I read on the site somewhere that Zooplankton is brown and phytoplankton is green but one is as benificial from a bloom standpoint as the other, is this correct? I typically fert when my secki reading is 24 inches and when I do I get a brown bloom not green and a secki reading of about 18 inches after fert.This is after several sunny days so it is not a bloom die off. My alk is around 25. Man, if I ever get this bloom thing figured out I will be on my way.

Thanks, Jake

Big Jake (Gotta respect someone named after a John Wayne movie):

I'm not qualified, but others are. Giving you a bump.

Jake, it is my understanding (could be wrong) that phyto is plant and zoo is animal. If I'm right, zoo feeds on phyto. Thus, phyto would be the real base of the food chain and is the most basic result of fertilization.

Maybe a more knowledgable poster can reveal just how the interaction of fertilization causes the growth of plant life.

Can the addition of an artificial chemical added to theoretically pure water cause the start of plant life? I can understand natural fertilizers causing phyto to start because I doubt that manure is ever really dead. Any biologists or chemists out there?

Brown bloom can be a different species of phyto as well.

Also, some species of zoo feed on phyto and some feed on other zoo.

I'll push the post to the limit...isn't "Red Tide" a somewhat unknown bloom that seems to appear when the water becomes stagnant, when the salinity levels rise? Killing everything in its path, and remains uncontrollable ? The moral to the story seems to be...you can enhance fertility, but beware of the consequences if you cross the threshold. To steal a phrase, Keep It Simple Stupid (lol) Mother Nature would prefer you to maintain a solid forage base without chemical reactions.

Eastland :

Good points . Sounds like a topic for DFW meeting. How about " chemical reactions in the pond -- a comparison of naturally fertile ponds and infertile ponds " {including pics.}. I will add it to the DFW thread. Thanks. ewest

Now dont ask me why as As I have been told and read that the old 20-20-5 pond fert is not as effective as some of the new water soluable and liquid fert but I can say this. For about 2 years I have had dificulty establishing a bloom so after much thought I went back to the old 20-20-5 granular and with in 4 days have the nicest bloom you could ask for. I thought the newer fert would be cost effective but not the case for me as I have spent about $400 over 2 years on fertilizers that failed to work. As goes the old saying if it aint broke dont fix it. So with that said to those of you that may also be having trouble establishing a bloom go back and try the old 20-20-5. Of course your alkalinity needs to be above 20 ppm. I am keeping it up by adding 150 # of hydrated lime about every 6 weeks. I have added 30 tons of ag lime over the past 4 years and could not get it above about 16 but the hydrated does the trick for me. I guess all ponds are different you just have to figure what make yours work.

Big jake glad to hear it. I somehow did not see your ealrier post, but I miss them b/c I some times do not check this site for a week or so.

ANyway two things one in first post you said Zsd went down to 18 inches after fert. Well you got a bloom but it was brown phytoplankton species. Otherwise the Zsd would still be 24 inches.
2nd I think since you got a good green bloom this time you are unique and the limiting nutrient in your case is not phosphorus( middle #) but nitrogen (first #) so by adding more nitrogen in the 20-20-5 you were able to form the green bloom. IN your case a higher first # helps you out but for others it is opposite. Glad to hear the good news and just my theory on what has happened.

Thanks for you thougts on this Greg, its always good to get your input. I am just glad to see a bloom as I no my shad will benifit greatly from this.

Jake