Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Water chemistry Muddy Pond

Have a new pond, very muddy. Gathered a gallon jug and in a month of sitting still at room temp, only top half was clearing. sent for testing and recommendation was for Alum (Aluminum sulfate) 150 pounds per ac-ft. I can get the granular version but thinking that's going to be lots of work to dissolve 1600 pounds of alum in buckets and pouring in.

Does anyone have an inventive idea for disolving the alum prior to application

Does anyone know where to get powdered ALum. I'm in the DFW area

Or any other thoughts

I can't tell you where to get that amont of Alum but its apparently used alot in industrial applications so may wanna call some local chemical supply companies. As for application, I have read that people spread it behind trolling motor or small outboard allowing prop wash to mix it. Thats still alot of work if 1600 lbs is the needed amount. Iam in the same boat with my new 1/3 acre pond. Based on my research and past experience with a smaller pond I am going to focus on stabilizing the drainage basin and give it a few months to clear on its own. In my area, I will get lots of runoff the next 3 months.....just need to make sure the the water going in is clear.

Sometimes a muddy pond can be a good thing, if you are as plagued with filamentous algae as I am. Even black dye isn't helping much. If you get it too clear, then you might have a FA problem. All the clearer ponds around this area are plagued with it. The muddier ones, not very much at all.

How long has the pond been full? Do you have grass growing around pond and in the watershed?

David, PM Kelly Duffie here on the forum. Maybe he can help you with the alum.