Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Pond can't keep fish alive, next steps...

Watermeal and duckweed are indicative of hypereutrophic organically enriched conditions which often occur in a very old aging ponds and likely with 'loads' of organics in the sediments. My first guess as to the main problem is periodic low DO sags due to high biochemical oxygen demand. Low DOs are killing your fish. If it were mine and I wanted a good pond I would drain it and rebuild it, if not soon, then in the near future. Then you can make any improvements and modifications. If you don't rebuild expect these conditions to continue to go 'down hill' due to the natural pond aging process called succession due to eutrophication. Inflowing streams have big impacts pro and con on ponds. Quality of water in the stream has a big affect on the aging process of the pond. IMO most stream inflow esp from agricultural inputs are 'bad' for keeping ponds 'youthful'.