Fish Pond, Farm Pond
& Lake Supplies
When you have a fish pond, farm pond or
lake, the methods required to maintain it are much different than a small,
backyard pond or koi pond. Please read the following info regarding what
lake or fish pond products
and supplies you need.
If you want to quickly find out info
about algae control and pond weed control check out the info
here!
Large Pond and Lake Maintenance Info
In a nutshell, big ponds (over 50' x 50' in size) require a different type
of pond maintenance than small backyard ponds or koi
ponds. Filtration systems for large ponds are
unrealistic when you're considering hundreds of thousands
or millions of gallons of water. Typically what is
required for large ponds is:
-
adequate aeration
-
regular treatment of a beneficial
pond bacteria product such as our
PlanktoniX
to break down all the organic things in the water such as
fallen leaves, dead aquatic plants, dead fish, etc.
-
an aquatic sun
blocker such as Aquashade or Black Vail.
You see, large ponds whether they are fish ponds, farm ponds, duck ponds,
lakes or whatever, usually contain A LOT of nutrients from all the organic matter in the pond.
This organic matter forms a 'compost pile' underwater which provides nutrition for
algae and pond weeds to grow. The beneficial bacteria helps to break down this
organic matter and 'compost pile'. If you don't add the bacteria product, sludge and
muck result over time. Parasites, bad types of bacteria, etc. can harbor in the
sludge and muck and can create an unhealthy pond for fish and people as well. Sludge
and muck also consume A LOT of oxygen thereby reducing the amount of oxygen in the pond
that is needed to support aquatic life. So, you need to add a
beneficial bacteria product such as our
PlanktoniX that will help break these organic
nutrients down. These nutrients are always available in the pond whether
you have a 'compost pile' underwater, sludge, muck or none of the above. Nutrients
are also from fertilizers that run into the pond (especially near farms
that have cattle, horses, etc.), soil that
runs into the pond from rain run-off of nearby landscape, wastes from fish, sand that blows into the pond,
etc. There are ALWAYS nutrients in the pond.
In addition to adding the
PlanktoniX you need to have proper aeration.
This helps provide necessary oxygen to the pond to support aquatic life including
your beneficial bacteria. Even if you don't have fish in your pond, you should have
an aeration system to help aide the beneficial bacteria
with the decomposition of the organic matter (sludge and muck)
in the pond and help to avoid bad types of bacteria and parasites that live in the sludge
and muck which keep your pond unhealthy. Aeration also keeps ponds from becoming stagnant
as well and helps reduce still water that mosquitoes love to lay their larvae in.
Typically, when you don't have aeration you will find filamentous
algae growing in warm, shallow water. This is caused from an abundance of nutrients
in the water feeding the algae and still, warm water that the algae can freely grow in. A
lot of people refer to this algae as 'pond scum' as it looks like greenish-yellow floating
muck on the top of the water's surface (it can also grow at the bottom of the pond as
well).
In addition to treating your pond with beneficial bacteria
to break down the sludge, muck and organic nutrients in the pond and having
proper aeration, the use of treating the water with an aquatic sun blocker
is most helpful. You see, algae and aquatic plants (submersed) need
not only nutrition but sunlight to grow. So, when you add the aquatic
sun blocker at the beginning of the season (preferably), you
are
reducing their growth as you're
blocking some of the sun that they need in order to grow.
Do note: An aquatic sunblocker is not an herbicide. It will
NOT
kill the growth that is there but it
WILL help prevent further growth. (We
have a selection of aquatic herbicides that can be used to kill aquatic plants at the
bottom of the page here.)
So, in a nutshell, if you have a large pond or lake, you will need to
treat it with beneficial bacteria every 2 weeks when water temperatures are 50°F or
above, have adequate aeration running 365 days a year, and treat it with an aquatic
sunblocker such as our Aquashade or Black Vail. Try to eliminate as much debris, leaves, grass
clippings, etc. that go into the pond which adds to the 'compost pile' at the bottom that
ends up feeding unwanted algae and pond weeds. If you can't afford or don't
want to spend the money for all the above, realize that you are only providing part of the
equation that is needed for the pond. All 3 things are needed for proper
pond maintenance. As your budget allows, be sure to get all 3 things;
adequate aeration, treatment of beneficial bacteria on a regular basis and
treatment of an aquatic sunblocker.
