GardenBanter.co.uk - pond problems

"douglas watts" wrote in message . uu.net...
I have a 1/4 acre pond that has been healthy for 10 +
years.There are small mouth bass and catfish in it. All has been well until
this year, there is a plant taking over the
pond, and a great amount of algae. It seems that my
fish count is going down and I am at a loss.I am a first
time poster and would like some input on this problem.
dwizard

Douglas,
Letting a plant take it over(something that grows on the surface?
Species?) will greatly increase stratification is a pond. So that
means there will be no turnover and less light/nutrients throughout
much of the water column.

You likely had algae throughout the water column, decent mixing in the
pond before. Also more light penetration.

Your pond likely has very little O2 except in the upper few feet(if
that) of the water column. Catfish are fairly tough and so are bass so
if the count is down, they are taking a beating.

The bottom is likely cold and anaerobic. So the fish have much less
room to live in and the small algae that was feeding the zooplankton
which were then eaten by the smaller fish, now there's little for thew
fish to eat as well.

Most of the nutrients are in the bottom and the upper region is very
low in the nutrients.
Is the water clearer now?
You might consider getting rid of the plant. Or have only submersed
aquatic plants etc.

Late spring is a common time of year for algae blooms and plant
growth. Most algae goes away by summer/late. But the issues for the
fish will stay and likely get worse later int he summer. The plants
will likely take over if they are floaters.

Regards,
Tom Barr