Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Pond Renovation/Killing Existing Fish

Just finished renovating a 1 acre pond in East Texas. There are a few very small fish sunfish/bluegill(could be some dreaded green sunfish, but they are all too small for me to tell)and a few bass. Like I said, there are very few in there.

Should we ABSOLUTELY kill what's left before we restock within the next month, or are we ok as is before we add the BG? We plan on adding the LMB in the late spring.

If so, where can I get rotenone in my area to do the trick and is it something I can apply myself? Again, when full this pond will be an acre....right now it's about 1/4 acre.

I would completely kill. That way you know what you are starting with.

I don't know if Rotenone in Texas is considered a product that you need a license to purchase/use. If so, hydrated lime can be used to kill the fish.

I believe in TX you do need a license from what I've read. How much should we add and how soon will the ph levels come down after adding the hydrated lime?

We just spread about a ton of ag lime on the floor of the pond to increase the alkalinity/ph levels....this was recommended to us by a local fish hatchery. Most ponds in East TX need the supplemental ag lime.

To buy Rotenone you have to have a professional applicators license. Hydrated lime is a lot cheaper.

Regarding the hydrated lime:
1) How much should we use to kill the existing fish in this small pond? At what ph level will the fish die?

2) How long will it take for the ph levels to come down to the proper levels so we can re-stock? Do we just keep testing until we reach a safe level?

Thanks for the help!

JCO3,

You can use @ 200 lbs. of hy lime per acre to sterilize muddy pond bottoms. If your water has a lot of organic material or any depth it will take more. Get some pH test strips and check as u go. You want to get a ph over 10. Wear sleeves, good dust mask, and goggles when handling that stuff as it is very caustic and can cause some damage if it gets in your eyes or lungs. By the time you get enough water back in it to stock fish you should be safe, but again, get some test strips and you can verify.

-JB

We've had so much rain lately and the pond has filled up so much that I think we may just forget about killing the very few existing fish that were left in there. We spread ag lime before the rain came to get the ph levels where they should be, so I'm not sure I want to mess with it anymore.

We may re-stock soon with the BG and FHM....LMB in the early summer. (Whatever the hatchery recommends.)

I would definitely not restock before I killed off all remaining fish. If I had to drain or pump or buy extra rotenone, that is what I would do.

-HH

A license IS required to buy rotenone throughout the US (it is a Federally restricted-use product) - but a private applicator's license is sufficient, at least that's the case in TX (renewed every 5 years).
Considering the expense vs long-term benefit, I'd also encourage that you clean out the pond before restocking.

I just went through similiar decision process and rotenoed. I suspect most experts would strongly recommend you kill off existing population and start fresh.