Hello Everyone,
New guy here. I'm on my second summer with my new pond (details below). Last year was fabulous; added 50 Rainbow Trout fingerlings, with only 1 known fatality, they are now 5 to 8'ish inches. Last year I had 3 different small algae blooms that I knocked back with an Aquasphere from Healthy Ponds (recommended by my hatchery).
This year we started out with a hot, fast snow melt that caused the pond to overflow and flood the adjacent meadow to a depth of 1 foot for the first month or so. I think this caused a nutrient problem with the pond. We left for a 2 week vacation and returned to a pond completely taken over by Filamentous Algae. Also, we are in a multi-week wicked heat wave, with some overnight lows that match our historic daily highs! We mechanically removed most of the FA (6-7 buckets with the front end loader) thinking we were removing at least some of the excess nutrients. I added another bacteria/enzyme product called Pondclear by Pond Logic due to recommendations. After a couple of days it is growing back with a vengeance.
I have read this forum for hours but I am still not sure where to go next. Cutrine Plus seems like the easy way out, but I would like to create a pond that is health and balanced, without the need for toxic chemicals on a regular basis. Also, I seem to be the only guy raising trout, so I'm worried that some of my issues are different from the Bass/Bluegill crowd.
Everyone here seems to like Tilapia, but in Montana they are a prohibited species for ponds. Fat Head Minnows (FHM) are legal, but will they mow down my forest of FA?
Do I need to start with chemicals to knock it down and then go back to bacteria/enzymes (BE), and maybe some FHM? If so what chemicals do the least damage long term? Specific brands would be great.
I've read a lot about beneficial water plants here, any specific recommendations for NW Montana, and more importantly, are there any good nurseries in my neighborhood? I can't find any after hours on Google, plus I'd love to hear from someone in my area that found a shop with quality products.
I suppose what I am asking for is an Owners Manual for a clear, normally cold, trout pond. This pond is temporarily overheated with an injection of nutrients to boot. I spent 3 days raking out FA, added beneficial bacteria and gave it a week plus, and see no results, except lots more FA. Help!
TIA,
Brett
My Pond:
-1/3 acre, 14' deep. Visibility >6'. Surface temp 75f
-Excavated dead-end pond filled with well water
-Bentonite liner covered with a layer of 3" washed rock to prevent weed growth.
-1 Kasco Marine aerator running 11 hrs per day during the overnight hours
