Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Muddy water Hard water and alum.

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

Hey, Jeff, here's a bump for your question to see if we can any input for you.

I really don't know a bunch about water chemistry at this point in my pond owner's career, but the alkalinity seems a little bit high. I'm not sure what that would do to a pond, but the general guidelines posted by those in the know generally suggest alkalinity of no more than about 200 ppm. The products you are mentioning here certainly could increase that value, which may lead to negative issues in the pond. Again, it's just something I really don't know too much about.

Let's see if we can get you some input from those in the know.

Adding the "clear pond" will indeed bind some of the phosphates in your water. As far as the chemistry of your water, it will have little effect on it. The downside or upside depending on your goals is that the P binding will reduce an algae bloom.

Thanks for the responses. I think I'll hold off on using the alum. I'll keep it around for "incase" something comes up.

I've been testing my water with microbe-lift test strips. I don't know how accurate they are, but the big jumps inbetween the numbers for each color make it hard to get a good reading, IMO. My eye for estimating color comparisons may not be real good?

My numbers being so high makes me wonder even more?

I found a lab here in Duluth that can test my water, so I think I'll have them give me the accurate numbers before making any adjustments.

Anyways, thanks again.

You might wana invest in a new test kit?
2 friends have now bought this
http://www.sensafe.com/micro7+/order.php#AquariumKit
They are wery fond of it, you get differente configurations,and price is not bad compared to the number of tests it can preform.
Acuresie seems good aswell.
Their reason to buy was problems reading the collores, like you have.

Jeff D,

Your water chemistry looks very similar to mine; hardness and alkalinity almost off the charts. If you truly do need some alum in the future no need to bother with the sod. bicarb as with water chemistry like that it's really hard to drop the Ph.

That "Clearpond" or a similar product called "Phosclear" is severely overpriced btw vs. just plain alum if you find it at the right place. All it is is alum and sodium bicarbinate to cushion a PH drop in low PH and low alkalinity waters.

Thanks Andedammen, I'll check that test kit out.

Cecil,have you had any issues with your fish due to your waters chemistry?

My fish seem to be doing fine. Haven't found a dead one yet, since stocking.

Wouldn't mind seeing the BG feeding a bit more, though. Those crazy Sticklebacks swarm in and take all the food, while the BG don't seem interested at all. But that's another thread maybe.

Only if you consider fast growth and large size a problem.

11 lb.12 oz. 27 1/2 inch Brown Trout
9 lb. 9 oz. Rainbow trout
6 lb. 4 oz. 21 1/2 inch Brook Trout
2 lb. 8 oz. 16 1/4 inch Yellow Perch
1 lb. 5 oz. 10 inch bluegill

I don't want them that big, Cecil, they'de be bumping into each other just trying to turn around, in my little pond.

Very nice #'s, there, too. I take that as a "no", for water chemistry issues with the fish, then?

The trout were in a 1/10th acre pond.

The brown, brook, and yellow perch are on this page:

http://www.ligtel.com/~jjbaird/bairdfish2.htm

Here's the rainbow on the left:



Yes no problems with hard water and high alkalinity. Fish love hard water!