# Muscles in the pont?



## Fat Bill (Jan 16, 2006)

I have a .4-acre pond that gets a lot of leaves in it during the fall. I am using an aerator to keep the pond open and eliminate fish kills due to the rotting vegetation. I am wondering if I should introduce some muscles or snails to help with the muck problem. I already use commercial bacteria to eliminate the muck but it seems to be working too slowly. Where would I get the muscles and snails?

I would appreciate any input.
Thanks.


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

I wouldn't put snails in your pond. Snails are part of the life cycle of some undesirable parasites.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

If you don’t “discourage” them, waterfowl seem to somehow bring mussels(and snails) to a pond(eggs?). I’ve had native mussels off and on over the years -and never “stocked” them! Had to come from the generous amount of ducks and geese that use my pond. Pretty sure the Native Ohio mussels are considered a “protected species” and may NOT be available for “stocking”? That said, you’ll never have enough to “clean up“ a pond(and surely you don’t want to “stock” Zebras)!? My pond is fed by run-off and in late summer, a few(up to 6” wide!) get dry-docked when the water table drops. Then you find their opened, empty shells on shore where the night time scavenging Raccoons feasted! There are many other ways to get muck to decompose, aeration is one, there are bacteria “straw bales” commericially available, others.


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