# Dead Fish after the THAW



## C J Hughes (Jan 24, 2006)

The news has reported that this is the 4th worst winter in along time. The 1978 winter the coldest with the most snow. I remember the thaw of 1978 there were dead fish in every pond from lack of sun light . I counted 27 bass over 5lbs in just one pond floating made you sick to see all of those fish dead.
There has been a lot of snow on top of the ice with little if any sunlight getting thru.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Yeah, I expect you'll see some fish kill on the smaller lakes.


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## hang_loose (Apr 2, 2008)

Go out and shovel some four to five foot areas around your pond to let the light in. Just did 9-10 areas around my pond Sat,2/15 and you can't even tell. As soon as this last storm goes past, I'm doing it again. (man, what a back breaker though).


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## hezy (Sep 8, 2011)

Just do like I do. Put up a windmill. I have a part of the pond that never freezes over. It cuts back on the weeds in the summer and adds needed oxygen.


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## StumpHawg (May 17, 2011)

With the high winds this winter most ponds I saw would have some snow free ice on certain areas of pond...


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## hang_loose (Apr 2, 2008)

Not a dead fish floating.............No clue of whats on the bottom though.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

Godzilla!!!


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

No dead fish at my place either....millions of 1"-2" bluegill in the shallows though and a healthy crop of filamentous algae.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> a healthy crop of filamentous algae.


I can relate to that, no dead fish that I can see other than few tilapia that died late last fall


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

I lost 1 adult hybrid striper ( 18" ) but I lost him early as I could see him through the ice and we chiseled him out to measure him. Other then that, nothing.. Id like to attribute that to my almost year round bottom difusser keeping pond nice and full of Oxygen....

Salmonid
PS caught 2 11" crappies this afternoon


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## Jtom (Apr 6, 2007)

I just walked around my pond (~1 acre) as the ice is almost all off. Pretty substancial die off. The east shoreline (shallowest side) is completed covered with dead fish. Probably around 400 fish so far visible, more under the remaining ice. Large and small alike, some really nice ~ 5lb bass and several 10lb+ cats (pond is 30 yrs old). So, what should I have done to prevent this? Is this lack of O2 from turn over or the ice/snow cover or both?


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## hang_loose (Apr 2, 2008)

Sorry for your loss Jtom...That's a lot of fish to lose! Just curious as to the area of Ohio your pond is....But like I said earlier, I shoveled snow off of different areas of my pond this winter (to let light through).

I'm thinking you're going to have some fat raccoons and coyotes this spring.


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## Jtom (Apr 6, 2007)

I am south of Youngstown.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

Jtom, do you aerate in summer? What % of the pond is surrounded with weeds? Is there a lot of trees around the pond? How deep is it? Is there a deep layer of organic material (muck) built up on the bottom?


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## Jtom (Apr 6, 2007)

PondFin: I do not aerate, pond is ~8' at it's deepest. Very few weeds, this pond has never had much for weed growth. The whole west side is lined by large maple trees which give it all their leaves in the fall. There is a consistent layer of decaying leaves several inches thick on the bottom.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

All ponds don't experience winter kill. You're deep enough so it sounds like the organic load from the leaves is pushing you over the limit.

Anaerobic (kinda bad) bacteria feeds off of the dead matter slowly breaking it down. It produces hydrogen sulfide gas which is deadly at certain concentrations depending on several other factors. Aerobic bacteria, animals and plants using remaining oxygen when ice/snow cover is impeding the pond from producing or exchanging oxygen coupled with a build up hydrogen sulfide gas from increasing anaerobic bacteria is a deadly combination. 

One option is to remove the trees and remove the built up organic matter with heavy equipment. This will be very expensive and I'm sure the trees provide some nice shade on summer evenings and some nice color in the fall.

Another option is to add bottom diffuser aeration and try to reduce the amount of leaves making their way into the pond. Adding aeration is easy and provides many benefits. Reducing the leaves may require some creative thinking and work...mulching, snow fence barrier, collecting periodically may help. The aerator would circulate oxygen rich water to the bottom promoting aerobic (good) bacteria for faster breakdown of organics and a reduction in hydrogen sulfide gas. You could run it continuously all year or throughout the summer and then intermittently in winter to open up holes to allow light in and gasses out. A top of the line system costs around $1500 and $40/mo in electric to operate continuously for a 1 acre pond. They require simple and infrequent maintenance. You can save some money on the enclosure if you have an out building to house it inside. Common irrigation pipe can be run for very long distances (up to a mile or so), cheaply, if power isn't near the pond.

Avoid windmill aerators...they likely won't pump enough air for your size pond and don't pump any air when the wind isn't blowing...one of the times it is needed most. Surface aerators like fountains and agitators generally aren't effective below 5' deep and they cost considerably more to operate especially considering how much less water they are actually moving.

A 5lb largemouth is about $65 and a 10lb Channel is about $45 to replace if buying from a farm. Aeration is cheap insurance.


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## Jtom (Apr 6, 2007)

Very informative PondFin. Thanks for the education.


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## bonifas9017 (May 23, 2011)

Anaerobic (kinda bad) bacteria feeds off of the dead matter slowly breaking it down. It uses oxygen in the process 


Anaerobic mean with out oxygen. This bacteria grows without oxygen. I think you just got your terms mixed up


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## hang_loose (Apr 2, 2008)

Jtom, I don't have all the trees and leaves like you do but I do dump a half gallon of "muck reducer, basically bacteria) every other year. Again, sorry to hear about your fish... Man, you took a big hit this winter!!!


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## jarhead70usmc (Mar 26, 2014)

hey hang loose What is muck reducer and where do you get it ? thanks


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## hang_loose (Apr 2, 2008)

Basically it is liquid bacteria that eats the "muck" on the bottom of your pond. You can order it on-line. If I'm out at Fenders Fish Farm (Baltic, Ohio), I'll get it there. But I think they sell it at the new Johnstown (Ohio) feed mill also.

jarhead, I'll get back with you on the product name I use.


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## Jtom (Apr 6, 2007)

Greatly appreciate the feedback. I will research the "muck reducer".


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## Jtom (Apr 6, 2007)

After reading the discussions here and digesting the good advice I searched for aeration and muck reducer products and came across this web site along with several others. Considering that I have at least 5"-10" of decaying matter and ~ 1 acre of water it looks like an aerator is going to run $1400 and the bacteria a couple hundred $ to get it started and then maintenance applications from then on. 

http://www.thepondguy.com/

Has anybody used this source or have recommendations.

Again, I want to thank you all for the education.


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## hang_loose (Apr 2, 2008)

Jtom, www.organicpond.com... Not promoting their company mods, I just use their product ((and passing on some info)


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