Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Raking Muck

Will raking muck help ? I was viewing a web site which had a contraption which was basically a pond rake on wheels with a long extension handle. On the advertising video, it was stated that once the muck is entered in to the water column, it will disappear. True ? I was thinking it would just settle back to the bottom. I have an easy foot or more of what appears to be muck in my inlet area, which I would like to reduce (actually in the whole pond but the inlet and pond edges are easy accessible). I started using bacteria in the late summer and intend to continue use this year but sorting out which bacteria is best is proving to be extraordinarily difficult. Steve

Hopefully Steve, we can get Bill Cody in on this question. He gave a very interesting presentation at last years Pond Boss convention regarding this subject. If I recall correctly (or IIRC), raking worked better than the bacteria because it suspended the muck and essentially aerated it. But don't take any advice from me, lets get an expert opinion.

"Paging Bill Cody, Commander Cody, please pick up the white courtesy phone located in the main lobby."

Hello - calling back and answering the page - Muck raking can indeed in many instances help it "go away". BUT raking can also have other impacts on the pond ecosystem. Disturbing anoxic sediments can resuspend or swirl dissolved reactive phosphours into the water column to fertilize various forms of plant growth (FA, periphytic, planktonic and rooted). Massive rakings over a short time frame of anoxic sediments in a small pond can produce large increases of hydrogen sulfide and cause some fish deaths.

Some have found that bacterial or microbial additions alone can speed the decay of accumulated organic bottom materials. Which bacterial additions work best is IMO a crap shoot. Just about everyone that sells bacterial additions will claim theirs is the BEST. Trial and error may be the best path. What my work good for one may not work as good in another apparently similar pond.

In most of my experiences raking bottom sediments does help or speed the rate that they decay or decompose. Some of the raking activities just displaces the sediments into deeper waters. Raking does infuse oxygenated water into the often anoxic sediments and then fast acting aerobic bacteria and invertebrates can start processing the newly oxygenated solid organics. Good aeration activities of the pond will also help decompose the solid organics. IMO, I would shut off the aerator while raking so as to not unduly circulate disturbed sediments H2S and other strong annoxic chemicals throught the pond. And I would not rake more than 25% of the shoreline at one time. Over raking will proportionally distrub more accumulated phosphorus from the sediments and possibly cause objectionable plant growth (FA?) - depending on numerous features or conditions. Once sediments have settled somewhat then one can restart the aerator. Others may disagree with that concept, but that is how I handle it in my ponds.

However, I have one local pond owner that is telling me that frequent raking in his pond does not cause reductions of organic sediment build up in his swimming beach area. I am puzzled as to why his situation is different that most. I may have to do some testing there this summer to find out more about his problem. I have some theories but no proof.

More questions?

What is the web site with this contraption ????

Welcome Whatever, sounds like what my daughter would say.
Maybe this is what your looking for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9986yozlsE

Just for the heck of it, I spot raked a few areas several weeks ago and it does work. In those areas, I now have sand; but geez, that's a lot of work, I'm too old for that; I didn't have a proper "pond rake", maybe it would be easier. That was some nasty NASTY stuff coming up while raking. Bill, I'm with you, I didn't have them on but I don't think it would be wise to run aeration while raking. Oh well, I guess I'll continue the chore, maybe I can get my 19 year old body back. A few weeks of raking should take care of 27 years.

i raked a small pond of a friends several years ago with one of the wide plastic yard rakes. the whole pond was almost covered. It cleaned up nicely and never came back for some reason...surprising. the banks were covered in fa after i was done. i now have alot of it in my pond and thinking about getting most of it out. still not sure if the stuff is harmful to my bass and coppernose bg. if it's not harmful i'll leave it alone...

I did a little rakeing this weekend. I just raked the beach in front of the house. I actualy raked the leaves and FA out on to land. I only had timt to remove 2 wheelbarrows full. Next weekend I'll try to put another dent in it. I'm not going to try to clean up the whole pond but there are a few areas that I want to clean up.

It's not a fun job.

I bought one of those high dollar rakes and v-shaped cutters, both work great but are labor intensive...I just clean my fishing spots