How to get pond to clear up ?

[rjbovine]

We cleaned this small pond out late last fall . Pond didnot completly fill till may 2011 . This pond has yet to clear up. Very muddy water and now some green alge or slim. The cows were using it some to drink a wade in . I've shut the cows out of this pasture . Suggestion on what to use to clear up the water .

 

[slick4591]

I think it depends on your soil. I have two that stay pretty clear, but the one in the bottom is always muddy.

 

[JSCATTLE]

You can use gypsom (sp) look up pond boss .com

 

[LimoX]

Yep, ive used old drywall sheets to help clear one up. DOnt know how or why but seems to work. Not an expert on the subject but in the case it did make a difference.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

I have -0- experience with stock ponds, but quite a bit of experience w/ water garden/fish ponds. Don't know what your input/fill situation to the pond is. You can make a big dent in the really yucky, string algea by running your input water through barley straw. If you can, put a couple bales, or barley straw in heavy netting, at the point the water feeds into the pond. Just let the water hit it and run through it. The shorter types of algea are just natural -- sun + water + algea. Some fish types will keep that down or there may be some herbicide you could use, but make sure it won't mess up your stock. Mud is something else, and can't give you suggestions about that.

In a stock tank, a few feeder goldfish can help keep algea under control, but probably won't help you in a pond or pond dam situation.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

. . . sun + water = algea.

 

[slick4591]

For the algae Tractor Supply has a couple of products.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs ... perPage=20

 

[hillrancher]

We back the lime truck up to the ponds and run 2 ton or so it helps.

 

[wbvs58]

I have heard aluminium sulphate is used to clear murky dams. Around my way most rural merchandisers keep a couple of 20kg bags. I have only used it for tanning skins, but when I have bought it they always ask if I am clearing a dam. It is not very dear.
Ken

 

[lavacarancher]

. . . sun + water = algea.

Kathie hit the nail on the head. Shut off the sunlight and the algae will go away. Put a gallon of dye in the water. That will shut off the sunlight and in a few weeks you should see a major improvement. The dye can be bought at most feed and seed stores and even TSC sells it.

 

[circlew]

We tried the die on our pond. The algae took it over. Sprayed it, it just got worse. The only thing that killed it was the pond dried up :bang: :bang: in the drought and the algae shriveled up and blew away in the wind.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

The "short" algea aren't really a big problem, generally. The long, string algea is. I haven't tried the dyes. But putting barley straw in front of your out-put water source can really make a difference with that crap, if you do it early season. Good luck!