Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Red/Brown Clouds In Water?

Pictures I see indicate a dense population of water fleas in the shallows and near surface. They are zooplankton that typically like to hang in water with low light levels. In most settings they will be deeper down where light levels or low dissolved oxygen levels makes foraging by plankton feeding fishes less profitable. When blooms are really dense you can see the water fleas throughout much of the water column although they will form what look like storms that can even approach edges of pond. If water quality in depths of pond or lake become poor, then the water fleas can crowd into shallows giving appearance of high abundance. Smell noted may indicate later is at play. Dead water fleas and exuviae from molting water fleas can also concentrate in shallows and blow up to water, air and land interphase of littoral zone.