Hi All'
Here's the scoop; Bullheads overtook my pond so I decided to drain it and get rid of every single one of them, there were hundreds of 10-12"ers and countless smaller ones. Drained the pond as much as I could (3/4 acre, 10' deep, western ny) got it down to less than 8". Hauled all the bigger fish out but still some left in the 3" range. We got some heavy rain last night and with a spring that I can't shut off from going in the pond I have about 1 1/2 feet of water, maybe more. I hate to go rent a pump again and want to make sure not a single bullhead surives. What could I dump in the pond to kill everything that wouldn't permenantly affect the water so I can let the pond fill? Another concern is a minnow pond that I'm sure is fed by this pond leaching through under the dike, through about 60' of soil. What would you all do and where can I purchase it? Thanks in advance.
Tyler

I would think that household bleach would accomplish what you want. It would suffocate the fish and disapate in a few days. You don't say the volume of water you want to treat. I would probably start with a quart of bleach and watch the results.

I put 4 1/2 gallons of bleach in yesterday, thinking the same thing. No effect. I'm only dealing with 5 or six thousand gallons, I would guess. I'm wondering about lime? Anyone?
Thanks for the reply.

Did you use chlorine bleach? Thats the key.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach#Human_and_environmental_safety

Tyler, just happened to think that, powdered pool chlorine would put the chemical where the fish are at the bottom. The slow release should 'do em in'.

I would hate to use bleach and leave the possibility of chlorine compounds in the pond muck.

Hydrated lime in sufficient quantity will kill the fish in a drawn down pond. Once it refills, the diluted lime is non-toxoc, non-carcinogenic, and generally beneficial.

ewest (and mebbe Cecil - ???) has used this method and should be able to advise on the amount required.

Rotenone will work too, although I don't know if any special permits are needed to buy it.

License for sure and likely permits for rotenone.

Rotenone will kill all the fish in your pond and you definitely need a permit to buy/use it. Contact your local DNR. You also need to deactivate it with potassium permanganate after you broadcast it.

So how much hydrated lime would be enough for my situation? sounds like the most eco-friendly option. Thanks again everyone for the advice.

You don't need to deactivate it if you are willing to wait for it to detoxify. Detoxification time depends on water temps. The colder the water the longer it takes to detoxify.

I use it on my production ponds but that's after I get it down to 6 inches or less in only one part of the pond. I just shovel it out and spread it on the water and soon the fish will start agitating and float to the surface. I do think I had a fathead survive liming but I sure don't know how.

Liming to Sterilize

Hydrated lime. or calcium hydroxide, is also used in fish ponds. While it will increase hardness (the calcium component), and temporarily increase the total alkalinity (the hydroxide component), its primary effect is to raise the pH of mud and water quickly and dramatically.

Ponds should be drained and cleaned prior to applying this product. Enough hydrated lime should be added to cover the entire bottom with a thin layer, and then water added. The pH in the upper layer of the mud and in the water will rapidly rise to 12 or higher, a level which will kill most disease agents and/or pests. The elevated pH will last for about a week, prohibiting any stocking of fish. Always check the pH before stocking.

Adding hydrated lime is not recommended when fish are present in the pond. The sudden increase in pH is often lethal.

The use of hydrated lime is recommended when there is any concern of carrying diseases or pests over to the next crop. It has limited, long-term impact on total alkalinity and pH.

Hydrated lime is considered to be a strong base, and care should be taken when applying. Avoid breathing the dust and do not allow it to contact skin or eyes.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA028