TMD Aug 13
What can I do this time of year to get algae and floating weeds out of my pond?
August is a hard time of the year to do anything with small ponds. Oxygen levels are at their lowest points and any die-off by the plants that are killed will take up much of the oxygen that is left. Keeping this in mind, I wouldn't recommend using any type of chemical right now whether you do just a part of the pond or not. It's not worth the risk of losing a large part of your fish.
The only thing I would feel comfortable with this time of year is dragging the pond. Here are a few ideas that may prove to be successful.
Cable = Attach a heavy duty cable to something secure on one side of the pond such as a tree and the other end to a truck or tractor. Start on one side and drive around the pond completing the circle back at the tree. The cable should be tight enough to catch most of the floating type weeds and drag them off. The only problem with this would be if you cannot drive all the way around the pond or if there are obstacles in the pond.
Wire Panels = Run a cable along the tops of several cattle panels. This will allow you to go even deeper to get weeds.
Poultry Wire = By dragging the pond with poultry netting you are more likely to get more of the smaller weeds and algae that may be floating.
These are just a few ideas that can be used. On larger ponds, boats may be necessary. The increased churning from the boat motors will also at oxygen to the pond. If you, at anytime during the summer, notice fish floating to the top, try using a water pump to circulate the water back into the pond. This will add oxygen and help your fish to survive.
My quote of the week comes from an unknown source. It reads, .A child becomes an adult not when he takes credit for what has been done right but claims responsibility for something that has been done wrong.
