Total Fish Die Off

[jonyyuma]

Jinman, they used to leave cans and bait containers around my old homestead?? Eddie, you might find a few catfish still there in the mud, if it does not completely dry out?

 

[Western]

This morning I went to check on my pond and found it down about 2' or a little more. What caught my eye was a cup floating in the water. It was a night crawler cup. Somebody has been sneakin' in and fishin' my pond. I think it's time for some stealth camera photos.

Jim, sorry brother my bad. I'll also come back and fix the ruts I made trying to get to my boat in too. I left $2 in the mailbox:laughing::laughing:

Seriously, I detest people that do that and don't even bother asking. Most of the time I would probably have no problem with someone fishing, but I prefer the option of saying no. When we had more property i had 2 large ponds, I spent allot of $$ on them. With dredging and stocking wit5h preferred fish it gets expensive.

 

[JHTFarmer]

Sorry about your loss. Might as well draw the pond down at this point and start over. A little deeper would probably give your fish a better buffer next time. Is it possible to keep the pond topped with a well where you are? Aeration wouldn't hurt either. I tried that bushhog trick a few years ago on one of my ponds. The gearbox on the hog got so hot after a few hours it started smoking and nearly caught on fire. The ideal way to do it is use a dedicated aeration system. Here's a picture of a 1/2 hp fountain/aerator in use on our upper pond and a 2hp on the lower pond. Their draw tube extend 4 ft under the surface and they move about 200gal and 500gal/min. Another way to do it is with a pump that pushes air to the bottom of the pond. It's more efficient but isn't as nice looking as a fountain.

 

[grunewald]

Came home from work yesterday, found all the fish, catfish & bluegill all dead. Tank about 3-4 feet deep now, when full about 13 feet deep. Need that rain. We did fish out about 30 catfish a month ago, all in the 3lbs. range, thinking that this would happen, cause had a fish kill 1 year ago, lost about 150 lbs. of catfish. And I do run a subsurface aerator 24/7. Just too hot, over 100 degrees every day.

 

[bindian]

Eddie,
So sorry to hear about the lost fish. Last year I dabbled with 24/7 aeration from my shop air compressor. It was too much for the compressor, as the compressor came off the shaft while in warranty. I never wanted a fountain, as too much water evaporates down here.

I have not been aerating since. A few weeks ago, I saw the majority of my cats swimming near the surface. I ran the air hose and aerator back out and sunk them in the deep end. I run it each morning from around midnight until daylight or when I remember to turn it off. No fish sightings since, except at feedings. I read somewhere the early am hours are the most deficient in oxygen.

How long has your small pond been there? It is probably ready for a silt dredging.

How much deeper do you think you can go and still allow cattle to wade in? Also, what is the issue with the ducks? How far is this pond from Lake Maribou?
hugs, Brandi

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't know if arating would make a differnce. The water is just plain HOT. It's too shallow and there isn't any cool water in there anyhwere. I need to dig some deep holes, and clean out the silt. I'm going to make those holes where the silt builds up, and hope that the silt has slowed down since I dug the pond. If I was guessing, I'd say that the pond was 7 years old. While still guessing, I'm gonna say that the pond is half a mile from Lake Marabou. It's uphill and one of my goals is to get the overflow from this pond to work its way to Lake Marabou. Right now, this pond will fill up and drain down to where it's supposed to be while Lake Marabou is still way low. I have it figured out how to do it, where to trench, put in culverts and build up roads to divert 40 plus acres of land to Lake Marabou when it rains. Just a matter of getting it done.

Eddie

 

[bindian]

I don't know if arating would make a differnce. The water is just plain HOT. It's too shallow and there isn't any cool water in there anyhwere. I need to dig some deep holes, and clean out the silt. I'm going to make those holes where the silt builds up, and hope that the silt has slowed down since I dug the pond. If I was guessing, I'd say that the pond was 7 years old. While still guessing, I'm gonna say that the pond is half a mile from Lake Marabou. It's uphill and one of my goals is to get the overflow from this pond to work its way to Lake Marabou. Right now, this pond will fill up and drain down to where it's supposed to be while Lake Marabou is still way low. I have it figured out how to do it, where to trench, put in culverts and build up roads to divert 40 plus acres of land to Lake Marabou when it rains. Just a matter of getting it done.

Eddie

Eddie,
As I remember, this pond is heavily shaded, right? I know my main problem is my pond has a small surface area compared to yours. What is the water temperature?
hugs, Brandi

 

[EddieWalker]

There are a few trees around it, but no, there isn't very much shade around it at all. It is always brown in color, and I've come to accept that as being normal. The color of the water doesn't affect the fish, or how they tasted, so I just left it as it is.

