Hard water and alum. - 06/23/10 12:41 AM
I recently motified my spillway. Rather than spilling over an earth/tile spillway it now is through a culvert/screen (as per the request of the DNR, and their "no fish left behind program")
During this mod I dug out the area where the spillway was, with a backhoe, to deepen it and use the clay that was there to better seal the new dam area.(my ground has a very high clay content)
Anyways, that project turned my water very turbid for a few days. In the mean time, and in my usual panic, I ordered a product called "Clear-Pond" that consist's of 2 parts. Buffered alum, and baking soda(baking soda, as far as I can tell??) which is supose to take phospate, and suspended clay particles, out of the water.
The water cleared before the product arrived (two days, maybe cuz of the hard water?), but I'm wondering if it wouldn't still be a good idea to use the product anyways?
Limiting any excess phostate would help limit excess growth, would it not?
Or, with my hard water, would it be overkill? Would that already have phosphate under control?
My approx numbers(via numerosu test strips) are:
Total hardness: 300+ ppm
Total alkalinity: ~300 ppm
pH: ~8.5
I'm a novice, so maybe my logic regarding ponds is completely misguided.
Thank for any help!
Jeff
During this mod I dug out the area where the spillway was, with a backhoe, to deepen it and use the clay that was there to better seal the new dam area.(my ground has a very high clay content)
Anyways, that project turned my water very turbid for a few days. In the mean time, and in my usual panic, I ordered a product called "Clear-Pond" that consist's of 2 parts. Buffered alum, and baking soda(baking soda, as far as I can tell??) which is supose to take phospate, and suspended clay particles, out of the water.
The water cleared before the product arrived (two days, maybe cuz of the hard water?), but I'm wondering if it wouldn't still be a good idea to use the product anyways?
Limiting any excess phostate would help limit excess growth, would it not?
Or, with my hard water, would it be overkill? Would that already have phosphate under control?
My approx numbers(via numerosu test strips) are:
Total hardness: 300+ ppm
Total alkalinity: ~300 ppm
pH: ~8.5
I'm a novice, so maybe my logic regarding ponds is completely misguided.
Thank for any help!
Jeff