1st, do a water test... Fill up a clear container and let it sit. If sediment settles out, use a flocculant in your pond, which binds to the sediment and falls to the bottom. I bought powdered gypsum (calcium sulfate) from my local feed store. You can find how much you need for your size pond online. Powdered gypsum from the feed store was the most cost effective flocculant I found for my pond.
Bama Bass, yep! Not much with the Roll Tide in 2024 we miss the GOAT.. but Bama Bass this guy is awesome with and awesome family..I believe he could help you out..
I grew up in the western slope of Colorado. My life after college led me to a legal career in San Diego and Denver. I've been watching your videos for about 5 years now. I've chosen to move back to the western slope to live that small town life again after not enjoying city life. Your videos are inspirational. Thank you.
OSG for the win on the Pitt stop , good for oil changes rackley , now you gotta get your self an old square body 4x4 to use it with. The fam will enjoy the Sunday drives in the square body too lol
This is Lewis from Grapevine lake. Congratulations to you & your Wife, on your new home. I just wanted to let you know, that I will miss you at the Grapevine boat ramp. You made my Son’s day when I sent him the video you made for him. Jeff said he always keep it & show everybody he knows. Thanks for everything you do for the great outdoors. Your friend, Lewis & Jeff. WO BAM 👍. God Bles you & your family.
Definitely invest in something to circulate the water. Like a fountain or just some type of recirculating pump in it. That will help fish thrive and help the dye spread as well.
The muddy/ stained look of your pond is due to sediment turbidity rather than an algae bloom. If it was a planktonic algae bloom the color would be more greenish. The best way to treat the turbidity is with a flocculant such as almuminum sulfate, but carefully review the label rates because an overdose of Alum will cause a sudden drop in PH which can kill fish. Some aquatic vegetation will help naturally clear up the water, but it will need to be properly maintained as rooted aquatic vegetation will completely overrun a pond this size in no time. No non-native plants either! I suspect you may have a lot of catfish in the pond that are constantly turning over loose sediment on the bottom. If that is the case, depending on your longterm goals for the pond, you will want to remove at least most of the catfish. You can use granular copper sulfate and other liquid copper based algaecides to treat the algae band around the pond edge. Again, carefully review the label rates because Copper Sulfate is nasty stuff that will kill fish. During the hot summer months, either suspend all copper treatments or perform only partial treatments. This will reduce the amount of dead algae decaying in your pond at a time of year when hypoxia is already common. Best application for liquid algaecide is diluted with water and sprayed through some type of pump or even a backpack sprayer. The blue dye will help curb sunlight penetration in shallow ponds, but it is ugly in my opinion and isn't a perfect cure. I recommend adding shade in more areas of the pond, but not willow as they can drain a pond this size quickly. Also consider dredging out portions to add more depth. If you decide to put any money into this pond, start with an aerator. Many people get suckered into floating fountains because of the aesthetics, but they really only aerate the top several feet of water, can contribute to turbidity issues in small ponds, often become clogged and require expensive maintenance, and also add a small element of danger by introducing electricity into an aquatic environment. Fountains will also accelerate water evaporation during the hot months. Aerators on the other hand aerate the entire water column from the bottom up which helps minimize risk of pond stratification/ turnover, and better supplements natural aeration within the pond. They are much cheaper than their fountain counterparts and are lower risk for maintenance and additonal costs. All electrical components for the unit are on the bank out of water also, making them safer than fountains.
Definitely a filtration system like what Trapper J did for flairs hatchery ponds. It’ll clean up your pond and add oxygen to help fish survive. You also want to add some plants inside the pond to even add more filtration. Hope this helps! Can’t wait to see what you put in the pond!
Bull heads and blue gills. The city pond around my area has tons of bull head catfish and blue gills. Lots of fun to catch and guaranteed to catch with worms. Lots of fun for kids that want to catch fish
Pond deff would benefit from some beneficial bacteria. They make bags you just throw in all over the pond and they'll help a lot in my opinion. They make all kinds of animal safe stuff for ponds. If it was mine I'd add a waterfall with a pond filter.
