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Joined: Jan 2008
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Hello all;
I had a well dug 1.5 years ago before I purchased my land in order to determine whether or not the water table had the necessary GPM to fill and keep my ponds topped off. It turns out we had water - so I purchased the land.
I had enough to pump up to 90 GPM [with a 10 HP pump!] but there existed some risks pumping that high rate from my well over time - so I settled for a smaller pump [5 HP] to handle around 50 GPM.
Bob Lusk pointed out something I never considered in a post today - it's wise to have the chemistry of your well water tested and analyzed prior to commiting to a pond project. Makes sense - I just went with my well driller's assessment that everything in my report "looked fine" [what else would he say?]. Should have brought my test results to the forum before I went and created four ponds, however, I suppose it's still worthwhile to get some feedback from anyone who would be willing to lend their expertise and help me out!
Here are the results:
Nitrate+Nitrate Nitrogren - Not Detected Flouride - .49 mg/l ph at 22.0 Celsius - 7.8 Turbidity - 1.0 NTU Total Dissolved Solids - 483 mg/l Hardness [CaCO3] - 340 mg/l Hardness [CaCO3] - 20 grains/gal Electrical Conductivity - 0.754 mmho/cm Sulfate [SO4] - 30 mg/l Total Calcium - 88 mg/l Total Iron - not detected Total Magnesium - 0.67 mg/l Total Sodium - 36 mg/l
Any feedback? I hope these results are within acceptable parameters?
Kinda have a sinking feeling like I'm waiting for a professor to post my grade...I hope I don't have reason to.
Thanks in advance guys...
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Nitrate, pH, and turbidity are good. Public drinking water ranges from .1-.3 NTU's.
Conductivity is really low. Water I sample all year ranges from 30 uS/cm in a tributary of the Arkansas River to 500+ in the Arkansas River itself.
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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What are the implications of having low conductivity? (just trying to learn here).
JHAP ~~~~~~~~~~ "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." ...Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedley not Hedy)
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I am not sure how it effects the fish other than making it hard to do an electrofishing survey.
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Here's the feedback Bob provided another forum member regarding their potential well project:
One word of caution, though. Learn about the aquifer where the water comes from. I have seen well water do funny things to ponds...like be the main cause for muddy water due to an ionic imbalance of dissolved minerals. I've even seen water lacking in certain minerals as to need to be amended with gypsum or buffered with lime. If you can get a water analysis of that aquifer it would be helpful, especially if you do it before you drill the well. I've seen several cases where the landowner would have made a different decision regarding a well...if they had only known the issues in advance.
I think my ph and salinity are within acceptable parameters...again anyone's feedback is appreciated. Doesn't pay to be a worrywart, I'm stuck with what I have, but I can't help it apparently to see if I should be planning on some additional measures to get the ponds in balance.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Hall of Fame Lunker
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No alkalinity reading? ???
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Um...no. Cecil, do you have a good chemical compound checklist [Bob Lusk mentioned one exists] for well water testing as it relates to fisheries management?
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Cecil
I thought ph measured alkalinity? 7.0 being neutral, 7.8 a little on the alkaline side?
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Alkalinity tells you how buffered the water is. The higher the alkalinity the less likely the pH will change. If the alkalinity is less than 20 you can have a daily swing in pH.
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Thanks for the clarification Chris.
I think the well water tests were meant mainly for human consumption...might be why some of the critical elements are apparently missing from my test results as they relate to pond/fisheries management.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Lunker
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You can buy alkalinity tests at your pet store and are easy to do.
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I sent a well water sample to these guys. Lots of parameters and interpretation. http://www.ftai.com/water.htmNote: I wouldn't trust any iron level readings anyone does unless they were done on site.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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I sent a well water sample to these guys. Lots of parameters and interpretation. http://www.ftai.com/water.htmNote: I wouldn't trust any iron level readings anyone does unless they were done on site. Thanks guys, really appreciate your feedback.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Lunker
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Lunker
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Here's another well for comparison. _________________________________________________________________
Sample I.D.: Well Water
Test Requested Units Date Analyzed Results Chlorides mg/L 4/23/2009 240.0 Hard,Mg. mg/L 4/27/2009 23.7 Hard,Ca. mg/L 4/27/2009 <.001 Total Hardness mg/L 4/27/2009 23.7 Iron mg/L 4/27/2009 0.02 pH 4/27/2009 7.25 Sodium mg/L 4/23/2009 400.0 Sulfates mg/L 4/27/2009 1150.0 Alkalinity mg/L 4/27/2009 340.0 Fecal Pass/Fail 0424/2009 Pass
Even though the sample shows no sign of fecal matter and passes the other parameters with satisfaction, this sample shows extremely high sulfate content. ________________________________________________________________
Tee, curious how deep and size casing used on your well?
