Using CuSO4 around the pond to get fish to come up for air is a bad idea because it 1. contaminates the pond sediments with heavy metal until the sediment is removed, 2. bass are more tolerant to Cu than the other fish in the pond so all other fish will die first before the bass, 3. Cu will not cause loss of air (DO) unless there is lots of algae that dies quick enough to cause a rapid oxygen loss due to algae decomposition. This usually does not work well if the water is below about 80F and not enough algae is present. Be cautious believing what guys at work tell you for proper pond management.


If livestock have access to both ponds then just pump drain one small 1/5 ac pond to low pool (6"-12") then use the quick lime or chlorine (calcium hypochlorite 70% active conc.) at 5ppm. Use chlorine only when pond is at low pool level. Treating the entire pond with chlorine causes too much contamination of the entire pond bottom. It deteriorates quickly and usually loses toxicity after one day. Then allow pond to refill or pump. Chlorine is a non-specific poison will kill everything in the pond. My preferred treatment is rotenone, quick lime, then as a last resort the calcium hypochlorite 70%.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 08/17/19 08:09 PM.

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