Justin I want to thank you for the update on your family’s new house for sure!!! After you revealed the new house the other day I didn’t think that we would see anymore of the new place until you all had move in and it was all setup!! I definitely wanted to see everything that you would be doing to it before you all moved in and see what and where you might change things or how you might set something up!! I definitely hope that you do several more updates before you move in and showing the different things that you might be doing to change things to accommodate your needs!! Plus it might give others ideas for their places that they might be having trouble with areas they might want to put something but don’t no how to put something up and still make it look good!!! Awesome video buddy and I definitely wanted to congratulate you and the family on the new home again for sure!!! When I was at my mom and dad’s house growing up and was in high school I had bought my first section of land being 20 acres of farm ground back in 1998 and I went Wright into building are first home and still live in it today!!! And for not ever owning a home before you definitely may not no how you would like every thing for sure!!! Like a mud room before entering the home, the washer and dryer upstairs or downstairs?? The only thing that we messed up on was definitely a mud room with a full bathroom setup so that I could walk in take a shower and get cleaned up before walking through the house and making a mess!! Their is definitely always something that someone forgets about when building a house!!! Heck even enough electrical outlets but I did make sure that I put one on every wall in the bedrooms and enough in the kitchen for sure!!! Let me no what they missed in your house and you would have done differently???
LFG, that hole in the floor is called a pit. You use it to do work under your vehicles(oil changes, radiator flush, transmission fluid change, etc.), so you don't need a car lift.
I’m a new sub. Did love the cold versus hot. I can honestly say I have given away a ton of Googan gear away to many different people who couldn’t afford it. There are times I wish I didn’t but it’s gone and I’ll figure out how to build my pile back up.
Should get with bama bass and see what he does. Or there’s a really good pond management company there in DFW I know a senior vice president of. They mostly deal with the ponds for whole communities, but they could definitely help you out
That’s a storm shelter I looked into getting one of those several years ago,good storm shelter needs some water and a battery lights and room for the whole family !
Definitely start from scratch. Add more blue dye (for ascetics) while you research a clean slate fresh start approach. I’m a big fan of what Bama Bass did with his aquascape project at the 5 acre pond
Matt Carricker's wife Mere did the same exact thing with the paint color when they were renovating the old mansion. Look like yellow ended up green roflol!
Same kind of paint situation happened with Demo Ranch in the abandoned mansion build. Was supposed to be one colour, but when it dried it had a greenish tinge to it.
You should try throwing a night crawler with a bobber around man and if there is anything in there i will eat that. That's what i would try to see what's in there. Almost everything will eat that ya know. But congrats on the new home man, very happy for you and osg and the kiddos. Yall deserve it man. Me and my wife and son love watching all of you guys videos but your me and my wifes favorite. Can't wait to see how you get the pond fixed up and socked and making videos fishing there.
Thanks for the update!! Looking good!! Hope you can find what to do to make the pond clear. I think bluegill, crappie & catfish would be ideal. Catch clean cook & kids can have fun catching dinner!!!🐟🐟🐟🐠🐢Stay Safe & God Bless!!! 🤠👍
I still have a few of those extendable "cane poles". My first few were from Mister Twister, now have a few Black Widows, a vintage St. Croix, and a classic South Bend. Still fun to use.
I just went back and checked it out. I haven't gotten a notification from your channel since the video titled "I nearly flipped my jon boat fishing a flooded forest."
Definitely go and see pond king, they are awesome they will get you right! But short answer is to fertilize it which helps plankton bloom which helps with so much!
