Pond Boss
Posted By: spyshot question about duckweed - 06/06/13 08:13 PM
i have a 3/4 acre pond and duckweed covers it entirely. when i first got the property i got some grass carp, but later found out that they may not like duckweed, well they must not because it's as bad as it ever was.

i've tried doing some skimming to get rid of it but i can't make a dent.

my fear of using chemical treatment is the expense and the fact that it may come back. how do you know you got it all and is there a fish that does eat it? that way if it starts coming back the fish will eat it before it becomes a big problem again? i read about fluirdone, i've never heard of that. i've been looking at tsumani(diquat) and it will cost me over $500. is fluirdone better or cheaper?

sorry for all the questions. i have a lot of them
adam
Posted By: keith_rowan Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 08:32 PM
tilapia will eat it... i use it as a supplemental feed in my aquaponic system (duckweed that is)
out there in western ohio, there are a couple of nice fish farms where you can get some
Posted By: outdoorlivin247 Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 08:42 PM
I have heard nothing but good about fluridone, other than the price...The key though is keeping it in the water column long enough...

Do you have a way to control overflow on your pond?..



I just sprayed a 1/2 acre pond last Saturday morning with Reward (diquat)mixed with Cutrine plus? Why, because it is what I had on hand... Most of the duckweed has turned white as well as surrounding vegetation dying on banks...

Plan on putting in 8 ounces of fluridone when I get the money from the pond owner...Hopefully in the next week or so...

From reading here or somewhere on the internet the goal with this method is to reduce as much as possible first to allow the Fluridone to attack the recovering plants and stay in the water column longer...
Posted By: spyshot Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 08:52 PM
forgive my ignorance, but what is a water column? as far as controlling overflow, yes. right now there is no water leaving the pond because of the lack of rain in the last few weeks. i doubt it will be spilling over the overflow any time soon.
Posted By: spyshot Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 08:53 PM
i just spoke to someone who sells fluridone on the internet. they said i could just pour the fluridone in the water at several spots. that sounds a lot easier than spraying it. she was then trying to sell me soething called clipper. said it had a higher success rate.

adam
Posted By: outdoorlivin247 Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 09:07 PM
I am new to all this also, so don't take anything I say as fact...LOL

Yes, I was told when I apply the fluridone to just mix in with pond water in a 5 gallon bucket and pour in several areas around pond by boat if possible, near aerator being best...

The pond I just sprayed was a half acre...I applied with a 2 gallon hand held sprayer...Took about 2 hours by the time I dinked around and cleaned up...

There are many guys here that do this for a living that will chime in and give you the ins and outs of how this stuff works..I just try my best to be a good student and share what I have learned...
Posted By: Lovnlivin Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 09:09 PM
Look anything like this?



Fluridone is what I used but as outdoorlivin247 said, be sure you have the right conditions for it's use. For me, I would almost pay extra for how well it worked,,,,,, almost smile

Here's 5 weeks after the Fluridone treatment:


I tried the manual removal using a "prickly rope" to try and remove it but my pond is just too big and like you said, I couldn't even put a dent in it. On top of that, was told I could remove 80% of it to have it all return within 2 weeks. It reproduces VERY quickly!

There's a lot of information on Fluridone, how it works, benefits, drawbacks, etc. Be sure it's the right product as it's nearly a complete vegetation killer (depending on ppb application rate), yet has no effect on FA.

Good luck and I hope some of this helps.

Keith

*EDITED* - As far as applying it, just be sure you get it below the DW into the water. It does not work on surface-contact! Other than that just get it wet and it will evenly disperse throughout the BOW. You can also expect 45 to 90 days to see complete results.

(I really hope I said all that right)
Posted By: spyshot Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 09:22 PM
lovinlivin...yes looks just like that! just pm'd you a little while ago about how you applied the fluridone. i should ask you here if anyone else is interested....did you do one application to kill the duckweed? did you use 8oz/acre? and did you pour it in the water or use a sprayer?

thanks
adam
Posted By: Lovnlivin Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 09:35 PM
Just PM'd you and one application for the DW was sufficient for me.

And if I didn't mention in the PM, one application COULD remain in your BOW if there's no in-flow or out-flow, into the second year and maybe the 3rd.

It Depends smile

Oh, and the application rate depends on how many acre-feet you're treating and what's being targeted. I believe the application rate for DW is 45 ppb (or 70 ppb?).

Keith

Posted By: spyshot Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 09:50 PM
outdoorlivin247...thanks for the reply. i was looking at another product that had to be sprayed and that didnt sound like fun. the bucket method sounds much easier.

adam
Posted By: outdoorlivin247 Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 10:05 PM
You are welcome...

Like said, I am new to all of this also...It is actually kind of addictive once you start learning and seeing everyones different ideas/views...

The nicest part about this forum is even the guys that do it for a living hand out advice like nothing...

They might have a differing opinions, but ultimatly the same goals...To help people enjoy their body of water to the fullest!!!

Good luck on your project and keep us posted...By the way "pictures or it didn't happen"..
Posted By: spyshot Re: question about duckweed - 06/06/13 10:47 PM
More question to throw out there... is flouidone just as effective on watermeal,? Is it safe for ducks?
Posted By: CJBS2003 Re: question about duckweed - 06/07/13 01:29 AM
It is just as effective on watermeal and it is safe for all wildlife to include ducks.
Posted By: sprkplug Re: question about duckweed - 06/07/13 01:49 AM
As far as my experience with fluridone, they should rename it Fluridun......as in I applied it once, and I was DONE....for two years. It worked great for me, however maintaining the ppb for the required time period is key.
Posted By: esshup Re: question about duckweed - 06/07/13 02:38 PM
Fluridone is applied so it reaches a certain PPB in the water. To do that properly you need to take accurate depth measurements of the water in the pond so you know how much to use.

You need much less for a 3/4 ac pond that is 3 feet deep vs. one that is 20 feet deep.

It also helps keep the required PPB in the "kill" range if you bump the pond with a 2nd half strength dose 2-3 weeks after initial application. It degrades with sunlight, so it lasts longer in ponds where the water clarity is less. Some ponds that have high visibility in the water are treated with dye to reduce the clarity before treating.

I'd shoot for a 90 PPB dose. Here's a copy of the label. Read it first before ordering. Too little and it'll be a partial or a no kill. You'd have to spend that $ all over again to buy the correct amount to treat the BOW again. http://www.sepro.com/documents/sonaras_label.pdf

SePro isn't the only one that "makes" fluridone, but it was the easiest label to grab.
© Pond Boss Forum