SERVICES
Biological Vegetation Treatment
Treating ponds for aquatic vegetation is one of the more focused upon aspects of pond maintenance.
This is usually done utilizing aquatic herbicides sprayed into the water to kill aquatic vegetation and algae. While this form of treatment is needed in many cases and can be done safely while adhering to EPA standards and label rates, this is not the only option for treating aquatic vegetation. The use of eco-friendly strategies are becoming more prevalent and Carolina Pond and Stormwater is at the forefront of these practices.
See the below services offered; these can be singular or offered in combination with regular maintenance services:
Beneficial Bacteria
Similar to products used in wastewater treatment, beneficial bacteria aids in breaking down detritus and muck that contain much of the nutrients needed to fuel algae and aquatic vegetation growth, thus decreasing the ability of these plants to grow. Bacteria can also increase the depth of your pond by consuming the muck layer on the bottom.Aeration
All bodies of water have some amount of dissolved oxygen. Much like all life, oxygen is need for the overall health of the water body and by increasing the dissolved oxygen levels the comsumption of nutrient rich detritus in increased.
Aeration also decreases the potential for stratification, or layering of oxygen levels in waterbodies, thus decreasing the potential for fish kills.
Pond Dye
If you put a tarp over your lawn your grass would eventually die due to lack of sunlight penetration, this stopping the photosynthesis process. Pond dyes work in the same way. By shading sunlight, photosynthesis in aquatic vegetation and algae is impaired. Dye is not a proper substitute for other forms of treatments, but is a great addition to the overall management. Pond dye also creates a pleasing coloration to the water.Grass Carp
Triploid grass carp and tilapia are natures weed eaters of the water. Grass carp feed heavily on rooted aquatic vegetation and can consume several times their body weight in aquatic vegetation per day. Consider that a 5 pound grass carp can consume 5-15 pounds of aquatic vegetation per day and the reduction in herbicide usage when these are utilized. Reference SiteBlue Tilapia
Don’t assume that tilapia are only good eating fish available at your local supermarket. These fish can consume massive amount of algae and bread rapidly throughout the warm months. Blue Tilapia feed on both filamentous and planktonic algae and can be a great addition to a pond with excessive algae concentrations. Warning: these fish can not tolerate temperatures lower than 50deg F, so one can expect a die off in the winter. This is not catastrophic as the fish can be picked up and discarded and then re-stocked in the spring.Wetland Plants
All forms of wetland plants help to purify water. They help to prevent massive amounts of nutrients from entering the water, as well as soaking up many of these nutrients for their own benefit. While everyone wants beautiful lawns and landscaping, one of the most problematic issues for aquatic vegetation growth is point source nitrification from fertilization. These plants will help to prevent fertilization runoff from entering the pond. Oh yea, and they are absolutely beautiful when planted correctly!Phosphorus Binding Applicants
To flourish, algae needs phosphorus. This nutrient occurs naturally in the atmosphere, soil and water, but as mentioned above is many times introduced into ponds through fertilization. With the use of products, such as Phoslock the Free Reactive Phosphorus (FRP) is bound to this locking agent and is not available for algae growth.It’s important to note
All of these practices are environmentally friendly. In some cases, more stringent practices may be needed. Carolina Pond and Stormwater can consult with you on the best course of action for your needs.
