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Fish Kill #45699
03/16/2015 07:14 AM
03/16/2015 07:14 AM
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 181
Mooresville
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Irish Hunter Offline OP
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Irish Hunter  Offline OP
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Mooresville
Need some advice on a weird situation, yesterday after the last of ice thawed I noticed catfish floating on the surface. I guess I lost 10 cats. Upon further investigation we found dead tad poles about 3/4 inch long and lots of smaller blue gill and bass dead in the leaves on bottom. I am asking myself why would there be tad poles this time of year and such small fish. Almost like they had a hatch in the fall and froze in. I am boggled. Any insight?

Re: Fish Kill #45700
03/16/2015 12:09 PM
03/16/2015 12:09 PM
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,192
Decatur County/Greensburg, IN
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Yaz Offline
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Decatur County/Greensburg, IN
How deep is the pond? Likely low oxygen killed them. The combination of ice cover, and anaerobic decomposition from decaying plant matter used up the O2. Tadpoles will winter over under the ice before they make the transformation in the spring. Once again, low O2 got the tadpoles also.

Re: Fish Kill #45701
03/17/2015 03:53 AM
03/17/2015 03:53 AM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,586
Cass County
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Steiny Offline
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Steiny  Offline
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Cass County
Yep, Yaz probably has it right.

Things you can do:
1. Make the pond deeper.
2. Add an aerator or source of incoming water.
3. Keep your weeds controlled during the summer so you don't have a bunch that will die off under the ice.

Re: Fish Kill #45702
03/17/2015 11:53 AM
03/17/2015 11:53 AM
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 181
Mooresville
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Irish Hunter Offline OP
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Mooresville
its a little over a 1/4 acre and 17 foot deep in the middle , basically a damned up ravine. I have heard of Aerators, Any options other than running electricity to it? That would be a heck of a project

Re: Fish Kill #45703
03/17/2015 05:47 PM
03/17/2015 05:47 PM
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,192
Decatur County/Greensburg, IN
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Yaz Offline
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Yaz  Offline
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Posts: 4,192
Decatur County/Greensburg, IN
I've heard just cutting holes in the ice, and splashing in the hole will put air under the ice. But I don't know that would be enough. Might be a good question for THROBAK.

Re: Fish Kill #45704
03/18/2015 01:32 AM
03/18/2015 01:32 AM
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,830
Hancock Co.
trapperDave Offline
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Hancock Co.
electricity to the pond or an air line to it


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Re: Fish Kill #45705
03/18/2015 03:38 AM
03/18/2015 03:38 AM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,586
Cass County
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Steiny Offline
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Cass County
1/4 Acre isn't very big, but 17' is nice depth to hold a few fish. Guessing it's just overpopulated for the carrying capacity, so when oxygen levels got low during freeze up it killed some off, hopefully not all of them.

The big cats make it worse when they are all gathered up in the deepest hole and stir up the silt. I'd get the cats out of there and go with hybrid bluegills.

Re: Fish Kill #45706
03/18/2015 05:28 AM
03/18/2015 05:28 AM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 247
Noblesville IN
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garman6 Offline
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Noblesville IN
My buddy just runs an extension cord and puts his portable air compressor in the hole with no attachment on it. He ties the hose to a jug and lets it go for a day or so then shuts it down. He does that a couple times every winter and it works really well.

Re: Fish Kill #45707
05/18/2015 09:52 AM
05/18/2015 09:52 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 228
Brownstown, IN, U.S.A.
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RoadKill1948 Offline
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Brownstown, IN, U.S.A.
The 17' depth makes is easier to properly aerate. Instead of running electricity to the pond, run an air line using inexpensive poly (black) water line (1/2"). The line is much cheaper than wire and you don't have to put it underground.


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