Blue Pond Dye

Recently I noticed that one of the local ponds I fished changed quite drastically in color from a brown/green to a bright blue/green. It is a retention pond owned by an apartment complex and I suspect they have recently begun using dye to make the pond more aesthetic.

Is anyone familiar with these dyes? Do they affect fish health wise? Do they affect feeding or mating behavior? Will they alter the colors of the fish?

Basically it stops certain light wavelengths from penetrating the water. Keeps aquatic plants at bay, but most use it for algae control, which it doesn't do that well, and is greatly overused. I have not heard much about it having an impact on fish. Check out the Pond Boss forum. Probably more info than you could want on the subject. Great forum for those interested in native fish on a pond sized scale. I am surprised that more people here don't check it out from time to time. Maybe they do, but I rarely see it referenced.

That's a shame to hear. There were a bunch of beautiful lily pads and other large aquatic plants in this pond. Looked great and provided cover for fish and food for some huge grass carp. I think a fake blue, barren pond in much more of an eyesore than some aquatic plants.

Emergent plants like lily won't be affected really. Primarily submerged vegetation is only deprived from sunlight. That is why many algae's are not controlled, as they float to the surface. If I remember correctly, you should add dye late winter or early spring if it is going to do any good controlling algae. Sounds like your pond managers are trying to get a jump on it, and may add a second dose come spring.

The dye may diminish productivity of the food chain by suppressing the phytoplankton followed by zooplankton which are at the bottom of the food chain. However as Matt eluded to it not really that effective in the top two to three feet of the pond.

 

From my experience using it where phyto and zooplankton production is not important, as I don't have reproducing fish in a grow out pond (one sex only), and the fish are fed artificially, nature has a tendency to compensate elsewhere as in increased production of algae and macrophytes in shallow water.  

 

One way or another something else will uptake the nutrients IMHO. 

 

I used to use it as a tool to reduce the overproduction of macrophytes but now I use tilapia to do the job. Bring in YOY to the basement for the winter and stock them at 10 to 14 inches the following May. 

 

Tilapia love to consume filamentous algae and if stocking in high enough numbers will go after the macrophytes when the algae is consumed. What I usually end up with is gin clear water or an algae bloom comes and goes.