Hello, this is my first post here. I have a 1/2 acre pond that's at least 30 years old. 15 years ago, the house I live in was built on a hill above the pond. Because of the soil components, the septic system required for this house was a plant-rock filter.
So, since the house has been here--according to the old landowners--watermeal has been a problem in the pond. Last summer, I skimmed off around 300 gallons of watermeal and it had absolutely no effect. I also put in an aerator with a bottom-of-the-pond rock diffuser.
My thought has always been that we have too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the pond and after reading extensively, I think this is definitely the case.
My question is, can I get something to decrease the nutrient content of the pond? I've looked at Baraclear but am not sure if it's what I need.
The pond was one of the reasons my wife and I bought the house and other than minnows, it won't support fish. I've added bacteria to increase breakdown of muck and leaves (can't remember the name brand of bacteria) and added Tilapia (died over the winter, will add more in April) and today, treated with Reward (Sonar will be forthcoming). We already have watermeal appearing.
Because of the septic system set up in relation to the physical landmarks of the property, rerouting the runoff is not an option. Can a chemical help me out with a nutrient rich pond?
Thanks for any help.
Jerry B