Eddie

 

[bindian]

There are a few trees around it, but no, there isn't very much shade around it at all. It is always brown in color, and I've come to accept that as being normal. The color of the water doesn't affect the fish, or how they tasted, so I just left it as it is.

Eddie

Go for it. Pump it down and clean out the silt while making deep pockets.
hugs, Brandi

 

[20 20]

Eddiewalker; sounds like you have a plan of attack, this would be a good time to dredge it out/clean it up.
We were also in a drought up here, but as soon as I started draining half of my bigger pond to finish the dredge I started last year it started raining. I have allready taken over 126 ton{252,000lbs} of muck out this year. Digging is the easy part as you know, getting rid of the spoils is a pain especailly when it's sloppy goop . My wife said our dump trailer must be sick. As I was towing it looked like it had the runs from the slop we were dredging out

 

[charlz]

Eddie,
So sorry to hear about the lost fish. Last year I dabbled with 24/7 aeration from my shop air compressor. It was too much for the compressor, as the compressor came off the shaft while in warranty. I never wanted a fountain, as too much water evaporates down here.

My pond has a small GAST compressor set in an above ground sprinkler valve box. The previous owners put it in so not sure on how/if it was sized etc but it is rated for 1.5cfm running open. The air is pumped down via 1/2 inch black plastic irrigation pipe to some type of areator, pond is 13 feet deep. I let it run 24/7 in the summer months but probably easy to put on a timer as well. Mine is a 74R1xx model.

Only downside to the GAST is apparently you have to be a business to buy parts from them. After being in place for about 5 years I have to put a new cup on the piston, simple repair. I had been letting it run through the winter though so I think that helped wear it out.

I see lots of them out there on Ebay, might be able to find something a lot better than running your shop air compressor.

 

[bindian]

My pond has a small GAST compressor set in an above ground sprinkler valve box. The previous owners put it in so not sure on how/if it was sized etc but it is rated for 1.5cfm running open. The air is pumped down via 1/2 inch black plastic irrigation pipe to some type of areator, pond is 13 feet deep. I let it run 24/7 in the summer months but probably easy to put on a timer as well. Mine is a 74R1xx model.

Only downside to the GAST is apparently you have to be a business to buy parts from them. After being in place for about 5 years I have to put a new cup on the piston, simple repair. I had been letting it run through the winter though so I think that helped wear it out.

I see lots of them out there on Ebay, might be able to find something a lot better than running your shop air compressor.

I will check out your model. Thanks. I searched some before and couldn't find a compressor in my price range that would do 11-12 feet of water.
hugs, Brandi

 

[lockhaven]

eddie, I am in Maryland so my question may be elementary to you, so I am sorry for my ignorance before I ask.
What type of catfish do you Texans stock? I fish a lake at my place in the Pennsylvania mountains and the catfish there are small all head no body.
Chris

 

[EddieWalker]

Those where Channel Catfish that I put in the pond. Mother Nature added Yellow Cats to both of my ponds, and I'm guessing, to every pond in East Texas!!! Blue cats are available, but from what I'm told, they are not as easy to catch, not as good to eat and can be destructive to a pond. As they grow, they are also very aggressive feeders and can wipe out a pond of everything else in there, including large mouth bass.

A friend caught the pond record a few months ago at 13 pounds.

Eddie

 

[lockhaven]

Wow. the little buggers at the park would make bait for that one.:thumbsup:
Thanks Eddie

 

[bindian]

My pond has a small GAST compressor set in an above ground sprinkler valve box. The previous owners put it in so not sure on how/if it was sized etc but it is rated for 1.5cfm running open. The air is pumped down via 1/2 inch black plastic irrigation pipe to some type of areator, pond is 13 feet deep. I let it run 24/7 in the summer months but probably easy to put on a timer as well. Mine is a 74R1xx model.

Only downside to the GAST is apparently you have to be a business to buy parts from them. After being in place for about 5 years I have to put a new cup on the piston, simple repair. I had been letting it run through the winter though so I think that helped wear it out.

I see lots of them out there on Ebay, might be able to find something a lot better than running your shop air compressor.

Charlz,
I can not find a GAST model 74R1xx. So it puts out 1.5cfm and that puts a good pattern of bubbles from 13 feet? I have my mirco air regulator turned
about 1 or so psi. Not sure as it is below the first marking.

