Bleach in a pond, before fish

[FishyMatty]

Bare with me. I really just need some information because my mother doesn't seem to take my word for it.

Last fall I built a pond, filled it with water and the next day it froze. We left it all winter and my dog and cat crapped on the ice which then melted and you can imagine what happened to the poo. So, no filter 6 months or so, green poopy water. My mother says if I put a small amount of bleach in the water it will help clear it up and kill what ever bacteria was left by the poop.
My mother thinks that in a month or so all the bleach will completely dissipate and with a water change the pond will be fish safe.

Please provide some information to whether or not bleach is safe and/or will dissipate over the course of a month or so.
She will be reading this thread.

 

[rocker92]

i would clean it out and scrub it well.

 

[tigerbarb88]

im a newbie and id think your have to drain it, scrub it down, fix any cracks or whatever, then go about refilling it.

but if its just going to freeze later on in the year, i personally wouldnt use it for fish.

 

[ITHURTZ]

In a month it would be fine. Liquid bleach evaporats fast from water. Think of s swimming pool. If you dump 3 gallons of bleach in the pool and end up with a reading of 4.0, at the end of the week, with no use it could very well end up 2.0. In a month the pool would end up at 0 with very cloudy water from no disinfectant. Your moms right in a sense, but whos to say in a month other "crap" wont get into it.

IMO I wouldnt do anything, dog crap, fish crap, its the same stuff, fertilizer. If your that worried drain it and refill.