I have a new 1.8 pond, fished last fall, which went from around 8ft to deep to completely full (13ft) with two very large rains. The first of these rains was @ 6 wks ago and the last @ 3 wks ago. The water has been muddy ever since the first, with no sign of clearing. I had it stocked just before the first rain, with 2000 Blue Gill, 400 Channel Cat, and 4000 Fat head minnows.
Sometime after the second rain, I started throwing in feed to see if the fish were still alive. After a few days they started coming to the top and we could see them feeding. We continued this once a day with a 1lb coffee can.
After about one week of feeding we don't see the fish anymore. No top water mover to indicate their presence. I started feeding with the idea that the muddy water was keeping the plankton from growing, but am not sure what to do at this point, or if I should be concerned about the absence of feeding.
I did buy a test kit and found that I have a PH of 7.2, Alkalinity of 90 ppm, and hardness of 150 ppm. Using the cup on a string method, my visibility is only about 1 inch. I haven't check temp or DO yet.
I did take a two cup sample and scraped some gypsom into it. The water cleared in a matter of a few hours. It is crystal clear now. I am also in the process of the gallon jug test, using 1 tbs of granulated gypsom, 2 tbs granulated gypsum, and 1 tbs of lime. The gypsum is already working where the lime is still suspended.
The good news is that when the water clears I see lots of zoo plankton moving around.
????'s Are my fish dead even though i have seen none floating?
Should I go ahead with the application of gypsum, or do the test results bring up other concerns?
How much Gypsom, and can it be granulated?
Thanks
