I've tested and retested our pond water, and compared it to tap.

our Alkalinity is about 2.2
yeah I figured it was acidic before testing but a little surprised after testing.

anyway for 1 acre pond how many tons AGlime?
thanks

Wow! That sounds like battery acid.. If you are comparing to tap water, what do you show for it?
Maybe I'm confused here but are you testing pH??? or true Alkalinity??
Hydrochloric acid, battery acid is about 0.. Vinegar is about 2. My tap water is roughly 6.2-6.5..
I should ask what you are using to test with, also?

Yes a true PH of 2.2 should burn you.

I have never seen a pond with a 2.2 alkalinity. The lowest was an 8.

Assuming its around 8-10 I would start with 3 tons and see how it reacts.

I'm going to assume beings nobody is saying it, that you are talking ppm?? What is the target? 50? 150?
Just trying to learn something here.

IMO the discussion seems to be confusing pH with alkalinity. My understanding is PH is the amount of free hydrogen ions in the water (acid) and alkalinity is the amount of carbonate and bicarbonate in the water which equates to the ability of the water to neutralize the acid (tie up the free hydrogen ions). To know the pH it needs to be measured directly. An example, last time I checked, my pH is 8.1 and my alkalinity is 350+.

My thought was start with 3 or 4 tons of Ag lime and also do the watershed if possible.

Not a pro...just my understanding. I'm with Snipe....looking to learn on the subject

remember we are NOT talking about PH
rather the alkalinity
alkalinity> ability of PH to neutralize acids

I tested my parents house (3.5 hours north) well water and the alkalinity was off the charts 16+


so I know this pond has low alkalinity, however the water is not deadly LOL there are living organisms in there doing fine


5+ tons, is what I'm thinking
maybe 10 no kidding

perfect! yeah thats what I'll start with

PH is variable throughout the day, thats why Alkalinity is tested because it's constant, but I do want to get some readings just to see how bad it is.
So I'll buy a kit to check it, and post the results

region has limestone abundance everywhere, mowing the lawn there I hit & picked up my fair share of limestone rocks

I'd go at least 5 tons for starters. You can always add more once it's settled. I don't think you can add too much, tho, so go with your gut.

I'd go at least 5 tons for starters. You can always add more once it's settled. I don't think you can add too much, tho, so go with your gut.

this is the test kit I used made in Holland

https://www.amazon.com/Salifert-KH-Alkalinity-Test-Kit/dp/B00VC7U9J2/ref=sr_1_8?crid=5C8B2B0G0TMF&keywords=salifert+alkalinity+test+kits&qid=1552528601&s=gateway&sprefix=salifert+%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-8

yep thanks for the advice
I'll start with something like that and retest, and add more if I need it later

Thank you for clarifying what you were testing there.. Appreciate that!
Here's another link to a test kit for a bit cheaper, also by Salifert..

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...d=1931207034001

If it really is 2.2 alkalinity then go for 5 tons. Put it in and wait for testing every 2 weeks. You need to get to at least 20 alkalinity sustained.

Last time I checked mine,it was around 30 on a litmus tester. My hardness is still crap tho. I'll probably add another 500# soon.