Aquatic herbicides are formulated to control a wide variety of pond vegetation and are safe to use within your pond. Aquatic herbicides come in both granular and liquid forms. They are mainly used to control and prevent weed growth and pond algae.
How To Ensure Aquatic Herbicides Are Safe To Use
All pond herbicides go through rigorous testing by the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure they are not harmful to humans or animals. They test for both short-term (acute) and long-term(chronic) health effects before any product is certified to be sold to the general public. This rigorous testing should reassure you that the chemicals you add to your water are 100% safe for the environment, humans, and animals.
The greatest risk when using aquatic herbicides is killing too many plants at one time as decomposing plants will use up all the dissolved oxygen in the water that can prove fatal to the fish. The best way to avoid this is by only treating a quarter of the pond at any time and being cautious when the weather is hot.
Pond herbicides are best used in conjunction with other steps to make the pond less suitable for the excessive growth of aquatic plants. For example, using dyes to starve plants from light, extensive foliage with pond tools, reducing the nutrients going into the pond, and deepening the pond depth are excellent steps you can take to help with managing aquatic vegetation.
Choosing how to stock your pond can also help control aquatic vegetation. Grass carp are plant-eating fish that eat both submerged and floating plants; Cattails and other hardier fibrous plants will not be affected. Please keep in mind that the total removal of submerged higher plants from your pond is bad for the fish population and can accelerate the growth of algae.
