Hi I'm concerned I may have just added too much aeration and mixing in my pond too quickly via air pump/bottom diffuser. Everything I read was positive about these systems but now the fish are acting strange, looking for some advice to hopefully avoid a fish kill.
I've read a few other posts on this forum trying to understand the new aeration process and it's been helpful. I'm looking for specific advice on my situation from anyone that can help or offer advice. Thanks in advance.
I have a natural improved pond about 1/3 of an acre, roughly 130 long and 100 feet across, max depth in the middle is 6-7 feet. It's kind of a bowl with submerged vegetation (I think hydrilla) along the entire shoreline going out about 10ft but center of the pond is weed free. There is a considerable muck build up on the bottom, esp in middle of pond. Water is extremely clean though and minimal floating weeds/mung/algae.
A very small stream feeds the pond, it's a spring fed stream although right now in upstate NY it's barely running.
There's smallmouth bass in the pond up to about 12 inches.
We recently stocked rainbow trout up to about 15 inches.
The fish were fine for a week, acting normal and happy until I added the big aerator and diffuser yesterday afternoon. Everything was fine earlier today then tonight I noticed many of the trout swimming around in the shallow water at the pond's edge. They looked ok and swam away fast I as I approached them, but I'm concerned I'm headed for a massive fish kill... water temps are in the high 70's now which I know is not helping the situation.
Yesterday I added the 3.1cfm pond aeration system pump (60hz) with 4 nine inch diffusers on a plate and a 50ft weighted hose. It's a good system that pushes a lot of air, but I'm worried I ran it for too long too fast right away and may end up killing my fish because of noxious gas, etc. No dead ones yet, but don't have a good feeling..
This is my first time adding aeration to the pond, it's never had it before. I ran it for over 24hrs straight immediately, in middle of pond in 6ft of water.
Is the aeration/mixing causing toxicity and the trout to basically try and swim out of the water???
There is no sulfur or noxious smell coming from the pond or the aerator..
I turned off the aerator completely tonight, should I have done that? how I should proceed...??
Please help, I don't want to lose all my fish...
Thanks
