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Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed #12726010 04/22/18 03:01 PM
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BadgerBass Offline OP
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Anyone know where in north Texas to buy bulk Aluminum Sulfate (Alum) powder or Calcium Sulfate or Calcium Carbonate powder to apply to water to clear to save fish population? Thanks.

Moritz Chevrolet - 9101 Camp Bowie W Blvd, Fort Worth, TX - Monte Coon (817) 696-2003
Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12726055 04/22/18 03:38 PM
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Ken A. Offline
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A word of caution. If you over apply Alum it can kill every fish in the pond. Alum will lower the pH in the pond. You may wind up with a clear pond full of dead fish if you're not careful.

I would recommend you spend a few hundred dollars and have a good lake biologist test the water first before you add any chemicals. Most lake owners use a two-pronged approach for clearing up the water in their ponds. They use alum to drop out the suspended solids and clear up the water then they add lime to buffer the pH back up into the 7.5 to 8.0 range.

As you may know, the life cycle of any body of water begins in the planktonic stage. The baitfish feed on the plankton. The bass feed on the baitfish. If you don't have good water chemistry, it will be very difficult to have a good bass population. I just have to assume this is what you are trying to achieve.

There are several suppliers of alum and lime. Just be cautious before you proceed. I have heard many stories of folks building their dream lake then spending a fortune on baitfish & bass only to wake up one morning to find every fish in the lake floating dead.



Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: Ken A.] #12726071 04/22/18 03:50 PM
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Ken, thanks much for the input. I'm actually educated in Biochemistry so get the monitoring of pH levels and likely addition of lime. My challenge is that I've done a bunch of on line research and can't find anyplace to buy it. Have bought once before 6 years ago,at Estes Chemical but that closed frown

Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12726078 04/22/18 03:55 PM
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Ken A. Offline
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You can call Brenntag but they may not sell to individuals. The company I work for buys a lot of raw materials from them.



Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: Ken A.] #12726150 04/22/18 05:29 PM
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We scattered fertilizer around the edges of our tank at the ranch, cleared up big time.


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Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12726254 04/22/18 07:10 PM
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Which fertilizer did you use

Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: Ken A.] #12726257 04/22/18 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: Ken A.
A word of caution. If you over apply Alum it can kill every fish in the pond. Alum will lower the pH in the pond. You may wind up with a clear pond full of dead fish if you're not careful.

I would recommend you spend a few hundred dollars and have a good lake biologist test the water first before you add any chemicals. Most lake owners use a two-pronged approach for clearing up the water in their ponds. They use alum to drop out the suspended solids and clear up the water then they add lime to buffer the pH back up into the 7.5 to 8.0 range.

As you may know, the life cycle of any body of water begins in the planktonic stage. The baitfish feed on the plankton. The bass feed on the baitfish. If you don't have good water chemistry, it will be very difficult to have a good bass population. I just have to assume this is what you are trying to achieve.

There are several suppliers of alum and lime. Just be cautious before you proceed. I have heard many stories of folks building their dream lake then spending a fortune on baitfish & bass only to wake up one morning to find every fish in the lake floating dead.

Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12726317 04/22/18 08:51 PM
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Originally Posted By: BadgerBass
Ken, thanks much for the input. I'm actually educated in Biochemistry so get the monitoring of pH levels and likely addition of lime. My challenge is that I've done a bunch of on line research and can't find anyplace to buy it. Have bought once before 6 years ago,at Estes Chemical but that closed frown

Estes is now WinfieldUnited and has a branch in Carrollton.

Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12726690 04/23/18 03:14 AM
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Use gypsum. Safe and binds with the suspended particles. Works very well.

Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12727533 04/23/18 07:29 PM
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I used gypsum. Worked great with no harm to fish


PB Largemouth 8.56 Lake Fork
PB Largemouth 8.98 Sam Rayburn (Big Bass Splash)

Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12727615 04/23/18 08:32 PM
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Reel Addict Where did you purchase the Gypsum

Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12727683 04/23/18 09:23 PM
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I ordered through local farm and ranch store. You can buy online or find at Home Depot and Lowes if they carry in your area. They were willing to order for me as well. I prefer to support the smaller stores when at all possible. Have a friend that used quick set sheetrock powder mix in his. If you research it's the same thing. Have heard of people using old sheetrock but I was worried about all the paper.


PB Largemouth 8.56 Lake Fork
PB Largemouth 8.98 Sam Rayburn (Big Bass Splash)

Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12727970 04/24/18 01:14 AM
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Thanks Reel Addict

Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: Billybass1102] #12728038 04/24/18 02:13 AM
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Originally Posted By: Billybass1102
Which fertilizer did you use


I am not sure, i think it was just a typical lawn fertilizer.


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Re: Muddy Bass Pond-clearing needed [Re: BadgerBass] #12728366 04/24/18 12:58 PM
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Billybass1102 you're welcome. I did alot of research on this topic before deciding to go with gypsum. Read articles of people using 13/13/13 fertilizer, pulverized lime and specific produced chemicals for ponds with high price tags. The number one thing I found was to make sure you create a grass system to protect runoff from making muddy again after treatment. All forums researched had success stories of all treatments. The highest percentage success stories I could find was the gypsum without any harm to fish.


PB Largemouth 8.56 Lake Fork
PB Largemouth 8.98 Sam Rayburn (Big Bass Splash)

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