Choosing the Best Pond Dye That's Safe for Fish
by Tory Jon | Last Updated: March 01, 2024
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Pond dye is an effective way to add beautiful, bold color to your pond water.
Plus, it helps control algae growth and deters predators, keeping your fish safe.
With that in mind, let's look at the benefits of using dye in your pond, compare a few of the most popular pond dye products on the market, and answer the most popular questions regarding pond dyes.
Comparison Chart
| Description | Type | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Aquashade Aqua Blue Pond Dye & Weed Control | Liquid | ||
|
Pond Worx Black Lake & Pond Dye | Liquid | ||
|
Pond Logic Pond Dye Packets | Packets |
*Buying through links in this chart may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
Best Pond Dye Reviews
Aquashade Aqua Blue Pond Dye & Weed Control
One of the best pond dyes on the market today (and one I personally use) is Aquashade pond dye. This vibrant aqua blue colorant enhances the look of your pond and provides weed and algae control.
It uses a blend of specific blue and yellow dyes that screen out portions of the sunlight spectrum required by underwater plant life and algae to grow. This effectively inhibits photosynthesis and can completely stop growth if applied early in the season.
While this is great for controlling weeds and algae, just keep in mind if you have any submerged plants, they may be affected. Floating and emergent pond plants like lilies should be OK.
Aquashade pond dye is EPA registered and safe for fish and animals.
How To Use
- Pour 1 gallon per 1 acre (average depth of 4 feet) directly into your pond.
- Speed up the dye dispersion by pouring into several areas of your pond.
- Start applying product early in the season for best weed and algae control. Continue treatments every 30 days or as desired.
Pond Worx Black Lake & Pond Dye
Pond Worx Lake & Pond Dye is an ultra-concentrated colorant that is 4 times stronger than its competitors. This means that their small quart-sized bottle will treat the same area as their competitor's gallon-sized bottle. Essentially, less product you must dump into your pond and at a potentially cheaper cost.
Pond Worx dye is 100% non-toxic and safe for fish, livestock, and humans.
Their black pond dye gives your pond water a very natural, reflective appearance. It's commonly used in golf course ponds across the country but is gaining in popularity in backyard ponds.
Pond Worx dye is available in black and blue colors and lasts up to 30 days.
How To Use
- Pour 1 quart for every acre (average depth of 4-6 feet) directly into the pond.
- The colorant will disperse through the water for 24-48 hours.
- The desired water color is largely based on personal preference, so you may need to add more or less for best results.
- Continue treatments every 30 days to retain color.
Pond Logic Pond Dye Packets
Pond Logic dye packets are dissolvable packets you place directly in your pond water to achieve a bright, rich blue color.
Two of the Pond Logic packets equal a gallon of liquid dye. So, essentially two packets will treat a 1-acre pond roughly 4 to 6 feet deep. And they come in 4 packets per case.
Although it's personal preference, some argue that packets are more convenient and create less mess than the liquid form of pond dye.
Pond Logic Dye Packets are available in two colors: Nature's Blue and DyeMond Black. They are also safe for fish, livestock, and humans.
Learn more about Airmax Pond Logic Pond Dye with this quick product video.
How To Use
- Toss 1 packet into your pond for every half-acre of water.
- Add the product in early spring for best results. Continue treatments every 4-8 weeks thereafter as desired.
Other Quality Pond Dye Products
I'd be remiss not to mention the following popular pond dye products that will certainly give you the results you're looking for.
Like the pond dyes reviewed above, these are extremely popular pond water dyes from reputable companies with great customer reviews!
- The Pond Guy PondShade Pond Dye: From the popular "The Pond Guy" brand of pond products, this Caribean Blue dye was designed to shade and beautify your pond. One gallon of dye treats a 1-acre pond that's 4 to 6 ft. deep.
- Natural Waterscapes Midnight Blue Lake & Pond Dye: This pond dye creates a deep, natural-looking midnight blue pond that helps prevent sunlight from penetrating the bottom of the pond. One quart of the product will treat 1 acre.
- Pond Champs Blue Lake and Pond Dye: This is 100% safe for humans and animals and was designed to color and beautify your pond! One gallon of dye treats a 1-acre pond that's 4 to 6 ft. deep.
These are just a few more options to consider if you're struggling to find a water dye in the right color or price. You really can't go wrong with any of the above.
Benefits of Pond Dye
Adding dye to your pond, whether a small backyard pond or large fish pond (and everything in between), can have several important benefits. Let's look at why you might want to start using pond dye today.
Dramatic Color Effect
Of course, the most obvious benefit of using pond water dye is its ability to completely transform the appearance of a pond in as little as 24 hours. In fact, this is arguably the most common reason that pond owners buy pond dye.
If your pond water looks a little boring or just plain dull, a pond colorant can bring it to life in a way you must see to believe.
When properly dosed, pond dyes will add rich, vibrant color to your pond's water (typically blue or black and even red) for 30 days or more. Algae control and predator deterrent are simply added benefits to many pond owners beyond aesthetic reasons, which brings us to…
Algae & Weed Control
Not only can pond dye turn a drab pond into a beautiful oasis, but it can also help control algae and submerged pond weeds!
Pond dyes prevent UV light from penetrating the water's surface, which is needed for algae and weeds to grow. When applied in early spring, before algae and weeds really start to bloom, you can easily keep them under control.
Some dyes, like Aquashade Pond Dye & Weed Control, use special blue and yellow colors designed to block out parts of the sunlight spectrum required by algae and weeds to grow.
Keep in mind if your water is already infested with pond scum or you have weeds poking up out of the surface, then pond dye won't be effective at killing them off. You'll have to first remove the troublesome algae and weeds and then add the pond dye to help prevent It from returning.
Predator Deterrent
Pond dye can also help deter predators from attacking your pond fish!
The dye makes it harder for birds and overhead predators like herons to see fish swimming near the bottom of the pond. And pond dyes, especially black, can create a reflective surface, making it hard for predators to see in the water at all.
Even some land animals may be turned off by the odor and sight of dyed ponds.
Pond Dye Colors
Pond dyes are available in a few different colors, some more popular than others.
Blue Pond Dye
Arguably the most popular pond colorant, blue dyes give your pond a clean and natural look. Blue dye really becomes aesthetically pleasing when you have lots of green foliage surrounding your pond.
You'll find a range of different blue colors available, from dark blue to a light crystal blue. How much colorant you use and the condition of your pond will also play a factor in the specific color of blue your pond turns.
Blue dye is good at helping control the growth of algae and helping to deter predators from fish that like to swim near the bottom of your pond.
Black Pond Dye
Black dyes create a reflective surface on your pond, creating a visually appealing experience if you have lots of trees and foliage reflecting in your pond.
Black dyes are extremely effective at protecting pond fish from predators, as the ultra-reflective surface it creates makes it hard for predators to see through the surface of the water.
They are also good at controlling algae as they block UV light required by algae and other plant life to grow.
Red Pond Dye
Easily the least popular of all pond dyes, red dye is sometimes used to add flair and dramatic effect to small ornamental ponds, garden ponds, ponds found on goofy golf courses, and the like.
It's also sometimes used for specific occasions, for example, to color a pond red on Valentine's day or for awareness campaigns.
