Pond dye

[courtatlawjudge]

This might be better placed in game management, but I've got some very clear water ponds. The algea and moss are getting bad this year. Anyone have any experience dyeing the water like they do at a golf course. I know you don't want to deplete oxygen through decaying plant material, but I need a solution. Getting difficult to fish and noone wants to swim. Cost and where to get it?

[sling blade]

MEEE TOOO. Looking forward to some good information.

[friscopaint]

go to Pond Boss for the best pond information. They have different forums all about ponds

[black42]

Tractor supply sells it. its copper sulfate. It runs about 50 bucks for a bottle that will treat something like 1 acre feet of water.

[Man]

My back yard pond water matches this screen

[graesz]

We use Blue Bayou...

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/blue-bayou-1-gal

[CaptainDave]

Tractor supply sells it. its copper sulfate. It runs about 50 bucks for a bottle that will treat something like 1 acre feet of water.

This, but don't confuse copper sulfate with pond dye. I haven't looked at this stuff in a while, but those used to be 2 different products.

The copper sulfate is an algeacide product. The blue pond dye does just that; dyes the pond blue. However, I think part of the theory behind the blue pond dye is it darkens the water color and helps prevent algea growth.

[graesz]

On this day, I failed to read a few of the instructions and used 3x the amount suggested. Me and my friend Tecate thought it was a good idea and looked cool. The tank was a bit blue for a while.

On a more serious not, use .25 per 1 surface acre of water and you will be fine. On a windy day get up wind and pour.

[EZE]

I bought some stuff called Aquashade at Tractor Supply. I am new to the pond thing but wanted my water to look nice so I put the stuff in there and two days later had a fish kill. I didn't have an aerator in place but do now. The county extension agent said that I should have put the aquashade in there in March but I didn't put it in there until early summer and obviously I killed the algae and depleted the oxygen. I'm afraid to put it in there now even with the aerator system in place. You can call your county extension agent and they will answer questions on ponds and can probably steer you in the right direction.

[courtatlawjudge]

Thanks EZE, fish kill is my worry. It's a great fishery and I'd just hate to ruin that. Please keep your suggestions coming

[courtatlawjudge]

Graesz, did you have any fish kill issues? What time of year did you do it? I think the dye theory is it chokes out the light to the algea and maybe the weeds.

[graesz]

It was in July. After the deed was done I was worried about it. I told our manager and he watched for any signs of floating fish, change in grass, etc. Luckily we did not lose any of either. We have used it for years.

This incident being the only time using more than suggested and we have never had (knock of wood) to this day had any issues with any species (fish, turtle, birds, etc.) or grass dying.

[courtatlawjudge]

Thanks. I put in call to extension agent too. He's going to run it by their folks in Aggieland also

[Boomer57]

I've used Auqa-Shade for many years. It retards plant growth by not allowing as much sun light into deeper water, it does not kill plants but retards the growth and allows us to easily fish the tank.
I've never had it hurt my fish in any way. I poke a little hole in the foil cap, using a 6' PVC pipe walk perimeter letting the liquid run out pipe into the water. It doesn't take a lot to tint water but it does take about 2 days to evenly spread throughout the water. A gal usually gets me 2-3 applications (3/4 acre pond).
WARNING... Wear rubber gloves and rubber boots and old jeans when applying, DON'T ASK ME HOW I LEARNED THIS.

[CTB]

go to Pond Boss for the best pond information. They have different forums all about ponds

This^^^
Talk to Bob he's been doing it for years.

The blue die only colors the water, there are sever other products that will rid the moss, but they deplete the oxygen levels in the water. If you youse toouch chemical and deplete too much oxygen the fish will die.