Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Yearly Dye Maintenance

20 acres on LA gulf coast. 8yr old, clear water. 8' depth on west side and 3-4' depth on east side at low pool. Northern LMB, copper nose brim, red ear and blue gill. Very prolific production. 150-250 bass removed yearly 10-14". 100% coverage with Baby Pondweed, widgeon grass, and corkscrew eelgrass. 20 grass carp are 4-5 yrs old. Fertilize every other year. Liquid type. FA can, and has been an issue.

Typically we stain in Feb/Mar and again in May/June to prevent FA. I've tried Blue and recently black. Brands include Aquashade, Blue Springs, Crystal Blue, and POnd Logic. I've used the rates as recommended. Bill is typically $600-$800. It hurts every time. Problem.... the dye only lasts 3-4 weeks and I still have FA p!ssing me off in august. I pray for early winter every July.

Does anyone know which brand last the longest? I've tried liquid and powder.

I personally use Pond Logic. I can get away with 3 quarts a year per million gallons and one surface acre. Our pond is not that old but it is enough dye that it can turn our crayfish blueish.

Didn't like the powder and it did not last as long as the liquid from Pond Logic using the "natures blue".

20 acres is a huge body of water to dye. I personally bet your calcium carbonate level is low. This will tie up any extra nutrients the FA will want to grow on. Bond with the soluble nutrients and take them to the bottom to become food for your plants. I like lime allot........

Here is a thread on dye comparisons that might answer some of your questions.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=34865&page=1

From your description of your lake with so much pond plant coverage and yet you still have a big FA problem, it sounds like your BOW has a very high nutrient load. I'm curious, why do you fertilize?

Does the fertilizer produce a green water bloom or does the water stay pretty clear most of the summer? I suspect on the alternate year the water is pretty clear. How deep can you see a white coffee cup in the lake now? Go measure. How does the lake receive its water. Is there a dam where water regularly discharges?.

You might want to buy a cheap cup at The Walmart or dollar store for this experiment. My attempt to throw one of my wife's good coffee cups in our pond was met with less than an enthusiastic response!

visibility is complete to the bottom. White or chartrues baits can be seen at least 4-6 feet depth. Water is crystal clear. The pondgrass will grow to the surface when I havent stained and FA terrible.
I do not have a good water shed, so I have to supplement with a well that i dug for the pond. 6" electric, 700gal/min.
Usually it have to add water in summer.

I have 2 dams on the shallow side of the pond for heavy rains. They have never been used in the 8 yrs of the pond. There is a 8" siphon tube that controls water level thru the earthen dam/levy on the deep side. I use the 8" tube to let the small 3-6" rains out. We can get 10-20" of rain in a week during tropical season.

I had a pond manager help me for a while and he rec'd fertilizer every other year. SO we have just done that. He was a biologist and tested my water yearly for ph, nutrient load, O2 levels etc. I just couldn't afford him anymore.

The March-April issue of Pond Boss will have a story about using pond dyes.