Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Red pond/too much pellet food

Our pond is starting to turn a dark red color. We are feeding pretty heavy.

Pond is 1. 5 acres and we have two feeders throwing twice a day.

Going through around 2 25lb bags of fish food each month and the fish are always eating


I remember seeing something about how too much food can hurt the pond.


Are we feeding too much? Could that be the reason my pond is turning a deep red color?


Thanks

50 lbs of feed/month in a 1.5 acre pond is not too much feed on face value, but you may have something else going on. Feed also converts to fish poo which can affect water quality.

Water turning 'dark red' is not good, so maybe you should stop feeding for a few days, and see what happens.

I don't know if there's a way to have the 'red' water tested to determine exactly what it is.

Right now, my completely uneducated guess is that the insane amount of water that is running into the pond from the hill it is situated on is putting some sort of mineral in the water.


It hasn't rained in weeks and there is still water running into the water. I guess there could potentially be an underwater spring supplying the water


I really need to figure out what equipment is best used to keep a pond healthy. I did not know about the O2 meters until just now in another thread


Ill have to run up and turn the feeders off for a few days and what happens, thank you


I do not want a fish kill to be my fault because of lack of knowledge

Look like this ? These are red euglena plankton bloom - late summer- early fall.

We have no algae floating on top and have about 24 inches of visibility. It is just a very stained reddish color. (may be completely normal)

I will take a few pictures this afternoon

Bradley,

Grab two glass jars of water while you are at the pond.

Put one in a pitch black place in your house, put the other in indirect sunlight. That should help you easily differentiate between algae or mineral.

If it's not biologic in nature, then possibly iron related or dirt suspension. Pics and jar test are suggested.

What does the jar test do and what do I need to look for after placing the two jars?

If algae, then it will live on a while in the lighted jar, and it will die in a few days in the dark jar.

Sediment will sink to the bottom in both jars.

Dead algae may sink to the bottom in the dark jar, and may clump a little. Sometimes the dead algae will even float.

Charged clay particles will stay suspended in both jars.