- Joined
- May 30, 2023
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- 16
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Backstory:
Pond is 60' x 75' and about 4' at the deepest. It was originally created by simply digging down with a dozer, and pushing the excess dirt on the downhill slope to create a berm. No liner or other improvements were added to the bottom - much of which was hard sandstone.
We added 10 each, 3-in long Koi and Goldfish, never to be seen again in the muddy/turbid waters. We also added 10 ducks. I installed to aerators and a fountain that kept the water moving, but no filtration. In the subsequent two years, the water never cleared enough to see the fish unless they were feeding naturally (we did not feed them). The ducks, digging in the berm, looked to be causing its failure - so they were rehomed. Within 24 hours, hundreds of fish came to the surface, gasping for air - turning the pond orange/white. We had no clue any had survived until then.
We tested the water and all values came out perfect - nitrates/nitrites, pH, hardness, chlorine, etc - I cannot recall all the variables, but they were all exactly where they should be. I added a few more aerators (total of 5, 10-inch stones) and an IBC tote with those 1" spikey palls. A 4500gph pump with suction at the center of the pond pushed water into the IBC, with the return being a gravity release over large pond stones to prevent turbulence of the pond silt.
About two weeks ago, I added two gallons of flocculant that I had sitting around from an earlier project. Within 24 hours, the pond was crystal clear for the first time ever. It looked like a swimming pool. I could see the fish playing, all the way to the bottom/center. It was amazing. It lasted about 24 hours.
I don't want to add more flocculant as I'm sure dosing the fish is far from ideal. However, I was given a directive by my wife to do what needed to be done to get the pond clear like that all the time.
My plan:
At this point, I'm almost certain that the cause of my turbidity is from the clay-like silty soil that is being kicked up by the carp burrowing and playing at the bottom/edges. Since I have no liner, the bottom is nothing more than soft, mushy powdery soil. Walking in it, my feet sink several inches into what feels like mud.
My plan is to pump about 4k gallons into an old portable pool, an additional 1200 into extra totes I have on hand, and then drain the rest of the pond over my bluff. Once the water is low enough to "catch" the fish, I'll transfer them to the pool and keep them there until the work on the pond is complete.
Once the pond has had a chance to thoroughly dry, I'll have the bottom of the pond scrapped to remove all the scum, firm up the berms, and then spread to about 40 tons of crush and run gravel across the entire water-bearing area of the pond. Other neighbors used the same gravel when they originally constructed their ponds (no liners), and they've always had clear water. I'm hoping that's the missing ingredient in my pond.
Any suggestions?
Pond is 60' x 75' and about 4' at the deepest. It was originally created by simply digging down with a dozer, and pushing the excess dirt on the downhill slope to create a berm. No liner or other improvements were added to the bottom - much of which was hard sandstone.
We added 10 each, 3-in long Koi and Goldfish, never to be seen again in the muddy/turbid waters. We also added 10 ducks. I installed to aerators and a fountain that kept the water moving, but no filtration. In the subsequent two years, the water never cleared enough to see the fish unless they were feeding naturally (we did not feed them). The ducks, digging in the berm, looked to be causing its failure - so they were rehomed. Within 24 hours, hundreds of fish came to the surface, gasping for air - turning the pond orange/white. We had no clue any had survived until then.
We tested the water and all values came out perfect - nitrates/nitrites, pH, hardness, chlorine, etc - I cannot recall all the variables, but they were all exactly where they should be. I added a few more aerators (total of 5, 10-inch stones) and an IBC tote with those 1" spikey palls. A 4500gph pump with suction at the center of the pond pushed water into the IBC, with the return being a gravity release over large pond stones to prevent turbulence of the pond silt.
About two weeks ago, I added two gallons of flocculant that I had sitting around from an earlier project. Within 24 hours, the pond was crystal clear for the first time ever. It looked like a swimming pool. I could see the fish playing, all the way to the bottom/center. It was amazing. It lasted about 24 hours.
I don't want to add more flocculant as I'm sure dosing the fish is far from ideal. However, I was given a directive by my wife to do what needed to be done to get the pond clear like that all the time.
My plan:
At this point, I'm almost certain that the cause of my turbidity is from the clay-like silty soil that is being kicked up by the carp burrowing and playing at the bottom/edges. Since I have no liner, the bottom is nothing more than soft, mushy powdery soil. Walking in it, my feet sink several inches into what feels like mud.
My plan is to pump about 4k gallons into an old portable pool, an additional 1200 into extra totes I have on hand, and then drain the rest of the pond over my bluff. Once the water is low enough to "catch" the fish, I'll transfer them to the pool and keep them there until the work on the pond is complete.
Once the pond has had a chance to thoroughly dry, I'll have the bottom of the pond scrapped to remove all the scum, firm up the berms, and then spread to about 40 tons of crush and run gravel across the entire water-bearing area of the pond. Other neighbors used the same gravel when they originally constructed their ponds (no liners), and they've always had clear water. I'm hoping that's the missing ingredient in my pond.
Any suggestions?
