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Copper is a heavy metal that can precipitate out in fish tissues in large concentrations. Copper can be toxic to fish and the toxicity is related to the total concentration. It is known to lower or even deplete dissolved oxygen levels which could result in fish death. Also known is that CuS04 does kill large numbers of invertebrates such as rotifers and copepods, etc. and the beneficial microbes as well.
When adding CuS04 to a pond or lake, the total alkalinity and pH should be known because copper sulfate is more toxic in water of low alkalinity and lower pH.
* IMPORTANT NOTICE *
When applying herbicides, one must understand what happens to the algae or aquatic weed once the herbicide has been applied. The above herbicides can work wonders but once the algae or weed dies it sinks to the bottom of the water resource. This starts the decaying process and produces the rich organic muck that is "fertilizer" for microscopic algae (phytoplankton). They in turn use this and grow into large algae mats that you again eradicate with a herbicide. Thus, resulting in a NEVER ending battle of algae and poor water quality.
This is a common question tbat is of en asked. So, we decided to address the question with the following possibilities.
Most fish kills can be attributed to one of three major contributors:
1. Catastrophic die-off where a large quantity of fish suddenly die. The causes may be oxygen depletion or contamination of fertilizer or pesticide run-off.
2. Partial die-off typically seen as a few fish of different species die over a period of one or two weeks. This could be caused by bacterial, viral, parasitic or fungal infections and is very common during the early spring after a mild winter. Bacteria are normally present in ponds and lakes and only become noticed when the fish get stressed. Bacteria can infect a single fish and multiply rapidly causing a large fish kill in a few days or weeks.
They are identified by the tissue damage since they are not visible to the naked eye. Viral infections are the worst type of fish disease and usually occur in trout and salmon only, so it is important to only purchase fish from a reputable fish hatchery. Infections caused by parasites are barely noticed (microscopic) because they attach themselves to the gills, skin, inside of stomach or as grub-like worms in the fish tissues. Fungal infections are unavoidable and are always present in ponds and lakes. A fish with a Fungal infection will present a cottony-like growth on injured or dead tissue.
Examples of bacterial infections include the species of: Flexibacter, Aeromaonas, Pseudomonas, Flauobacteria, and Cytophaga.
Examples of parasitic infections include the species of: Myxobolus, Lernea, Neascus, Proteocephalus, Ichthyophthirius (lck),Clinostomum, and Hysterbmorpha.
3. Low oxygen signs such as fish gulping at the surface, crayfish crawling out of the water or even the rotten egg smell.
In most cases, dead fish are the only sign of a problem. Unfortunately, little can be done once a fish kill has occurred. This is why it is important to understand your pond or lake and perform preventative measures before fish kills happen. Water quality testing can be a useful tool in determining the cause of fish kills if the tests are performed immediately after the kill. This is rarely practical since summer kills often go unoticed for several days and winter kills may go unnoticed for several months.
Fish diseases are common to ponds and lakes and do not pose any threat to humans who choose to eat the fish from their water resource if the fish are cooked properly.
For a detailed chart of bacterial diseases and symptoms, call us and we'll send you a copy. It's a great reference tool to have.
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Causes of
Unhealthy
Ponds
How to
Achieve a
Healthy Pond
Effects of
Herbicides
Causes of
Fish Kills
Types of
Algae
Aquatic
Vegetation
Unwanted
Aquatic
Vegetation
Types of
Aeration
Fish
Structure
Bioaugmentation