Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Drought - how to deal with it?

My Dad & I had a 2 acre pond built in E. Texas during the spring of 2009. Thanks to a good 5 or 6 inch rain it filled in 20 hours on the day the dam was completed. When full it is 18 feet deep. Typical teardrop shape. That summer we added 12 tons of lime. In September 2009 we put in 1500 CNB and 500 Redears from Todd Overton (great service by the way). May 31, 2010 we added 50 largemouth and 50 Hybrid strippers from Overton's. We have been feeding Aqua Max 500 since April 2010 at 50 lbs per month.

E. Texas is in a terrible drought and the pond has dropped about 6 feet. Surface area is only about 1 acre or less at this point.

I know that we need to aerate, but the money just isn't there right now. Is there anything else that we should be doing to try getting through this summer without a big fish kill?

Thanks for help,
Larry

If aeration is an issue, you could put in a pretty good system for what you are spending on feed. Cut that back for a bit.

To the best of my knowledge, aeration is about all there is when a drought hits and the biomass gets crowded.

Their are some creative gentlemen on this site who have put together some great aeration systems for way under retail prices.

Spend some time looking at their posts.

And I'd bet the cost of such home brew system would be less expensive than re-stocking costs.

Thank you for the advice gentlemen. We will attempt to put together a home brew system. Many Thanks!

Then, at least if all your fish die, you'll have something to drink while you sit pondside and weep. Er, that is the sort of homebrew you meant, isn't it?

To wit: This is West Virginia for you. Homebrew is strictly defined.

Now that is an idea that I can get behind!

Condello created a very inexpensive, yet effective, surface aerator some years ago. He has pics and description buried somewhere within the forum.