Do you think this one would work for me 24/7?
Compressor Pump, Diaphragm, 120 V, 1.13 CFM - Diaphragm Compressor-Vacuum Pump - Air Compressors and Vacuum Pumps - 3HDH4 : Grainger Industrial Supply
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bird]

eddie, I am in Maryland so my question may be elementary to you, so I am sorry for my ignorance before I ask.
What type of catfish do you Texans stock? I fish a lake at my place in the Pennsylvania mountains and the catfish there are small all head no body.
Chris

Chris, being from Maryland, do you eat catfish? When I was at Northwestern University in 1971-72, a number of people from the northeast said catfish weren't fit to eat, but I don't know what kind of catfish they had in their area. But I'll never forget the supermarket we used had quite a variety of fresh fish, but no catfish. But then one day I was there and they had 3 whole catfish of a size to cook whole, and quite a pile of catfish fillets. So I bought the 3 whole ones and a pound or two of the fillets. The whole ones were very good when my wife fried them, but the fillets tasted so bad we threw all of that in the garbage. I have no idea what kind of catfish those fillets were, but if that's a what a northeastern catfish tastes like, I can understand no one eating them. And that one time was the only time the supermarket had catfish, and it was the cheapest fish they had. Now I know why.:laughing:

You know along the Texas coast, there's a saltwater catfish called the gaftopsail, or just gaftop; very good eating. But there's also one everyone calls a hardhead; good looking catfish, but everyone claimed they were just trash fish. Naturally, I had to find out for myself. I skinned and gutted 3 of them for my wife to fry, and one bite was enough to convince me they were just trash fish.:laughing:

But we certainly do enjoy eating channel catfish.

 

[bindian]

eddie, I am in Maryland so my question may be elementary to you, so I am sorry for my ignorance before I ask.
What type of catfish do you Texans stock? I fish a lake at my place in the Pennsylvania mountains and the catfish there are small all head no body.
Chris

Sounds like you caught mud catfish to me. Dark in color and usually under a pound. All head and no body is a good description.

However, I don't know for sure if, in fact, what you catch are mud cats, being up in the mountains. Mud cats are okay to eat, but channel and yellow catfish taste better.

I love to watch blue catfish, as they act and look like little sharks. They grow to monster sides, but like Eddie said, they are hard to catch. Now all I am raising is Channel cats.
hugs, Brandi

 

[charlz]

Charlz,
I can not find a GAST model 74R1xx. So it puts out 1.5cfm and that puts a good pattern of bubbles from 13 feet? I have my mirco air regulator turned
about 1 or so psi. Not sure as it is below the first marking.

Well not to hijack Eddies thread....

Here is a pic of the pattern it puts out. I am not sure what kind of diffuser is on the bottom of the pond, I have never seen it. The ducks agreed to pose to give scale

The air compressor sits under this sprinkler valve box on a board. There used to be a fence there for a dog run, one of my projects is to move it into a flower bed closer to the pond so it doesn't stick out so much now that the fence is gone.

Can you tell it has been under there for 11 years??

If you search "Gast 74R135-P101-H200X Rocking Piston Pump " on ebay you will find one close to what I have, mine is a 74R130 and that one is a 74R135. Not sure the difference.

Do you think this one would work for me 24/7?
Compressor Pump, Diaphragm, 120 V, 1.13 CFM - Diaphragm Compressor-Vacuum Pump - Air Compressors and Vacuum Pumps - 3HDH4 : Grainger Industrial Supply
hugs, Brandi

I don't know how you go about sizing air flow for a pond but I am sure the guys at pondboss can help My pond is roughly 65ft x 50ft and 13 feet deep at the deepest.

 

[RobertBrown]

Happened to me year before last. I lost a hundred tilapia about 1.5# each.
I was able to keep the catfish alive with a hose and I rescued 3 bowfin about 10# each. These catfish are "Brown Hoplo" they can live in a mud puddle for weeks somehow.
Thank god for the buzzards, the fish were gone in a couple-three days.
The worst part was all of the weeds that sprout up where the pond was. Then the rains come and the weeds die. The water just stinks. I was inundated with duck weed, alligator weed, and hyacinth for a year afterward. Had to pull it put by hand when the water came up high enough to use a boat with a trolling motor, literally tons of weeds by hand. I dried the plants and used them for compost and mulch.
Do not use alligator weed as feed or compost. It can make a cow go blind. It can also root in soil and become a problem weed.
The plus side is you can get fill dirt from the pond if you need it. Makes the pond deeper too. Don't get stuck, it's softer than you think. I learned that the hard way:laughing: