2. Typical Stocking Strategy For
Ponds
Bluegill/ Red ear
Largemouth Bass
Channel Catfish
Grass Carp
3. Red Ear Sunfish (Shell Cracker)
Eats snails and crustaceans
Helps control parasites
4. Bluegill Growth
After first year, average bluegill is:
– 4 INCHES Long
After second year:
– SOME 6 to 7 inch bluegill
After fourth year:
– Possible ½ POUND bream
5. Fishing Trophy Bass Ponds
Select as you fish!!!
Return the fast-
growing fish to
catch at a later time.
Which one to
return?
6. Basics of Pond Balance
Catch BOTH bass
and bream
– 20 bass/year/A
– 50 – 100 lb bream/A
» Depends on fertility
7. Pond Water Management
Prepare pond for a healthy ecology
– Target water quality (W1 water test)
» 25 ppm hardness (Lime)
» Visibility between 12 and 18 inches
» Phosphorus below 0.1 ppm (Fertilizer or not)
– Natural pond – Less than 50 lb of fish/Acre
» Usually low pH and low hardness
pH below 6.5, hardness below 10 ppm
» Clear water, stained by organic substances
8. “Natural Pond”
Leaves, wood are
decomposing in
pond - acids
Trees on two or
more sides
May have aquatic
vegetation
Fish growth is slow,
less than 50 lb/A
9. Lower Cost Management of
Aquatic Weeds
February thru May…Best
Get proper identification
Select proper control
APPLY control effectively
– Spot treat
– Use granules to limit area
– Or, use the best adjuvant
– Consider tank mixes
10. Recent Additions:
Chemical Controls of Aquatic Plants
Imazamox (Clearcast) emergent and submerged
– Liquid or Granular
Clipper (Flumioxazin) floating, emergent, and submerged
Generics of diquat, fluridone, imazapyr, imazamox
Mixes of 2,4-D and triclopyr (Renovate MAX G)
2,4-D amine granular (Sculpin G)
11. Algicides
Clipper (for filamentous species)
– On the Surface of the pond
Diquat (best to tank mix with copper)
Hydrothol liquid or granules (use less
than 0.3ppm)
Copper chelates or acidified copper
sulfate
***Follow herbicide with grass carp for
filamentous algae control
13. 2,4-D and Triclopyr mix
• Renovate Max G -14% 2,4-D, 4% triclopyr
• Recommended for water lily control at 20
lb/A-ft
• Spot treat in static water
• Not recommended when irrigation used with in
three months* of application.
• $132 per 40 lb
*See new label.
14. 2,4-D Amine Granules
Milfoil Control
• Sculpin G
– (65 to 130 lb/A)
• A bit less than Navigate
– (110 to 200 lb/A)
15. Relative Cost For New Herbicides
Herbicide Cost per unit Surface Acre $ 4 A-ft Water $
$Clearcast $365/gal $46 to $92 $184 to $1,840
$$Clipper $200/lb $75 to $150 $420 to $840
$Reward/Copper $120/$40/gal $80 $160 to $320
$$Tradewind 8 oz packets $200-$400 $450 to $600
$$$Sonar $411/pt N/A $822 to $1,233
$$Sonar (gran) $30/ lb N/A $300 to $600
$$Navigate (gran) $209/50 lb N/A $418 to $836
$Renovate Max G
$$ Sculpin G
$132/40 lb
$190/40 lb
N/A
N/A
$66 to $528
$308 to $616
$ = less expensive, $$ = moderate expense, $$$ = most expensive
16.
17. When to Drain for Aquatic
Weeds
Chemical control is expensive
Weed covers a major portion of the
pond
Pond is small
Pond needs other repair
18. After Draining…
Use Rotenone, Hydrated lime, or
Chlorine in standing water
– 500 lb HL/Acre < 1 ft deep
– 80 lb Chlorine /A-ft
Rotenone is best for deep water
19. Rotenone
• For total renovation
• 2.5 to 5% Active Ingredient
• Use 25 to 250 ppb AI (.33 to 3 gal/A-ft)
• Best in warm water but can be used at most
temperatures
• Last 35 days at 45 degrees F
• Remember to detoxify with permanganate if
necessary
20. Guide to Synpren Use
(2.5% Rotenone, 5% resins, 2.5% Piperonyl Butoxide)
Active
Rotenone
(ppm)
Acre-ft
per
Gallon
Selective 0.005-.007 15 to 12
Normal 0.025-0.05 3 to 1.5
Bullheads/
carp
0.05-0.1 1.5 to 0.75
Rich
organic
0.1-0.2 0.75 to 0.38
Pre-
impound
0.15-0.25 0.5 to 0.3
22. Fish Kills and Disease
Look for the cause
and how to correct
the problem.
In this case, Low
Water and High
Density Fish
Population Without
Aerator.
23. Diagnosing Fish Pond Disease Cases
• Determine if Acute or Chronic
• If you are NOT AT THE POND
– Look at the fish sample for signs of disease
– Take images – camera or microscope
– Check pond water for hardness or alkalinity (W1)
• If you are AT THE POND – Take Images
– Check species and sizes of fish affected
– Look for contributing factors – Ask questions
– Take samples to office for examination
25. Diseases of
Winter
Bacterial/ Fungal Disease or
Winter Kill
Ich
- White spots, under skin
Costia
- Sunken eyes, dark skin
color, dry skin, very small
parasites on gills
FEED A HIGH QUALITY
FOOD IN LATE SUMMER
AND FALL
26.
27. Causes of Fish Disease in Farm and Recreation
Ponds
• Overcrowding (Fish run out of natural food)
– Usually from not fishing enough
• Low water
– Crowds fish, leads to warm water, low oxygen
• Enriched water
– Fertilizer, Overfeeding, Polluted Runoff
• A Recent Stress
– Low oxygen, Cloudy weather, Rapid Temperatures
Changes, Pond turn-over
28. Chemical Use in Aquaculture
• Use only approved chemicals
• Ornamental fish can be treated with a variety of
chemicals that pond fish cannot be treated with.
• Sometimes the chemical can be worse than the
disease. (caustic or poisonous)
• Fish Disease treatments only for Aquaculture
– Recreational users not familiar with chemicals
• Use EARLY in the epizootic.
29. Fish Disease Chemicals
• Salt to increase chloride – reduces stress in fish
• Lime to increase hardness and buffer pH
• Formalin as a parasite treatment
– Dangerous to handle in large quantities
– 15 to 25 ppm for whole-pond treatment (5 to 8.5
gallons per acre-foot of water)
– Aerate during treatment and for several days after
treatment
– Please call for quote: (800) 283-5292 Western
Chemical
30. Medicated Feed
• Hard to get in 2016
• Veterinary Feed Directive to take effect in
December 31, 2016
– Only a vet can prescribe medicated feed
– Use management to fight fish diseases rather than
antibiotics
• Harvest fish to reduce crowding
• Feed catfish a high quality feed
• Aerate during periods of cloudy weather
