bluegill I've ever seen or caught was in a fairly small pasture pond my brother built and owned there. The thing was huge - guessing 2 lb +. Gently released it back as soon as could - before days of cell phones. Doing it over, it would have gone on a wall probably. Knew it was really big; didn't truly appreciate how big it was at the time.
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 22
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 22 |
I am over in Crawford county and just ordered tiger Muskies today for my pond and a couple friends ponds. Look up keystone hatchery in Richmond IL. They will be ready for pickup in May. Be you need to order them soon to get them.
A pond is like you job only way more important. New PBM subscriber.
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