Hello! We moved to 5 acres last October and have a small approximate 1/3 acre dirt bottom pond. Until recently, things have been pretty low maintenance with it, but that past owners did warn there would be a learning curve once the weather warms up. They left some instructions to use copper sulfate crystals when we notice algae accumulating. To be exact, they said when we notice the algae to throw in about FIFTEEN handfuls walking around the perimeter and throwing it as far into the middle that we can. Well, about 3 weeks ago I started noticing a filmy algae was spreading across the pond and threw in ONE handful of the copper sulfate crystals. About 24-48hrs later, dead fish starting surfacing and six days later we had 115 dead fish removed from the pond. I can only imagine the crystals were the cause, however the amount I used was so conservative. I now understand timing/weather can be vital and it was super hot out when I did it (hence the algae bloom), but I'm still confused as to how this could have happened. The crystals did successfully clear up the algae so is it possible even though it was just one handful, this caused the suffocation of the fish? Needless to say, we are so bummed as this pond is used for family fun and fishing. Now are goal is to get it back in good shape to support a flourishing fish habitat. I have some direct questions below, but also if anyone has any general advise, I'll take that too! I have no experience with ponds and would really like to get this to a point we can manage it on our own.
1.) For starters, it is odd to me that since this event occurred and I've spoken to many pond and fish companies/experts, no one can confirm with certainty that the crystals were the cause of the fish kill. What do you all think? We obviously want to understand what killed the fish so we can prevent it from happening again.
A couple other key things to note:
- The past owners maintained this pond for about 40 years without an aeration system. And apparently by using heavy doses of copper sulfate crystals.
- They had a wide variety of fish: Catfish, bass, bluegill, perch, and bottom feeders.
- In April I added one gallon of AquaShade (recommended by a neighbor to prevent algae growth)
2.) The longterm goal is to stock the pond and get it in great fishing fun shape! But I need to get the water safe first. Since we are in a hot Missouri summer, I am reading that chemical treatment is not advised at this time. Is that correct? Is there a way to safely utilize chemicals in this climate?
3.) I have read that an at home water test is expensive and not reliable. What's the most affordable and reliable way to test water? Can I bring a sample somewhere?
4.) Aeration...I'm hearing a lot about this, but again the past owners maintained it for 40 years without. Is this necessary? If so, I have a lot of questions.
- The pond is about 215ft from the house. Do we need to have an electrician come out and install power by the pond? Running a line from the house which is 215ft away would be pretty expensive I think.
- Can we run an air hose from the house to the pond instead? Looking for longterm, low maintenance, affordable solutions. And I realize those three things don't always mesh
- What type of aerator would you recommend for a 1/3 acre dirt bottom pond?
- Can we install ourselves to save some money?
This is a very long, multi-part question, so thank you for reading and I appreciate any and all advise!
~Gabbi
