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Well the 300 lbs aluminum sulfate last sunday I could see the changes very soon after application. Well see this weekend what it looks like. The aerator was preventing good mixing. I know it sounds backwards but when i turned it off the treated water mixed much better with the undtreated.

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Today was the day! We put all of the alum and lime in. This is what it looked like after the application (which took Allen 3 hours.





Last edited by Chandler1; 05/07/10 10:00 PM.
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MPD74, the aerator should have been left off for several hours to allow the floc to settle. The turbulance the bubbles create keeps much of the clay in suspension. Where are some pics???

Chandler1---Absolutely awesome!!!! that coating on the plants will get cleaned off quickly too.



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I've put a distress call in to you, Rainman. This morning, we find the pond as clear as bathwater and several dead fish around the edges. Not all, by a long shot, but still enough to be disturbing. I checked the ph and it was still low, so I bought two more 50 lb bags of lime. We added one bag and will check the ph again shortly.

We also turned on the aerator and the well water to further neutralize the pond.

Also, we have two indoor dogs. When I let them out, they tend to go to the pond when they are thirsty. I also have a pair of ducks that have made our backyard their home. Is it dangerous for any of them? There are a few patches on the ground where we spilled either alum or lime. I think I should go and clean those up right away. Any comments on how thorough I should be to make it safe for dogs and ducks?

I just checked the ph again, and it's up to a good level now. Do you think I'll have any more fish kill or do you think it's over?

I've put out some fish food, but they are not eating, but staying at the bottom. When do you think they will eat?

Do you have any suggestions? You have my number, Rainman. I would very much appreciate a phone call.



Last edited by Chandler1; 05/08/10 12:15 PM.
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I'm not sure what caused the kill, but my sympathy is with you!!! You can just hose off the spilled areas in to the pond, no more harm will be caused. Don't try feeding for 2-3 days to let the fish recover and we can hope that most fish survived.



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Here you can see the shallow water going into deep.




Last edited by Chandler1; 05/08/10 12:57 PM.
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Well, it's been a busy day. We did lose a lot of fish. Tradeoff is a pretty pond. I can hardly wait two or three days before I feed them and try to fish. Right now, I can see hundreds of little bluegill and/or minnows. I see some larger bluegill. I see two or three 8 or 10 lb cats roaming the bottom. But oddly enough, not many middle-of-the-road fish! I hope they are lurking in the bottom of the deepest part and laying low.

I lost a beautiful gold and white goldfish. I saw goldfish last year and decided our great blue heron may have deposited some fish eggs that were trapped on his feet. OUr neighbor has a koi pond and I've seen the heron over there, too. But I did see one pretty goldfish swimming pretty strongly, so they aren't all gone.

I hope this helps others to know to watch that PH carefully!

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I had read a lot of information about the aerator, and majority said to leave it on and even dump the slurry into the column of bubbles. I did turn it off after I was done last week and it was off all week. I 'll look for some photos of before and I have some from this weekend. Mine look similar to those that chandler1 posted. Although not as clear in the after. Mine looks more like a milky green, but its a definate improvement. Should I add more aluminum sulphate? I could even see some fish and the dark outline of an old sunken cedar tree from two years ago.

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I'm still not seeing many fish, other than a lot of little minnow size blue gill and bass. This morning there was our great blue heron standing in the water with a fish in his mouth. He probably appreciates our clearing the pond for him! No wonder I don't see any fish. They are all at the bottom trembling in their boots!

If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'm going to be out there bottom fishing with chicken livers trying to catch a fish! They still aren't interested in the fish food.

Oh, and the pretty aqua color is changing to green now and it's not quite as clear as before. Probably because we've added well water to dilute the lime and alum.

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I've seen swimming pools that don't look that nice!!!!!!!!!

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I found one more cc, about 2 lbs. floating this morning. I fished the bottom and also with a bobber (I only had worms), but there was only meager interest. I do see dozens of little fish following my hook with the worm on it, so the pond is not "empty". Where are the big fish? Did they all die? Or are they still down below?

Does anybody know where in Denton I could take a water sample to be tested properly and give suggestions on whether I should do anything? I worry that the rest of the fish are sick and if I don't do something, I'll be scooping up fish every day until they are all gone.

I know I'm obsessed at this point. I love the pretty pond, but healthy fish are more important!

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Obsessed huh? Yeah, we all are. The best analysis is at TAMU. Go to their website for directions on what to do. Post the results here.

