Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Muddy water pellet gypsum

found some 40lb bags of pellet gypsum at the local ace hardware store on clearance for 2.99 a bag sounded like a cheap way to clear a muddy pond. i got on here and read both sides of the argument that it caused more problems, and then some articles said it cleared the suspended clay. so what do you think?
thanks

I like the price.

I HAVE NEVER USED GYPSUM. That said, I believe it works by flocullation(SP?) and pellets might not be as effective.

i agree with the price as well i might buy a bag and do the jar test and see if any negatives occur in the small test.

We've used a total of about 7 tons of gypsum in two different ponds. We used mainly the powdered (ag) gypsum, but we used the pellet version as well.

Here's my take:
That price is great, so I would definitely buy it and try it.
Gypsum definitely helped clear our ponds. I think the powder worked a little quicker because it can dissolve and bond to the clay better, but I think the pellet is just as effective in the long run. If nothing else, after the water is stirred up (rain or high winds), the pelleted gypsum that made it to the bottom should start mixing and working again. Think of it as the gift that keeps on giving.

There are many different ways to spread the gypsum. Slowly pouring it into the prop wash (from a trolling motor) worked well for us.

If the pelletized gypsum is the same as pelletizrd lime, then here is what I was told about pell lime vs. ag lime.

Pell lime is made of finer particles than the ag lime, and once the pellet is dissolved it will act quicker in the soil to change the pH. The reason that farmers don't use it more often is that it costs more than ag lime. The pellet lime once broken down has a greater surface area due to the smaller individual particles, that's why it acts quicker.

Now, how this applies to a pond is beyond me!

davasta

thanks for your help, did u notice any negatives when using the pellet gypsum compared to the powdered gypsum? i tried the jar test and just like the powdered gypsum i used the pellet cleared the jar over night as well.

Man, that's a good price! Buy them out!

I found some at Home Depot once, and it was in ~10# boxes on clearance for real cheap. I bought them out, but it was only 300-400#.

Pelleted gypsum is identical to regular gypsum. It contains minute amounts of some type of gel to make the pellets hold together. Believe me, they will not sell anything that's harmful to people, pets, or wildlife without conspicuous labeling. Wal-Mart won't even sell fertilizer with phosphorous any more!

camo,

Nope--no negative effects. I think the pellet gypsum works just as well as the powder.

The only drawback I can think of is that it might sink faster and not mix as well if just dumped in the water. But even in that case, it would mix later when the water is stirred up.

I think that if you apply the pellet gypsum in such a way that it can disperse and sink very slowly, it will give you the same immediate results as powder gypsum.

Good luck!

Sorry but being a city slicker most of my life the comments on Ag Lime and Gypsum has confused me. Are they the same thing or what? Are they used for the same thing?

Ag lime is ground limestone and is spread over the pond bottom or in pond and surrounding land to slowly adjust the water chemistry giving it more hardness and alkalinity in the form of calcium carbonate. This will buffer the ph swings during the day caused by plankton and vegetation.

Gypsum is added to clar up muddy water by causing the particles to combine into larger particles which will sink. It doesnt effect the pond chemistry much. I prefer Alum, or aluminum sulphate which can be used in much less amounts. It will cause the water to become more acid, so quick lime or calcium hydroxide is used in conjunction with alum to neutralize the acidity.

Is $150 per ton a good price for gypsum? I have never priced it.

the pellet gypsum is working great, it has cleared the water about 6inches and still going, we have had heavy rains in oklahoma and the pond muddys back up but after a couple days of no rain it clears back up.

is there any formula as to how much gypsum to add per gallon? I have a new pond with dirt banks, trying to grow grass now. my water is "stained" now but with each rain I have a run off problem. It sounds like the gypsum is to work long term? The pond is 3.5 acres surface area and according to Vertex calculations I have 8.5 M gallons. advise please.

Here's some good guidance on calculating how much gypsum or alum is needed. I found I needed about twice the calculated amount but it was raining a lot during the time I was applying gypsum and I lost some downstream I believe. I ended up using 4500 # in a 1.8 acre pond (estimated 8 acre-feet).

http://srac.tamu.edu/tmppdfs/2935259-460...371712c521712f7