Thanks for the video. I've always told myself if I had a decent sized pond, I'd stock it with crappie initially then some bass or catfish after a few years to keep the crappie population at bay. If the pond is over populated with crappie, they won't grow to a decent size
congrats on the new place. Keep some water snacks and battery powered lights in the shelter, make sure your fire dept knows you have it, how many people will be in it. If debris lands on it you may not be able to get out. Have a plan with neighbors as well.
Drain the pond. Start fresh. Clean out whatever trash is in there plant some border grasses. Wouldn't do pads since they'll take over. I only have a 500 gallon mini pond but anything that falls into that water is going to darken it up. Could lay some rock or sand in part of the pond and that will lighten it up once you refill. Then just regular water treatment you can get at a local pond store will help keep it clear. Think of it as a pool. Clean it frequent. Keep the levels right if you want clear water.
There are several approaches to help clear up muddy water in a pond, especially if it's filled by a water well. The muddiness is often caused by suspended particles like clay, algae, or organic matter. Here are a few strategies to address the issue: 1. Test the Water Quality Before doing anything, it's helpful to test the water to check for pH levels, mineral content, and any potential contaminants. High pH or excessive minerals can contribute to muddiness by preventing suspended particles from settling. 2. Use Alum (Aluminum Sulfate) Alum can help clear muddy water by binding to fine particles and causing them to clump together and settle at the bottom. To apply alum: Dissolve it in water and evenly distribute it across the pond’s surface. The typical dosage is around 50 to 100 pounds per acre-foot of water, but it's important to follow specific guidance for your pond size. 3. Add Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) Gypsum works similarly to alum but is less acidic. It helps coagulate particles and makes them settle out of the water. It’s often used when the pH is already on the low side. Spread gypsum across the surface at a rate of about 1,000-2,000 pounds per acre-foot, but again, this depends on the pond's condition. 4. Control Runoff and Erosion Muddy water can often be a result of erosion or runoff carrying sediment into the pond. Some steps to control this include: Planting grass or other ground cover around the pond to minimize soil erosion. Using silt fences or straw bales to slow down runoff into the pond. Building a buffer zone with rocks or vegetation to filter incoming water. 5. Aeration Aeration systems, like fountains or diffusers, can improve water clarity by increasing oxygen levels, which encourages the breakdown of organic material and reduces algae growth. This can help address some causes of muddiness, though it may not fully solve sediment-related issues. 6. Consider Adding Beneficial Bacteria There are commercially available beneficial bacteria that can help digest excess organic matter in the water, reducing cloudiness from decaying plant material or algae. 7. Install a Sediment Trap If the well water is carrying in sediment, consider adding a sediment trap or pre-filter to your system to catch the sediment before it enters the pond. 8. Use Barley Straw Barley straw can sometimes help with algae-related cloudiness. When barley straw breaks down in water, it releases compounds that inhibit algae growth, which can reduce turbidity over time. If you’re unsure about chemical treatments like alum or gypsum, it might be wise to start with erosion control and see how that affects the water clarity first.
Combo of some sort of aeration, beneficial bacteria, and aluminum sulfate has worked for me. I’m an aquatic biologist up in Indiana. Not sure what types of sediment suspend down in Texas but I assume it will behave similarly. Hope that helps! Excited for the new house!
I would make it a little deeper and bit bigger. Have bass and some crappie in our one acre pond, but the crappie will take over as super spawners, so their growth ends up stunted. Have to catch a lot out of it for the remainders to grow.
I’d definitely focus the pond on something easy for the kids and the occasional dinner fish. For exciting catches, you can always go somewhere else. But some fun for the kids should be close by.
I'd definitely only use it for oil changes. Tornado shelter's like that can have extremely heavy debris from your house falling in on the door then your trapped. You can actually dig a earthen shelter into the ground and have a vertical door surrounded by truck size earthen mounds.
You should set up a pump and waterfall to increase water movement and oxygen. mechanical filtration to take out particles, you can also use activated carbon. If there are rocks in the waterfall that are exposed to sun, algae will grow(good algae) and it will scrub the pond of nutrients and should clear the water up as well.
