Pond Dye Pros and Cons

If you are a pond or lake owner in Charlotte, NC, you might be familiar with the words “pond dye.” Or, maybe you aren’t.

If you are not, I hope this article helps you to understand what pond dye is, and I hope it helps you to feel confident in your decision to use or to not use pond dye.

What is pond dye?

Before I get into the pros and cons, it’s important to know what it is and why pond and lake owners use it. Pond dye is, basically, the same thing as food coloring. It comes in a few different shades of blue. You can choose the color based on the pond or lake’s environment.

Pros of pond dye

To start, let me say that pond dyes are SAFE! They are food-grade, meaning they will not hurt wildlife or humans. Even if someone or something takes a big gulp of it, they will not be harmed.

That’s a relief, especially for those of you who use their ponds and lakes for swimming! Pond dyes also enhance the pond or lake’s natural beauty!

And who doesn’t want that? They can help reduce the appearance of some algae, along with having a beautiful reflection. Not only does it help with the appearance of algae, but it also helps reduce algae!

Just a little. Ponds and Lakes still need chemical treatments. The reflection that the dye gives off also helps with predators like birds. It makes it harder to see fish.

Finally, the dye helps to shield the sun keeping vegetation and fish a little cooler.

Cons of pond dye

Pond dye can be a real pain when it stains your clothes.  That is why it is a real must that you use gloves when using pond dye.  Just the wind blowing can be a real pain.

Because it is blue, you will want to store it on a concrete floor that you wouldn’t care about if it did get stained.  If you store it on carpet, and it leaks, it will be extremely hard to clean up, even if it is concentrated.

The greatest problem with pond dye is that it does not shade ponds with heavy flows from streams, springs or stormwater.  Essentially, the pond dye is diluted in less than a week and is no longer effective.

So unless you wish to spend $50 per gallon per week to treat every acre of your pond… it will not be best method for controlling aquatic weeds.  A simple pond management plan executed on a monthly basis can save the money and hassle of pond dyes forever.

Pro Tip:  Black dye is not effective in muddy ponds.  Only blue dye will penetrate the suspended particles and give you results.

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