Water quality tests are usually expensive, complicated, and may be inconclusive. Install emergency surface aerators or pump-sprays.Treat only one-third of the pond surface each time with herbicide.Use herbicides only in the Spring and Fall.Prevent manure and animal waste runoff into the pond.Fence livestock from the pond and upstream waters.

In order to prevent fish suffocation in fertile ponds:

Fish kills from pesticides, chlorine, gasoline, fuel oil, ammonia fertilizer, acids, and other toxic chemicals are not as common in private ponds, but can occur. The color and clarity of pond water may change and a foul odor may be released. Large fish may die first, but all sizes of fish are usually affected. Symptoms of oxygen depletion may include an abnormal distribution of fish gulping at the water surface or at the pond inlet or edges. Fish kills from oxygen depletion usually occur in the early morning hours (at dawn) in very rich (green water) ponds following: (1) the die-off of a large algae bloom, (2) the decay of water weeds after treatment with a herbicide, (3) the turnover of oxygen-poor bottom waters following a thunderstorm, (4) the runoff of livestock waste and other organics after a heavy rain. Sudden, large fish kills in ponds are often the result of fish suffocation caused by nighttime oxygen depletion in the summer. However, when large numbers of fish of all sizes are found dead and dying over a long period of time, it is necessary to investigate and determine the cause.

Expect some fish to die of old age, injury, winter starvation, or even post-spawning stress in the springtime. Fish may die of old age, starvation, body injury, stress, suffocation, water pollution, diseases, parasites, predation, toxic algae, severe weather, and other reasons.Ī few dead fish floating on the surface of a pond or lake is not necessarily cause for alarm. Fish die as a result of a wide variety of natural and unnatural causes.

Fish feed and grow fish