I have a 1/2 acre pond that's maybe 50 years old that I'm trying to renovate. It's about 16 feet deep at the deepest spot. I have it almost drained and plan to stock it with CC in the Fall. The pond has about a foot of muck along the bottom. It's surrounded by trees so I'm assuming it's mostly (slowly) decomposing leaves. I'm thinking about using tilapia to clean up the muck (and for the other benefits they provide). Would they clean up the deep parts of the pond even if I don't aerate? (I'm thinking about aeration but haven't decided yet.)


1 3/4 acre, 1/2 acre, and 1/10 acre ponds in NE Smith County, East Texas.