You need to add filtration. For a faster fix mechanical filtration would be best. For all natural adding floating plants, as well as plants on the bottom, around the edge and aeration will fix it. Congrats on he move!
The pond is so muddy cause it has a lot of loose sediment. I would definitely add some kind of vegetation to help give the bottom some structure and filter the water. Also adding a small handful of small carp/tilapia would be good. Maybe 5 or so of each and just let them do their thing and kinda stabilize the water. They can always be culled for fertilizer if they grow too much in the future.
id put some air stones in the pond before going all buckwild and putting dye in.. probably going to clean it up a lot... If that doesnt do it id test the water.. also add a filter .. that should do the trick.
It’s going to be a battle but those little white flower weeds are roadside aster. They will ruin a yard. I had to cut them as far down as I could reach with wire cutters. First year in the fall was terrible, second year was a lot better and third year was easy. I’m on the 4th year and have pulled less than 5.
God is so good! I’m thankful yall have found a forever home and god was good enough to bless your family with it!! Keep inspiring others, God bless! I cannot wait to have my own hopefully one day
Start from scratch. Drain pond, dig out areas that need to be deeper, add substrate/brush/cover, refill pond.
I would say double the size too if he can.
Treat the pond like an aquarium and you'll do great. Watch Bama Bass and what he did/does with his ponds.
I approve of this message...Lol!
Yes second that
Absolutely! 👍
100% watch bamabass ... That dudes ponds are amazing and packed with tons of info!
Dumping algae killer in with out measuring how much you need is a bad start
I’m loving the new homestead!
Be sure to put a case of water and some snacks in the storm shelter.
1st, do a water test... Fill up a clear container and let it sit. If sediment settles out, use a flocculant in your pond, which binds to the sediment and falls to the bottom. I bought powdered gypsum (calcium sulfate) from my local feed store. You can find how much you need for your size pond online.
Powdered gypsum from the feed store was the most cost effective flocculant I found for my pond.
Bama Bass, yep! Not much with the Roll Tide in 2024 we miss the GOAT.. but Bama Bass this guy is awesome with and awesome family..I believe he could help you out..
Flair knows this guy (Trapper J) who is the pond expert. He can show you how to make that pond look like a clean river coming out of the mountains.
Clear water is sterile water.
Lfg could totally build that set up and get a couple videos out of it. The idea is brilliant
I grew up in the western slope of Colorado. My life after college led me to a legal career in San Diego and Denver. I've been watching your videos for about 5 years now.
I've chosen to move back to the western slope to live that small town life again after not enjoying city life. Your videos are inspirational. Thank you.
OSG for the win on the Pitt stop , good for oil changes rackley , now you gotta get your self an old square body 4x4 to use it with. The fam will enjoy the Sunday drives in the square body too lol
Fishing for whatever bites a grub off a cane pole is the purest form of fishing. I hope I never get too sophisticated to enjoy that.
I vote for catfish, crappie and gills for the pond for fun family times!
So happy for yall and the new place! Beautiful piece of land to build family memories!
Hybrid Green sunfish. Grow fast, get relatively large (1 - 2 lbs) and are always biting. Great for kids and you with your flyrod!
This is Lewis from Grapevine lake. Congratulations to you & your Wife, on your new home. I just wanted to let you know, that I will miss you at the Grapevine boat ramp. You made my Son’s day when I sent him the video you made for him. Jeff said he always keep it & show everybody he knows. Thanks for everything you do for the great outdoors. Your friend, Lewis & Jeff. WO BAM 👍. God Bles you & your family.
ill be honest. its time to drain it, make it deeper and bigger. That pond really isnt suitable for a fishing a hole
Definitely invest in something to circulate the water. Like a fountain or just some type of recirculating pump in it. That will help fish thrive and help the dye spread as well.
