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Joined: May 2023
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My pond still appears muddy with poor clarity after removing fish to reduce the potential for clay disturbance, adding aeration and bacteria, administering 1600 lbs ag. Lime, 24 gal aluminum sulfate and hydrated lime (details below).

The clarity improved from 5" to 12-15" per secchi disk readings. 615 pm Secchi 12", pH 7.6, Alkalinity 60-70 ppm, Calcium Hardness 60 ppm, TDS 89, EC 178, T 70.5 f, and No phosphate, nitrate, ammonia per titration.

The LargeMouth Bass, BlueGill and other wildlife appear healthy. The increased light appears to have triggered a brown phytoplankton bloom with zooplankton moving around in the water. There is no unpleasant aroma.

I was encouraged to join the forum and to reach out for everyone's input, including Mr. Bill Cody for his phytoplankton expertise.

I was also encouraged to conduct additional jar and water chemistry tests.

I was hoping I could have put this project to rest but it sounds like I may need to find a source of dry ground alum and run another treatment at a 200 lb/acre foot rate, along with the h. lime to keep pH level.

Many thanks to everyone on this forum and all the articles shared on the web site and on the Facebook group. A special thanks to Mr. Rex Rains for all of his patient guidance and support.

I can't figure out how to post photos in this forum.
But you are welcome to visit my Broadwell Hill Pond - facebook album

Here is a brief review:
The pond was built in 2001 on a ridge top in SE Ohio with heavy clay soil and a perched water table. It is seep/spring fed and a small forested watershed, mostly oaks.

It is 0.75 acre ft with 488,000 gal (11 ft center depth, avg 4 ft depth). It can also be said that it is 0.202 surface acre or about 1/5th acre.

The pond developed poor clarity a few years ago.
I invested in water testing equipment and kept records; all titration values have been good.
Jar tests revealed colloidal clay that does not drop out but steps were also taken to reduce the potential for mechanical stirring of the sediment.

I removed a very large grass carp in June 2019; 4 ft long, 53 lbs.

I added a linear diaphragm pump with a diffuser membrane in June of 2022. I chose this type of pump due to my limited supply of off-grid electricity. It is positioned upright on crates approx 7 ft from the bottom to reduce back pressure and extend the life of the pump. I know that it is less than ideal but it appears to be de-stratifying the pond based upon even temperature readings.

I added “go clear” and “muck stopper” aerobic bacteria a short while after the initiation of aeration.

I added agricultural Lime (calcium carbonate) in two applications, fall 2022 and spring 2023.

I removed two large channel catfish in the fall 2022. There may be one channel catfish still in the pond.

The edges of the pond are well covered with native plants.

In early May, 2023 I sprayed 12 gallons of liquid aluminum sulfate onto the surface of the pond, with increased amounts in the deeper areas. The alum was applied in sections with close monitoring of the pH and the distribution of hydrated dolomitic lime (calcium magnesium hydroxide) in swaths to keep the pH close to neutral.

The chemistry remained good and the secchi disk measurements improved with clarity going from 5" to 12-15" but my goal is 18".

I was told I could add another alum/h. lime treatment if the first did not work. I administered another 12 gallons of alum and hydrated lime without improvement.

I was later told that the aluminum sulfate / hydrated lime treatment needs to be administered in one full dose, approximately 200 lb / acre foot.

So, I am back at the drawing board.

Thank you.

[img]https://share.icloud.com/photos/0c6xYN5Gw2wAr9WxpDr0Ap5nQ[/img]

Last edited by Broadwell Hill; 05/30/23 07:43 AM. Reason: photo link didn't work
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Was it cloudy/muddy prior to adding fish?


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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Hi,
hmmm... I stocked the fish about 21 years ago.
I don't remember very well but assume it was cloudy/muddy early one when it first filled on it's own but I think it had settled by the time I added the fish. It only turned up cloudy /muddy a few years ago. I suspect the big grass carp stirred the colloidal clay up and it just has never settled; it was removed about 4 years ago.

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A few years ago is the interesting thing. I would have suspected the big cat but removing it hasn’t fixed the problem. Something is keeping clay suspended. Other fish rooting around on the bottom?


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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Thank you.
Yeah, there may be one channel catfish and a mud turtle still in there.

But jar tests reveal that it is not from something keeping the clay suspended. It never settles out in the jar.

The prevailing theory is that the grass carp and the channel cats stirred things up years ago, including the "colloidal" particles.

They are very small, light weight and electrically charged so they bounce apart from each other and therefore staying suspended for like ... forever.

Hence the aluminum sulfate treatment to balance the electrical charge, cause the particles to clump together (coagulate) and form flocculants that settle to the bottom.

But, what do I know???

Maybe something is still stirring things up.

Or, maybe I didn't use enough alum in one treatment to floc sufficiently.

Or, maybe this is just fine. I would like it to be clearer for aesthetics but mainly I think I need to increase the clarity for the health of the system.

I just checked the Secchi and am still at 12"; I've heard it is best to have at least 18" of clarity.

I think I may have figured out the Imgur, BBcode for photo attachments. May be coming soon.

Thanks for your interest and input.

Kathy

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Originally Posted by Broadwell Hill
The prevailing theory is that the grass carp and the channel cats stirred things up years ago, including the "colloidal" particles.

They are very small, light weight and electrically charged so they bounce apart from each other and therefore staying suspended for like ... forever.

Hence the aluminum sulfate treatment to balance the electrical charge, cause the particles to clump together (coagulate) and form flocculants that settle to the bottom.

Yep. That is why I suggested doing the jar tests again. If it won't settle in the jars, then it definitely WILL NOT settle in the pond.

We do have several experts on the forum as regards treatments for suspended clay particles. If your pond "fails" the most recent jar test, maybe start a thread and describe your pond's size, conditions, known chemistry, and your past treatments. Maybe one of the experts will drop in.

It can be expensive to treat for suspended clay particles, but a pond that is "murky" for THAT reason, will almost always be healthier with reduced turbidity.

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What is the longest time that you let your pond water set in a gallon jug to watch for settling of solids?


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