Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Coppers - Sulfate and Chelated together

Does anyone have experience using copper sulfate for algae together with chelated for weeds? I have been using chelated for both, but cost-wise it would be better to use CuSO4 for algae. Anyone control weeds with CuSO4? can you get the rate high enough without killing fish? Do CuSO4 and Chelated behave themselves when mixed? i've been researching quite a bit and can't find a whole lot on it...

Read this on both.

http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/381285-SRAC...2a50d0634465672

Then use this to id plants and control options.

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/

I know mostly what to choose for what, and ID isn't really a problem. I'm looking for information from someone who has used CuSO4 for algae and Chelated Herbicide for weeds at the same time, and how the two react with each other.

Lets say I use 1.5 ppm CuSO4 for algae and 1.75 ppm Chelated herbicide for weeds. Does that combine as 3.25ppm copper or are they distinct as far as their lethality to fish?

What is the name of the chelated herbicide?

pondweed defense
31.3% AI (CuSO4 pentahydride), .8 lbs/gallon

My 2 cents from experience. Copper products will not rid the pond of pondweed. It will turn brown and wither but will come back from the roots.

Cutrine Plus, K-Tea, Captain, and Clearigate are all chelated or compound copper herbicides and can be used in a mixture with Reward or Aquathol K. Other chelated or compound copper formulations are available but are not linked to this web site. - Aquaplant

Look here for herbicide labels which have the info.

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/guide/labmsds.html#imazapyr

In general, any ponds I treat with a big weed problem will get chelated + reward, or aquathol + reward. I have been using chelated herbicides for "pseudo-nuissance" amounts of weeds where they aren't to problem stage yet and I still want to leave cover for the fish at endgame.

JMAC I have used all of those with the same result. Limited control of pondweed. Aquathol has worked the best of the group. Like you I don't want to kill all or even most of the pondweed because of its positive effects on fish. I think if one wanted to get rid of it a systemic herbicide (sonar or the like) would be necessary.

I have had some pretty good and reliable results with copper + reward. Do you have any experience with aquathol and CuSO4 interactions?

Yes but very limited experience. FWIW I would use aquathol as recommended on the label. I skip CU products unless I really need them to avoid CU build up in the pond bottom and its long term effects.

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/guide/aquatholk_label.pdf

I guess from my standpoint cost is a big factor, if I'm calculating correctly - a 4 acre/ft treatment with aquathol can top $500, while a chelated treatment plus a little reward for kick runs about $350 for the same pond. I'm definitly going to play with rates and applications this summer to get a true line on cost effectiveness. How long does Aquathol keep the weeds down in your experience? Chelated and reward seems to last about a month for me. Also, do you use reward with aquathol and if so, what rate?

JMAC - we have never mixed Copper Sulfate with any other chemicals for algae treatments so I can't speak from expierence on interactions that may occur. I can tell you that we had a fish kill once using the "crushed powder" form of copper sulfate, it basically dissolved too quickly in a very small area and caused a localized DO sag. If you are going to use copper sulfate, which I would not recommend in the first place, I would make sure that you buy the large crystal form that dissovles much more slowly in the water. Over the years we have used the crushed powder form, and both the small and large crystal forms. It is effective on algea blooms and FA but on other types of aquatic vegetaion by itself it is not very efffective even in the early stages of weed growth.

Have used reward a number of times and with CU on a couple of situations. Have not used Aquathol + reward. The aquathol works best for us sprayed on with surfactant and water. It rids the pondweed for half to 2/3 of the summer period (about 2 1/2 mths). About twice as long as reward and or CU.

Thanks ewest... I'm going to try a pond or two with aquathol, and a couple with aquathol & reward to see what type of efficacy I get up here. It's probably cheaper go with Aquathol if it lasts twice as long.

I have used hydrothol + reward, it has been quite effective against stubborn FA. I think a lot of the ponds in this area are starting to show signs of CU resistance. One pond I treat has CuSO4 bags visible on the bottom, the guy says "oh well, I just got tired of spreading it so I just threw the bags in". WOW.