Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Muddy water Is all Aluminum Sulfate the same?

I am shopping around for Aluminum Sulfate from distributors. The price ranges from a low of $.25 per lb. (50 lb. bag at $ 12.50 each)to $.49 per lb. (50 lb. bag at $ 24.50).

Why is there such a price flucuate and should I care or just buy the cheapest?

I told one guy I don't need labratory quality - just cheapest Aluminum Sulfate. One guy said his is the best as it's 98%. So what gives??

I will be apply this in aprox. 13.5 acres of water so the cheaper the better.

Help please.

Thanks!

I don't whether there is a difference bu I'm picking up 3 bags today $37.00 per 50 lb bag. And, it wasn't easy to find or even order.

DD1, I found it at Estes Chemical in Carrollton at about that same price. I never found any close to 12/13 a bag.

.50 per bag is average for Aluminum sulfate (AL SO4).

It does NOT need to be Iron free or lab grade, but should be 99% pure or better...high iron is considered .13% and other impurities should not exceed .5% so roughly a 99.37% purity is "normal".

The POWDERED version over granulated will save you some back breaking mixing, so unless you love stirring with a paddle, pay a few cents more a pound for powdered, or even wait to get it brought in special for you!!!

1) When you spread dissolved ALUM is it essential to cover the entire surface of a pond or lake?

2) Say you do your best cover all the surface but only end up with 75% coverage. Does this mean that the 25% area you couldn't spray will stay muddy? Does the Alum sink to the bottom right away or mix around in the water column? Note I have a 4 station Vertex system in the lake designed by Vertex in all my deepest water and strategically placed for coverage around the whole "L" shaped pond (10.6 acres).

3) Does diluted Alum spread around the lake on it's own if you have multiple aeration stations around the pond / lake or does it just sink out wherever it is sprayed on the surface?

I don't have a barge to cart out and then mix 1 ton of Alum, just small 12' aluminum duck boats.

My idea was using a trash pump to add lake water to a 30 gallon trash can which I dump in one at a time a 50 lb. sack of ALUM. Once mixed and diluted I then reverse the hoses and using the trash pump, spray the diluted Alum back into the lake from shore out as far as the spray and then stop the pump and hand the hose to another guy and have him row out with the boat to the middle of the lake and spray there. Back and forth this would go and around the lake caring the trash can, bags of Alum and trash pump on the back of our flat bed truck. One guy mixes and one guy sprays Fromm shore and boat.

Does this seem like a fast, efficient plan to get this project done or is there a faster, better way?

4) Should I only do a small section of the 10 acre lake one day and then wait and do the rest the next day? From what I have read I don't think I will have a big PH swing that would be dangerous to my fish?

PH = 8, ALK = 220, HARD = 120

5) Last - is there any bad with putting in more than what the bucket test reveals is supposed to clear the water? It really would suck to have all the equipment and man power there to do the project and have not ordered and have on hand enough Alum to get the mission accomplished.

Thanks!