How to clean up a pond...

[bhensley]

The last few years the pond at my uncles has alot of sea weed growing in it. Not sure if thats what it is or now but its not moss on top of the water but weeds growing from the bottom of the pond up to the top. Its now to the point the whole pond is covered. My question is how do we clean this up and preferrable with something safe for the fish so we don't kill them off?

[mrl0004]

Biologically you could introduce carp to feed on the plant matter. However, it sounds like the best bet might be to drain the pond and kill the weeds. Not really gonna help the fish, but thats why ponds need constant attention and maintenance.

[jrbsr]

Originally Posted by bhensley

The last few years the pond at my uncles has alot of sea weed growing in it. Not sure if thats what it is or now but its not moss on top of the water but weeds growing from the bottom of the pond up to the top. Its now to the point the whole pond is covered. My question is how do we clean this up and preferrable with something safe for the fish so we don't kill them off?

This will help, it cuts off the type of sunlight that the junk in the pond needs to live.
It is safe for all fish.


http://pondsrx.com/aquashadeponddye.aspx

http://www.tractorsupply.com/pond-ma...1-gal--4201917

[mrl0004]

The problem is aquashade isn't a herbicide and won't kill existing plant life. It only prevents future growth. I have a master's in Fisheries and aquaculture, and I remember this from one of my classes.

[m.t.hands]

hey Matt, what do you know about chilated copper or copper sulfate....either one a viable source to control pond weeds (small 1/4 - 2 acres)

[mrl0004]

Originally Posted by m.t.hands

hey Matt, what do you know about chilated copper or copper sulfate....either one a viable source to control pond weeds (small 1/4 - 2 acres)

It really depends on how "hard" the water is with that one. (The general rule is toxicity increases as water hardness decreases). However it is cheap and easy, so a lot of people still use it. It is very effective, although it is pretty nasty for fish. With the chelated CuSO4, there really hasn't been a lot that compares the effectiveness of both types (chelated or not) with both hard and soft water. I think there were a few studies that actually showed no difference, or rather an equal toxicity to fish.

Although I have a master's in fisheries, my main focus was a bacteria transmitted to humans from consuming raw oysters. So I am mainly a microbiologist by training. However, I did take quite a few pond management classes and still have some knowledge from them! I am not claiming to be an expert in pond management by any stretch of the imagination!