Fertilizing a Pond

It is essential for a healthy, thriving pond to have a solid fertilization program. Fertilizing bass/bream ponds increases carrying capacity from approximately 100 pounds of fish per acre to approximately 350 pounds of fish per acre. Therefore, fertilizing is extremely beneficial and a necessity if you want your pond to have many healthy fish.
The first step in a successful fertilization program requires understanding the food chain within the pond. The food chain in a pond consists of phytoplankton, zooplankton, aquatic insects, bream, and bass. Phytoplankton form the base of the food chain in a pond. Phytoplankton are a microscopic algae that live suspended in the photic zone (the area where sunlight penetrates). Phytoplankton use nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sunlight to live. Adding fertilizer to pond water increases the amount of nutrients available to phytoplankton, thus increasing plankton numbers. This boost in primary productivity increases numbers of zooplankton and aquatic insects, which, in turn, increases the number of bass and bream in the pond.

Before starting a fertilization program, the fish population balance, retention time, and water quality parameters (such as hardness and alkalinity) must be checked. Fertilization increases the carrying capacity of the pond, not the average size of each fish. Therefore, if your pond is overcrowded with small fish, a fertilization program will only increase the number of small fish.

Professional Pond Management offers fertilization services throughout the state of Georgia. Consulting services for the "Do It Yourselfer" are also available. Prices for fertilization vary according to the size and location of the pond. The cost of the fertilization program is $100 + the cost of the fertilizer + travel time, per month. This price includes aquatic weed survey and water quality analysis.

Adding Lime to a Pond

In many Georgia ponds it is important to add 1-4 tons of agriculture lime per acre before implementing a fertilization program. Ponds with total hardness and alkalinity levels below 10 ppm will not respond to fertilizer. Hardness and alkalinity levels this low are an indication of acidic soil at the bottom of the pond. This type of soil will quickly bind phosphate fertilizers making the fertilizer available to unwanted aquatic weeds instead of desirable phytoplankton. Adding lime will buffer soil pH making fertilizer available to phytoplankton. Proper lime application is absolutely essential. If the lime is applied incorrectly, it will have no beneficial effects.