Are my bluegills and perch going to make it? - 02/04/09 02:17 AM
(This post regards the dangerously low D.O. levels I found in my pond due to heavy snow cover (3 + ppm.) I couldn't remove due to think ice, and thick opaque ice that resulted in the snow melting. I didn't have the sense to run a shallow diffuser this year but I can assure you I will from now on! )
Today i was happy to find not only all of my perch except one mort seem fine in their floating cages but my larger bluegills in another cage show no morbidity or mortality. I'm thinking this means the rest of the fish in the pond should have made it too?
I'm presently running a 1/2 hp Kasco surface aerator in the center of the pond to keep a hole open about 30 by 20 feet wide. It's close enough to the cages to keep the water open but far enough away as to not have any significant flow into the cages. All snow has been removed. I haven't had a chance to check D.O. levels and temps as I was busy blowing snow off my four ponds all day. My back is killing me! I removed it all, not just in strips!
Anybody have any words of advice, encouragement, caution, etc.? Your thoughts would be appreciated! Should I be worried about superchilling of the water even though the aerator only pulls water up from a few feet? There is an odor downwind of the aerator. Water is clear but the bottom looks black.
Today i was happy to find not only all of my perch except one mort seem fine in their floating cages but my larger bluegills in another cage show no morbidity or mortality. I'm thinking this means the rest of the fish in the pond should have made it too?
I'm presently running a 1/2 hp Kasco surface aerator in the center of the pond to keep a hole open about 30 by 20 feet wide. It's close enough to the cages to keep the water open but far enough away as to not have any significant flow into the cages. All snow has been removed. I haven't had a chance to check D.O. levels and temps as I was busy blowing snow off my four ponds all day. My back is killing me! I removed it all, not just in strips!
Anybody have any words of advice, encouragement, caution, etc.? Your thoughts would be appreciated! Should I be worried about superchilling of the water even though the aerator only pulls water up from a few feet? There is an odor downwind of the aerator. Water is clear but the bottom looks black.