The muddy/ stained look of your pond is due to sediment turbidity rather than an algae bloom. If it was a planktonic algae bloom the color would be more greenish. The best way to treat the turbidity is with a flocculant such as almuminum sulfate, but carefully review the label rates because an overdose of Alum will cause a sudden drop in PH which can kill fish. Some aquatic vegetation will help naturally clear up the water, but it will need to be properly maintained as rooted aquatic vegetation will completely overrun a pond this size in no time. No non-native plants either! I suspect you may have a lot of catfish in the pond that are constantly turning over loose sediment on the bottom. If that is the case, depending on your longterm goals for the pond, you will want to remove at least most of the catfish.
You can use granular copper sulfate and other liquid copper based algaecides to treat the algae band around the pond edge. Again, carefully review the label rates because Copper Sulfate is nasty stuff that will kill fish. During the hot summer months, either suspend all copper treatments or perform only partial treatments. This will reduce the amount of dead algae decaying in your pond at a time of year when hypoxia is already common. Best application for liquid algaecide is diluted with water and sprayed through some type of pump or even a backpack sprayer. The blue dye will help curb sunlight penetration in shallow ponds, but it is ugly in my opinion and isn't a perfect cure.
I recommend adding shade in more areas of the pond, but not willow as they can drain a pond this size quickly. Also consider dredging out portions to add more depth.
If you decide to put any money into this pond, start with an aerator. Many people get suckered into floating fountains because of the aesthetics, but they really only aerate the top several feet of water, can contribute to turbidity issues in small ponds, often become clogged and require expensive maintenance, and also add a small element of danger by introducing electricity into an aquatic environment. Fountains will also accelerate water evaporation during the hot months. Aerators on the other hand aerate the entire water column from the bottom up which helps minimize risk of pond stratification/ turnover, and better supplements natural aeration within the pond. They are much cheaper than their fountain counterparts and are lower risk for maintenance and additonal costs. All electrical components for the unit are on the bank out of water also, making them safer than fountains.
I agree 100% with you!!
Congrats again on the new house. Can you say "Pond expansion and restocking video series?" It works! Ask Arms Family Homestead, Bama Bass, LOJO.
You will have to drain the pond and start over with the base. Crystal clear is possible.
Drain, bigger, and deeper...IMHO!
I would probably make the pond a panfishing paradise. Would be good for the kids and a quick meal.
I have a small pond. Add gypsum to clear it up and lily pads to keep it clear. Works like a charm
Definitely a filtration system like what Trapper J did for flairs hatchery ponds. It’ll clean up your pond and add oxygen to help fish survive. You also want to add some plants inside the pond to even add more filtration. Hope this helps! Can’t wait to see what you put in the pond!
Bull heads and blue gills. The city pond around my area has tons of bull head catfish and blue gills. Lots of fun to catch and guaranteed to catch with worms. Lots of fun for kids that want to catch fish
Someone doesn't watch Bamabass.
When everyone is making a trophy bass pond. Do a crappie one!
Pond deff would benefit from some beneficial bacteria. They make bags you just throw in all over the pond and they'll help a lot in my opinion. They make all kinds of animal safe stuff for ponds. If it was mine I'd add a waterfall with a pond filter.
"i think this is just blue dye" *holding bottle with the words blue pond dye * your intuition is strong LFG follow your gut brother.
