What Does Floria's Hot Months Mean For The Fish In My Pond?

The warm weather in Florida can cause un-aerated ponds and lakes to hold less dissolved oxygen. This can create an environment that is difficult for fish to survive in, so you should be extra careful when treating aquatic vegetation and algae when it's hot outside.

The chemicals involved in the treatment of aquatic vegetation and algae can make the oxygen levels in the water drop even lower than they already are in the summer. The chemicals themselves are not harmful to fish, but the waste they tend to leave behind can be because the decomposition process takes away even more oxygen necessary for fish to thrive. As a result, doing these types of treatments during the warmest months of the year can create a very toxic environment for fish.

High Water Temperatures Can Be Life Threatening

Some species of fish, like largemouth bass, can start to die in water that has exceeded 90 degrees. Other species will begin to die at 95 degrees. Fish succumbing to heat can be pretty common in Florida's warm climate. Most often, this occurs in shallow bodies of water, like ponds, that tend to experience quite a lot of evaporation during the summer months. This type of environment doesn't allow fish to escape to deeper, cooler water at the bottom. Bodies of water that are 8 feet or more deep in at least 25% of the area they cover are less likely to experience the extreme temperatures that can cause fish to die.

Oxygen Levels are Key to Fish Survival

The dissolved oxygen levels in bodies of water are influenced by a variety of things, like temperature, sunlight, waves, water clarity, and even the time of day. When the sun is out, plenty of light gets into the water, which can be beneficial to aquatic plants and algae because it allows them to create more oxygen. Unfortunately, overcast days that are very warm can cause dissolved oxygen levels to fall. Because of this, dissolved oxygen levels usually vary on a regular basis. They are the highest in the afternoon after the sun is at its strongest. Conversely, they are at their lowest just before the sun rises because plants and algae in the water consume a lot of oxygen at night. Ponds that have a lot of algae or weed growth and are not maintained usually see the most substantial changes in oxygen levels. In severe cases, fish can die because of this even if no other dangerous factors are present.

Continuously checking water is an important part of maintaining a healthy pond or lake environment. Pond management companies in Florida recommend avoiding treatment for algae and aquatic weeds until the weather is cool enough. Although warmer temperatures can often exacerbate algae and weed growth and cause water to look unsightly, the alternative is much worse in this case.