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270' 6" casing - 5 HP variable speed pump. Pics are coming when this thing is finally finished. Have very "friendly" and affordable well driller, but he's exceedingly slow and unreliable...this project's original completion date was Autumn 08. Seriously. Oh well, I've learned that in NE at least where fishery biologists and pond construction companies are few and far between, one needs to exercise EXTREME patience and suspend normal business expectations. This is one, and maybe the ONLY time, I wish I were in Texas
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Joined: Jan 2008
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You know, my Texas pond brethren, I jest!
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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With the hardness and Ca reading you have your total alkalinity will be good. For general comparison purposes.
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Joined: Jan 2008
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With the hardness and Ca reading you have your total alkalinity will be good. For general comparison purposes. Eric Are you referring to my test results, or Ahavsta's?
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Joined: Jan 2008
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With the hardness and Ca reading you have your total alkalinity will be good. For general comparison purposes. Eric If my alkalinity is in line can we somewhat rule out ionic imbalance as a cause for clarity issues?
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Not necessarily but it sure improves the chances. http://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm?catid=25 then see SRAC 0460 Control of Clay Turbidity in Ponds Hardness Water hardness is important to fish culture and is a commonly reported aspect of water quality. It
is a measure of the quantity of divalent
ions (for this discussion,
salts with two positive charges)
such as calcium, magnesium
and/or iron in water. Hardness
can be a mixture of divalent salts;
however, calcium and magnesium
are the most common sources of
water hardness.Then note from the link above : Flocculation and coagulation Flocculation is a way of controlling clay turbidity by adding substances to water that facilitate the formation of bridges between particles (Fig. 2), allowing them to combine into groups of small particles called “flocs” (Fig. 3). Metal
salts make good flocculants,
depending on pH. These
hydrolyzed metal compounds
destabilize colloids by shrinking
the layer of positively charged
ions surrounding clay particles,which increases the attraction of one particle to another (coagulation). Hydrolyzed metals also can be adsorbed onto the surfaces of clay particles and create bridges to other particles (flocculation). As these particles begin to settle, they ensnare other particles, become progressively heavier, and settle much more readily from suspension. In general, the effectiveness of coagulants increases with the charge on the metal ion. The sodium
(Na+) in sodium chloride
(NaCl) is not a very effective coagulant.
The calcium (Ca2+) in gypsum
(CaSO4) is more effective
because it carries a +2 charge.
The aluminum (Al3+) in alum and
the ferric-iron (Fe3+) in ferric sulfate
are more effective yet because
they carry a +3 charge. Some companies now manufacture various synthetic “polyelectrolytes,” which are large, long-chained molecules with even more charge than the metal salt coagulants listed here.
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,799 Likes: 69 |
Not necessarily but it sure improves the chances. http://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm?catid=25 then see SRAC 0460 Control of Clay Turbidity in Ponds Hardness Water hardness is important to fish culture and is a commonly reported aspect of water quality. It
is a measure of the quantity of divalent
ions (for this discussion,
salts with two positive charges)
such as calcium, magnesium
and/or iron in water. Hardness
can be a mixture of divalent salts;
however, calcium and magnesium
are the most common sources of
water hardness.Then note from the link above : Flocculation and coagulation Flocculation is a way of controlling clay turbidity by adding substances to water that facilitate the formation of bridges between particles (Fig. 2), allowing them to combine into groups of small particles called “flocs” (Fig. 3). Metal
salts make good flocculants,
depending on pH. These
hydrolyzed metal compounds
destabilize colloids by shrinking
the layer of positively charged
ions surrounding clay particles,which increases the attraction of one particle to another (coagulation). Hydrolyzed metals also can be adsorbed onto the surfaces of clay particles and create bridges to other particles (flocculation). As these particles begin to settle, they ensnare other particles, become progressively heavier, and settle much more readily from suspension. In general, the effectiveness of coagulants increases with the charge on the metal ion. The sodium
(Na+) in sodium chloride
(NaCl) is not a very effective coagulant.
The calcium (Ca2+) in gypsum
(CaSO4) is more effective
because it carries a +2 charge.
The aluminum (Al3+) in alum and
the ferric-iron (Fe3+) in ferric sulfate
are more effective yet because
they carry a +3 charge. Some companies now manufacture various synthetic “polyelectrolytes,” which are large, long-chained molecules with even more charge than the metal salt coagulants listed here. I actually understood that...scary! Thanks Eric...this is really helpful.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Lunker
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Lunker
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TJ, since you have hardly any magnesium in the test, the alkalinity should approach the hardness, which is the calcium carbonate component. al's extreme diff. in alk and hardness looks to be due to the abnormally high sulphates. IMO, the conductivity is not correct considering the high level listed of TDS. I think it should read .754 milli mhos or 754 micro mhos. I wish for a smidgin of your hardness/alkalinity. The only thing I would suggest is take it easy on the fertilizer, it may not take much since the hardness will make all of it soluble.
Last edited by burgermeister; 05/13/09 09:13 AM.
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Moderator Lunker
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Don't worry TJ, a lot of men cry themselves to sleep at night wishing they were Texans.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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And even more wishing they weren't.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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JHAP ~~~~~~~~~~ "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." ...Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedley not Hedy)
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