Justin I want to thank you for the update on your family’s new house for sure!!! After you revealed the new house the other day I didn’t think that we would see anymore of the new place until you all had move in and it was all setup!! I definitely wanted to see everything that you would be doing to it before you all moved in and see what and where you might change things or how you might set something up!! I definitely hope that you do several more updates before you move in and showing the different things that you might be doing to change things to accommodate your needs!! Plus it might give others ideas for their places that they might be having trouble with areas they might want to put something but don’t no how to put something up and still make it look good!!! Awesome video buddy and I definitely wanted to congratulate you and the family on the new home again for sure!!! When I was at my mom and dad’s house growing up and was in high school I had bought my first section of land being 20 acres of farm ground back in 1998 and I went Wright into building are first home and still live in it today!!! And for not ever owning a home before you definitely may not no how you would like every thing for sure!!! Like a mud room before entering the home, the washer and dryer upstairs or downstairs?? The only thing that we messed up on was definitely a mud room with a full bathroom setup so that I could walk in take a shower and get cleaned up before walking through the house and making a mess!! Their is definitely always something that someone forgets about when building a house!!! Heck even enough electrical outlets but I did make sure that I put one on every wall in the bedrooms and enough in the kitchen for sure!!! Let me no what they missed in your house and you would have done differently???
Just say no to drugs.
LFG, that hole in the floor is called a pit. You use it to do work under your vehicles(oil changes, radiator flush, transmission fluid change, etc.), so you don't need a car lift.
I say fill it with chunky bluegills,crappie and catfish the pond needs some kind of pump house and filtration system if it doesn't already
You should look into expanding that pond! I think it would be awesome to turn it into a to a mini trophy bass pond!
Thanks for sharing this new stage of your life.
Giant copper nose bluegills!
I’m a new sub. Did love the cold versus hot. I can honestly say I have given away a ton of Googan gear away to many different people who couldn’t afford it. There are times I wish I didn’t but it’s gone and I’ll figure out how to build my pile back up.
Love the new house! Can’t wait to see the transformation!
Should get with bama bass and see what he does. Or there’s a really good pond management company there in DFW I know a senior vice president of. They mostly deal with the ponds for whole communities, but they could definitely help you out
That’s a storm shelter I looked into getting one of those several years ago,good storm shelter needs some water and a battery lights and room for the whole family !
get yourself on of those solar powered pond aerators. its like a fountain, sprays water in the air. that helps with keeping the pond clear
Definitely start from scratch. Add more blue dye (for ascetics) while you research a clean slate fresh start approach. I’m a big fan of what Bama Bass did with his aquascape project at the 5 acre pond
Matt Carricker's wife Mere did the same exact thing with the paint color when they were renovating the old mansion. Look like yellow ended up green roflol!
enjoy your new future LFG family looks great looking forward to the new adventures THANKS
Same kind of paint situation happened with Demo Ranch in the abandoned mansion build. Was supposed to be one colour, but when it dried it had a greenish tinge to it.
Thanks for the content.
Get some Ring perch to put in the pond an some blue gill an some pike an walleye an few catfish also get excavator out there dig it to 8 foot deep
Yes yes. I’m so excited to see what’s in your pond as well. Get to it. Lol. Congratulations on the new place 🤙🤙🤙🥃
You should try throwing a night crawler with a bobber around man and if there is anything in there i will eat that. That's what i would try to see what's in there. Almost everything will eat that ya know. But congrats on the new home man, very happy for you and osg and the kiddos. Yall deserve it man. Me and my wife and son love watching all of you guys videos but your me and my wifes favorite. Can't wait to see how you get the pond fixed up and socked and making videos fishing there.
Going straight crappie sounds amazing for a small pond.
I have a simple cheap sump pump as a fountain to move the water. It cleared up in a week!
Love the new digs!
Thanks for the update!! Looking good!! Hope you can find what to do to make the pond clear. I think bluegill, crappie & catfish would be ideal. Catch clean cook & kids can have fun catching dinner!!!🐟🐟🐟🐠🐢Stay Safe & God Bless!!! 🤠👍
The crawl space in the garage looks perfect for oil changes.
Would love to see bass, perch, & catfish in the pond!
Justin, you have to contact the nearest Aquascape certified contractor. They are pond magicians!
Super dope update Brother! I would say put in some gill’s, Crappie, and kitty Cats!!!
Cheers with a frosty Adult Beverage Sir Rackley ✊🏼🧐👊🏼😎🍻
You can also use the storm shelter to change the oil like she said.
