Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Muddy water Is $150 per 50lbs fair for Aluminum sulfate?

Have not been able to find a local source.

My pond is .79 acres, clay, turbid in various degrees year round. Bucket test does not settle out. Suspended clay.

Have aeration and limed heavily last summer.

https://www.chemworld.com/Aluminum-Sulfate-p/4710.htm


Video of current visibility taken this weekend 6/8/2018, no rains for at least a week so things are settled.
https://youtu.be/c71t03ikKPw

These 5lb bags are $20 each.

That seems a bit steep. I priced some about 5 years ago. As I recall, the price at a garden store was about $1 per pound for a 5# bag, and the price at an Ag Chemical Co. was about 60 or 70 cents per pound for a 50# bag.

Someone please check my math.

.79 acres BOW. Average depth is 5 feet.

3.95 acre feet?

I see in the "alum kicks butt" thread where @Rainman states he seldom applies less than 200lbs per acre. Not sure if he means acre feet or surface acre.

3.95 is correct.

Pretty sure it refers to the acre foot. Go to the grocery store and get a small container of alum and do a test. I’ll try and find a link that will help explain.

Read this article to figure out how much you need.


http://publications.tamu.edu/WATER/SCS-2013-02.pdf

I contacted Helena Chemical, they put me in touch with a local supplier. Today I had 2000 lbs of Alum Sulphate and 1000 lbs of Lime delivered to me by truck (2 pallets). My total cost was $1050. I paid $11 per 50 lb bag for the hydrated lime and $19 for the Alum.

It took me about a month and a half to track some down. I'm in VA.

You can buy a 1000 lbs from smith creek farm delivered for $1,000 or $50 a bag.