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Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5
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OP
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5 |
This is a place I own and I am getting to rework both of these ponds to make them bigger and deeper. Right now, they are both probably 4' deep at the deepest, so I am assuming that is where the weed growth is coming from, but not sure. What can be done to prevent these weeds once I get these ponds both dug out and redone? Also, will aeration help any of this as well? Any help is appreciated.
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,344 Likes: 101
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,344 Likes: 101 |
For the most part, it looks like you have filamentous algae. This algae usually starts it's life on the bottom of the pond and eventually let's go and floats to the top, dying and sinking back to the bottom.
Digging the ponds out will help. You will be removing the nutrient laden soil muck which is helping the algae to prosper. Digging the ponds deeper will also help as that will reduce the light that gets to the bottom (although your water looks to be very clear). Pond dyes can be used to further decrease the amount of light that gets to the bottom.
Some folks, where legal, use tilapia to keep the FA at bay.
Aeration will also help as it will get more oxygen to the bottom that helps the bacteria that eat at the muck which, in turn, leaves less nutrients for the algae.
Your FA (filamentous algae) problem is very common in old shallow ponds and even worse when the water is clear. Your newly renovated ponds will still have FA, we all have it, but you should not have near as much.
Welcome to the FA club (and the forums)!
Fish on!, Noel
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Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5
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OP
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5 |
Man, that is exactly the explanation I was looking for. So helpful! I appreciate all the info on this forum and look forward to sharing the progress as I redo both ponds. Thank you for the info!
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,145 Likes: 488
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,145 Likes: 488 |
It looks like you have filamentous algae(FA) growing on top of Chara a bristly bushy-like branching algae.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 271
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 271 |
One question, do you use these ponds to water livestock?
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298 |
Mozambique tilapia are legal in Texas. I have some in my pond, and they do a good job on the algae. They mostly leave the non-algae pond weeds alone, though.
Last edited by anthropic; 07/02/19 01:05 AM.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5
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OP
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5 |
One question, do you use these ponds to water livestock? In the past, yes they have been pretty heavily used by livestock. I am migrating them off of there for the time being. Curious as to why you ask?
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Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5
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OP
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5 |
It looks like you have filamentous algae(FA) growing on top of Chara a bristly bushy-like branching algae. Thank you Bill! I have been around ponds all of my life, and never really knew what the Chara was called, definitely didn't know it was a type of algae! Great to know what it is and now I can figure out how to handle it/prevent it once I get things going.
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 271
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 271 |
Others can advise you better, but if livestock has access to the pond it is hard to keep control of nutrients migrating into water. Around here cattle defecate around and in the ponds quite a bit. Plants tend to like the resulting nutrient-rich water. Texas may have different conditions though.
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