Do a search for Texas A&M Water Management: Clearing Cloudy and Muddy Water in Ponds and Lakes.
Lots of helpful info on that document.
If you have never heard it before, "Backyard Lullaby" by Demun Jones seems like it might be right up your alley.
I'm convinced LFG and Mr. Ballen are the same person.
I’ve thought about how similar they look as well.
Making the pond clear will allow plants to grow on the bottom and that’s how ponds get choked out with grass
I still have a few of those extendable "cane poles". My first few were from Mister Twister, now have a few Black Widows, a vintage St. Croix, and a classic South Bend. Still fun to use.
I just went back and checked it out. I haven't gotten a notification from your channel since the video titled "I nearly flipped my jon boat fishing a flooded forest."
Definitely go and see pond king, they are awesome they will get you right! But short answer is to fertilize it which helps plankton bloom which helps with so much!
Very nice to have the tornado shelter!
Thanks for the video. I've always told myself if I had a decent sized pond, I'd stock it with crappie initially then some bass or catfish after a few years to keep the crappie population at bay. If the pond is over populated with crappie, they won't grow to a decent size
congrats on the new place. Keep some water snacks and battery powered lights in the shelter, make sure your fire dept knows you have it, how many people will be in it. If debris lands on it you may not be able to get out. Have a plan with neighbors as well.
Drain the pond. Start fresh. Clean out whatever trash is in there plant some border grasses. Wouldn't do pads since they'll take over. I only have a 500 gallon mini pond but anything that falls into that water is going to darken it up. Could lay some rock or sand in part of the pond and that will lighten it up once you refill. Then just regular water treatment you can get at a local pond store will help keep it clear. Think of it as a pool. Clean it frequent. Keep the levels right if you want clear water.
There are several approaches to help clear up muddy water in a pond, especially if it's filled by a water well. The muddiness is often caused by suspended particles like clay, algae, or organic matter. Here are a few strategies to address the issue:
1. Test the Water Quality
Before doing anything, it's helpful to test the water to check for pH levels, mineral content, and any potential contaminants. High pH or excessive minerals can contribute to muddiness by preventing suspended particles from settling.
2. Use Alum (Aluminum Sulfate)
Alum can help clear muddy water by binding to fine particles and causing them to clump together and settle at the bottom. To apply alum:
Dissolve it in water and evenly distribute it across the pond’s surface.
The typical dosage is around 50 to 100 pounds per acre-foot of water, but it's important to follow specific guidance for your pond size.
3. Add Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
Gypsum works similarly to alum but is less acidic. It helps coagulate particles and makes them settle out of the water. It’s often used when the pH is already on the low side. Spread gypsum across the surface at a rate of about 1,000-2,000 pounds per acre-foot, but again, this depends on the pond's condition.
4. Control Runoff and Erosion
Muddy water can often be a result of erosion or runoff carrying sediment into the pond. Some steps to control this include:
Planting grass or other ground cover around the pond to minimize soil erosion.
Using silt fences or straw bales to slow down runoff into the pond.
Building a buffer zone with rocks or vegetation to filter incoming water.
5. Aeration
Aeration systems, like fountains or diffusers, can improve water clarity by increasing oxygen levels, which encourages the breakdown of organic material and reduces algae growth. This can help address some causes of muddiness, though it may not fully solve sediment-related issues.
6. Consider Adding Beneficial Bacteria
There are commercially available beneficial bacteria that can help digest excess organic matter in the water, reducing cloudiness from decaying plant material or algae.
7. Install a Sediment Trap
If the well water is carrying in sediment, consider adding a sediment trap or pre-filter to your system to catch the sediment before it enters the pond.
8. Use Barley Straw
Barley straw can sometimes help with algae-related cloudiness. When barley straw breaks down in water, it releases compounds that inhibit algae growth, which can reduce turbidity over time.
