Last year I had a 100% fish kill of my trout. I have a 2- acre pond in the Catskill Mountain region of NY. The pond is bottom spring fed and in the open, no shade. The max depth is 23 feet with most parts about 15 feet. In a drought year I will drop about 12" max
In March 1999 I stocked 200 9,10 and 11 inch trout. In the spring of 2002 the fish were 17-19 inches. Since the stocking in 1999 I did not have any fish die from unatural causes.
Last year we experienced the drought and an unusually hot year. I was iced out before February ended, we had 95 degree weather in May, by July 4th I had lost most of my trout. The fish died on the surface sucking air, they were all fat and healthy. I lost every one of them.
My question is; did I make a mistake when I aerated the pond with a bottom diffuser? I never had an aerator during 1999, 2000, and 2001. I installed the aerator in March of 2002. I realize 2002 was the hottest weather, because the ice was out 45 days earlier that usual the mean temperature was already higher. I ran the aerator all night, seven days a week. Would I have been better off not mixing the cooler water from the bottom?
I restocked 100 fish last October, they are doing fine. I don't know what to do for this year, change the aerator? Go to a Splasher? If I aerate do I do it at a different time of day?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Mike