In the meantime, get a sample in a clean jar and take it to a pool supply store. They often can tell you about alkilinity, hardness and PH.


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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Here are the before and after pics. Any thoughts?





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I've never dealt with this sort of thing before, but it sure looks like you had a good result. The after pic seems to be nice looking, healthy green hued water.


Todd La Neve

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Is that the top of the feeder in the water??

That color sure looks better!!


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
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MPD, from experience, it looks like not quite enough alum was used to get full clearing, but hopefully the bloom that immediately began with the light penetration will help remove more suspended clay for you.......a good guess would be that 25-35% more Alum would put you over the top and clear the pond completely of suspended clay.



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ESSUP: No, thats a tire that broke loose from its cage. I didn't have exactly the same angle.

RAINMAN: I myself forgot how muddy it was initially until I went back to find the before photo to post. I realize now how much the first 400 lbs really did help, then another 300lbs got me to the above photo. I really was hoping that it was a nice bloom. I'll add some more this weekend weather permitting. I haven't seen any fishkill, I didn't really expect any, but was a little worried after reading the other posts by Chandler1. I had been worried about the fish in that water for two years, I did see some BG for the first time...that was encouraging.

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MPD74

Chandler1's situation is very unique in that they used a very heavy dose, that I suggested to meet a stated goal, AND they have a very small volume of water making it easy to apply to the entire surface quickly...Still, I was surprised to see any more than a couple already sick fish died.

You don't have any of those special issues to worry about or contend with. Your bloom will build as the water clears due to the fertility that is apparent in your water...you are very close to it being cleared fully!



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The color of my pond is now a deep green and most of the clarity is gone. I know you guys would probably recommend a second dose of alum, but I will never convince my husband to do it again. Not after all the fish we lost. Would it do any good to purchase some of the Pond Clear products from the Pond catalog I get regularly?

Either the cc finally came out of shock or the water finally got cloudy enough for them to eat yesterday. The largest cat you see is about 8 lbs.







http://picasaweb.google.com/jananchandler/RecentlyUpdated#5471496669921100514


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Chandler1, the deep green is a natural and fertile bloom. It is a sign of healthy water and your fish will love it!



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Thanks, Rainman! I certainly hope so! So I shouldn't try to get more clarity? Did you see the short video clip of my fish feeding? Did the rain muddy it up or is it just the fish stirring it up?

I know it seems I'm never satisfied! I realize that the pretty aqua color indicated a sterile pond and not a healthy long-term environment for the fish. But I hoped for clearer water.

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Chandler1, your 1st issue with water clarity was due to suspended clay particles. Rainman walked you thru the correct process for clearing it. The decreased clarity now is due to the phytoplankton, or floating algae(the good kind for a fish pond) that is the beginning of the food chain. It is developing due to the decreased turbidity. Please dont add any more alum to your pond. It is clear of suspended particles. You needed to have enough lime on hand to neutralize the alum to prevent fish stress due to rapidly changing ph. Adding well water, which is inherently low in O2, to a small pond without spraying it into the air to oxygenate it, can cause low dissolved oxygen and also stress the fish. Your pond appears to be in a good natural state of fertility for this time of year. I am sorry for your fish loss; consider that they may not have been healthy and that the remaining ones will be better off. Goldfish are usually very hardy, so losing a few is unusual. Most people that want good fishing ponds avoid goldfish like the plague. It is hard for the small and beautiful pond to be all things. It looks like time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your obviously hard labor of love.
Good luck and good fishin'.


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Thank you, burgermeister. We run our fountain when we add well water, so hopefully the fish are not too stressed. I'm glad deep green is the color of a healthy pond, because that has been my real goal all along. The fish have always looked healthy and the flavor of the meat has never been muddy. I've read many articles about how good a muddy pond can be.

The gold fish were unexpected additions. It's fun to see a flash of gold now and then, but I never planned on a goldfish pond.

You and Rainman are right. It's time for me to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor. In fact, I think I'm going fishing! :0)

I wish I had held this up so you could get a better idea of size. I would guess this one to weigh about 7 lbs. What do you think... fat with food or with eggs? Does anybody know?


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No way to tell unless you unzip it and look.


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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I added 200 lbs of aluminum sulfate to my pond last week with great results. That is only one bag for every three acres of water. The water is not crystal clear but went from about six inches of visibility to about thirty. I am very pleased with the results.

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