If you’re unsure about chemical treatments like alum or gypsum, it might be wise to start with erosion control and see how that affects the water clarity first.
Excited for you and your family. Goals brother
What helped me map my two family ponds was a small boat n portable finder setup
Throw in a small colorful fountain in the pond especially for night
Combo of some sort of aeration, beneficial bacteria, and aluminum sulfate has worked for me. I’m an aquatic biologist up in Indiana. Not sure what types of sediment suspend down in Texas but I assume it will behave similarly. Hope that helps! Excited for the new house!
I would make it a little deeper and bit bigger. Have bass and some crappie in our one acre pond, but the crappie will take over as super spawners, so their growth ends up stunted. Have to catch a lot out of it for the remainders to grow.
A place to park the boat is great, built mine back in 2018, my man cave, hangout…
I that a fountain, if so, run that a little, it might clear some of that up?
When you're throwing the crank bait I kept holding my breath everytime until you had it reeled in, I realized I was doing it on your last cast.😅
I like the catfish crappie idea for the kids
Would not be surprised if its got bullhead catfish in the pond. Stock it with some minnows and bluegills.
I’d definitely focus the pond on something easy for the kids and the occasional dinner fish.
For exciting catches, you can always go somewhere else. But some fun for the kids should be close by.
I would get with Sarah Parvin in Alabama and start your version of the Texas Slab Lab with her giant Coppernose Bluegill... 🍺🎣
Thanks for sharing.
Tilapia!! And yes watch BamaBass and his pond building.
I'd definitely only use it for oil changes. Tornado shelter's like that can have extremely heavy debris from your house falling in on the door then your trapped. You can actually dig a earthen shelter into the ground and have a vertical door surrounded by truck size earthen mounds.
I’d put crappie in the pond. Maybe some blue gills so you can always have a meat source.
You should set up a pump and waterfall to increase water movement and oxygen. mechanical filtration to take out particles, you can also use activated carbon. If there are rocks in the waterfall that are exposed to sun, algae will grow(good algae) and it will scrub the pond of nutrients and should clear the water up as well.
Lake fork guy for president!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Gorilla bass, Magnolia crappie, channel catfish, red ear sunfish
You need to add filtration. For a faster fix mechanical filtration would be best. For all natural adding floating plants, as well as plants on the bottom, around the edge and aeration will fix it. Congrats on he move!
Would like to see how you set up your terminal tackle area in the garage 👍🏽
The pond is so muddy cause it has a lot of loose sediment. I would definitely add some kind of vegetation to help give the bottom some structure and filter the water. Also adding a small handful of small carp/tilapia would be good. Maybe 5 or so of each and just let them do their thing and kinda stabilize the water. They can always be culled for fertilizer if they grow too much in the future.
She was right. Back in the day they use to do that to work on cars. My grandparents shop had one
You should put up a game camera or two by your pond. Get some intel on the woodland critters while you are busy moving in.
Glad I’m not the only one that gets blue fingers when I mess with dye
Don’t forget water storage down there!
the pond needs some underwater plants and other plants to filter the water... :) nice!!
id put some air stones in the pond before going all buckwild and putting dye in.. probably going to clean it up a lot... If that doesnt do it id test the water.. also add a filter .. that should do the trick.
White bass, crappie, blue gill, channel catfish.
Congrats on the new house bro
Looks great
It’s going to be a battle but those little white flower weeds are roadside aster. They will ruin a yard. I had to cut them as far down as I could reach with wire cutters. First year in the fall was terrible, second year was a lot better and third year was easy. I’m on the 4th year and have pulled less than 5.
Yep the damn roots are 10" long
That dugout will get super loud if a tornado was over you lol
God is so good! I’m thankful yall have found a forever home and god was good enough to bless your family with it!! Keep inspiring others, God bless! I cannot wait to have my own hopefully one day
Dig out the pond and the make it larger. Check with TNRCC and TCEQ for additional help. There are typically tax credits given if you expand.