Be sure to avoid problems later on. So many times I hear over and
over again are those who say that their pond has been
"just fine" for years and they didn't
need to add any of the stuff I mentioned above. Well, this 'may' appear to be the
case. Their pond probably has a large volume of water compared to the amount of fish
and organic matter in the pond. Large volumes of water can 'hide' a lot of
problems ... BUT only for a while. Some time later though, their pond will be severely
unbalanced ecologically. During the years without treatment their pond weeds
multiplied, the 'compost pile' at the bottom of the pond got larger
and deeper, sludge and muck built up and ---
fish were multiplying. Everything 'seemed' fine for a
while then one day - BOOM - they
go out to their pond and see hundreds or thousands of dead fish
floating at the surface. Why????
Well, as I explained above, sludge and muck
consume oxygen. Fish multiply and they consume more and more oxygen. Pretty
soon, there will not be enough oxygen in the pond to support aquatic life! This can
happen all of a suddden on a hot summer day or you can discover it after the snow and ice
melts in the beginning of spring. This all could be avoided by doing the 3
things I mentioned above; adequate aeration, adding beneficial bacteria on a regular basis
and treating it with an aquatic sunblocker. If you haven't done these things
for your pond, it's never too late. Start today!
Know that keeping a healthy
pond or creating a new one is a process and it's not going to happen over
night. You also can't 'undo' what hasn't been done for several years (if your pond
hasn't been treated) in just one season. This takes time. Get on the right
track, though. There can be nothing more enjoyable in your yard than a beautiful
pond or lake to swim in, fish in or simply to sit back and admire and there's nothing you
want to avoid more than a pond that is stagnant, smelly and infested with weeds,
algae and mosqutioes.
If Your Fish Pond, Farm Pond or Lake
Is In Bad Shape Now - What Can You Do?
Depending on how large your pond or lake is, you can save thousands of
dollars and years of time by trying to remove as much debris in your pond as
possible. Here are some suggestions:
1. Get a lake rake. Rake out
as many leaves, fallen down cattails, dead aquatic plants that are on the
bottom of the pond. The more you remove, the better. Shoot, have
a party or a BBQ - buy several lake rakes and have all of your buddies come
over and help you rake the stuff out. If the pond hasn't been treated
with any chemicals, you can use the pond weeds, etc. in your compost pile.
2. While you've got your buddies
over, help them install your new aerator you just bought. (Wink, wink.)
It's super easy to install. Simply attach the air bubbler/air diffuser
to the tubing. Attach the other end of the tubing to the compressor -
and plug it in. That's about it!
3. Add your Aquashade or Black Vail
aquatic sunblocker.
4. After about 2 or 3 days, add
your PlanktoniX. Add a bunch of it, too. You can't 'overdose'
your pond with it as it's not a chemical but an all-natural product.
Don't worry, it's safe for fish, your dog swimming in it, your dog drinking
the water, birds, you name - it's okay. The manufacturer of the
product even ate some of it to prove it's safe. Not that I recommend
you doing that, but - it's safe. Don't worry about it. Buy it in
bulk, if you can afford it. It's the cheapest way to buy it and you'll
need it as long as you own the property and have your pond. So, go for
it.
5. If you have an abundance of pond
weeds, try to decipher what kind they are. We have some photos on our
site to help you with this or you can take a photo and email it to us or
even take a sample to your local DNR (department of natural resources).
IF, IF, IF your pond is 100% contained on your property - meaning that no
water flows to it or from it - to another body of water via a stream or
anything - then you can treat your pond. IF it has a stream leading to
it or from it, then you need to contact your local DNR to see what you can
do, if anything, to your pond. This is because, your pond and the
water from it, affects our public water system and the DNR has jurisdiction
on what you can do, if anything. So, you will need to contact them to
see what they recommend and what they will allow you to do. Their
regulations will most likely depend on the area and state you live in.
If you have further questions with your pond, please
contact us. We're always
happy to help. Here's also another link for
large pond, fish pond and lake maintenance info.
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