Pond question

[anthonyk]

Just finished digging out my pond. It's about 100x100 and about 10 feet deep.
Does anybody have any suggestions about what I should use to control the weed growth?
My neighbors pond was really starting to choke out with green grasses under the water, and I don't want that.
I've heard there are herbicides I can toss in the lake or even a type of "amur"? fish that eats and controls aquatic growth.
Any suggestions??

thanks, anthony

 

[JESSE1]

If your pond is fairly deep you shouldn't have much of a weed problem. Shallow water allows sunlight to reach the bottom which encourages weed growth. Clear water also allows sunlight to reach the bottom. There are recommendations to actually add fertilizer to the water to encourage algae to grow and block sunlight. If you do have lots of weeds, you can buy triploid grass carp. These carp are sterile and won't be able to breed if the pond overflows and they get out. There's also herbicides to use, but you have to be licensed to use them. Check with your county extension office for the latest information.

 

[GEB]

My pound will be redug in a week or 2 100-200
The last onwer here really let it go!
So I too will need to figure something by spring time /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Gene

 

[HRS]

As Jesse suggested, go with the carp. They will keep it clean and also provide for some interesting fish to look at. If they do a "really" good job of cleaning it, you will have to feed them. As far as poisons, I think your water flow helps or hurts that. Ours washes about a 4 inch stream constantly. At that rate it is hard to keep anything in long enough to matter.

 

[anthonyk]

where does one buy fish like that? Are they available at a pet store, and is there a certain time of year, temp wise, when it's best to do it?
Also, any idea how many I should introduce?
The pond is about 100x100 and 10-12 feet deep.

thanks,

anthony

 

[JESSE1]

I think you have to buy these fish through the state. They have controls on the grass carp because they could ruin bass habitat if they got out into a lake in large numbers. That's why they're sterile. Check with your County Extension Office and they'll direct you where to get them.

 

[HRS]

It's been awhile, but we purchased ours through a private fish hatchery, same place we purchased our cats when restocking. The guy there had all the info on how many etc. So I'd locate the nearest hatchery and ask a few questions. Shouldn't be too hard to make happen.

 

[Briarwood]

Anthony

I have two 1/2 acre ponds back to back that were dug in the early sixties. That's over 40 years ago and is generally considered to be about the age the ponds need reworking. The banks around the ponds used to be fairly steep and free of cattails and other aquatic plants that grow in shallow water. As the banks collapsed from wear and tair by trampling cattle, turtles and muskrats burrowing into the sides these shallow areas became overgrown with cattails. Also, my ponds are so rich from fertilizer runoff from nearby fields and the droppings of geese and blackbirds that anything is apt to grow in them from various underwater plants, cattaills, duckweed and algae. The type of weed you are fighting will depend on the actions you take. I got most of my information from the county extension office, the division of wildlife and the soil and water conservation district office. I would suggest you call all three and ask if they have someone that could come out and look at your ponds. Also, occasionly these three have joint "pond clinics" where you can ask a lot of questions.

In the spring before anything starts growing in my ponds, I pour a gallon or so of blue coloring to shade the water and keep sunlight out that underwater plants need. I also apply another gallon to each pond in the middle of summer when the coloring is beginning to be lost by rain, evaporation and overflow. I have also not had much algae since I started this practice. I have used a copper sulfate algaecide called Cutrine Plus which is considered better than copper sulfate crystals but much more expensive. Our division of wildlife does not recommend grass carp (white amurs). They claim the carp eat limited types of plants, mostly grasses that are not a great problem around here and thus a waste of time and money. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Grass carp can be purchased from most fisheries that also supply other types of fish for stocking ponds. I have used Rodeo (water friendly Roundup) on my cattails with some luck, but I fear the only way I will be able to control them is to have the sides of the ponds dug out to be made steeper.

All my sources claim that the most damage done to a pond is from geese. Keep them away from your pond and you will have much less problems with plants.

This is just scratching the surface of things to consider. Now is the time for you to begin planning so you can begin controlling some of the things that create pond weed problems before they occur. I am sure my soils and ponds are situtated much different than yours. Start with some good advice with the field biologists available from one or more of the sources I cited.

Good luck with your pond. It can be a place for peaceful relaxation and a draw for varoius wildlife you will enjoy watching. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Briarwood

 

[HRS]

Just came to mind. It shouldn't take too many. We have 2-3 acre pond and were sold fewer than 30. These boys make some rather LARGE fish within a few years. When the moss grows abundantly, they will keep the surface nice and thick with it for you. From what I've observed, they seem to pull it up. Think they must feed on it after it has fermented or so. Also, we had to rig up our spillway. As Jesse said, can't have them getting out. We made a wooden box that would fit around three sides of the chimney. On the front side we ran some type of metal rods about every 1/2-inch from bottom to top. I believe these were threaded so that wing nuts could be used on the ends. Had to wrap with electrical tap to keep the pulled moss from handing up so bad when it got close enough to go over spillway. Contraption is still in use today; tough we made it maybe 20 years ago. Water has a way of petrifying wood.

Also, if you go with the poison, be very careful for the sake of your aquatic life. We were a little careless with our first experiment, before we got the carp. Ended up killing every fish in the pond. Think it deoxygenated the water. Despite this, the waterweeds just kept on growing.

Actually, the fight was given up some years ago. There are still a few carp in the pond, but not near enough to handle the moss problem we had. Actually, the 30 or so we started out with couldn't touch it. I'm convinced it would have taken a pond full. Like I said, the pond is spring feed and runs heavy. The chimney is near 15 feet deep, and this water grass grows from that depth to the top in the summer.

I hope you have better luck.

HRS

 

[MarkV]

I was going to say that with steep sides and a 10’ depth that you will not have much of a problem with weeds because the sun light will not reach that far. Then HRS has a problem with grass at 15’ so I may be wrong.

Our pond is about 5 acres and varies in depth from a couple of feet to about 20’ at the dam. It seems that our weed issues are in water less than 6’. We have looked into herbicides and as others said, one type does not do for all types of aquatic growth. You will also find that the stuff is expensive. Grass Carp are a good solution for some types of weed growth but are also indiscriminate about what they will eat and can remove beneficial growth that serves as fish habitat.

There is a lot of information on the science of pond management at www.PONDBOSS.COM Pretty good group of people there who are willing to help with questions.

MarkV