Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Fertilization Floating fertilizer bucket

Have any of you used the floating fertilizer in a bucket? I bought two buckets of the water soluble fertilizer three weeks ago. Because of the fear of overfertilizing, I only put out one bucket for the first two weeks. Each bucket is supposed to fertilize between two and five acres. I couldn't see any results and so I put out another bucket. I still can't see any results after having two buckets out for one week. The directions on the bucket say that it takes thirty days for the fertilizer to be dispensed. Would you add a third bucket if in another week or two you couldn't see any results or would you add a fertilizer that is dispensed all at once? I really want to get a bloom going before my fish spawn.

Just my opinion--
It sounds like you've had one bucket out for 3 weeks and another for one week. If it takes each 30 days, and each does 2-5 acres (for a total of 4-10 acres worth so far), I'd be hesitant to put a third until all have been in there for the allotted 30 days.


There are many other variables, though, and I'm sure you'll get some real advice. I personally would rather miss the spawn than have too much bloom and risk a DO crash.

Thanks I just haven't ever used a time release fertilizer before.

Is your water temp high enough?

You have plankton now. They are not at high enough #s for you to see (green) yet. Hold off on any more fertilizer for now. I assume you have enough alkalinity and the water temp is ok. It takes time for the geometric plankton reproduction to occur - its not from a lack of fertility . That is why I always say go slow with the fertilization process. The last thing you want is to go to 6 in visibility overnight and risk your fish.

James what did you buy? The powdered stuff is water sol but not time released. All the time released I have seen is pellets that dissolve slowly. The powdered water sol is to be thrown out on the water surface in one application of X lbs. per acre. I have never seen powdered time release to be dispersed by putting the bucket in the pond. Not saying it is not as you provided - only that I have not encountered that method.

Cecil the surface water temp, using a swimming pool thermometer that floats, varies by as much as ten degrees in one day. Yesterday we had a very cool morning in the upper forties and the surface temperature was fifty four degrees but by late afternoon the air temperature had climbed into the upper seventies and the water temp had reached sixty four degrees. We have had very unstable air temperatures this year. We had eight inches of snow one Friday and by the next Friday it was eighty degrees. I feel like the water temps are going to hold above sixty this week and not drop again. This fertilizer comes in a floating bucket with its own anchor and rope. The anchor rope is about seven feet long when it is extended and the anchor is a large lead washer. The bucket has slits cut into it that when you put the bucket into the water allows the fertilizer to dissolve in the water. It says that it is time released for about thirty days and is good for two to five acres per bucket. I think you could reuse the bucket after the fertilizer was done with almost any kind of fertilizer you wanted. Making one would be very simple and would keep granular fertilizer off of the bottom.

I think that I may have become a fan of the time release fertilizer. My bloom this year is perfect and I have only had to make one application because each application lasts a minimum of thirty days. The only drawback I can see is having a white floating bucket in your pond.

That's good to hear, James. I might follow your lead and use one at my mom's place. I can't get out there very often, and a 30-day release would help me out a lot.

Please keep us updated on the progress!

James and D last I checked there was a product that was at least several mths time released. Once per summer. It was big pellet (like the new LMB food size) looking stuff. I think the bucket sounds better to me - glad it worked. BTW once my bloom starts I rarely have to add more in less than a mth. About 3 times per season.

The product is called the ez-20 self dispensing fertilizer bucket and is recommended for fish and shrimp ponds. It is very easy to use. Simply remove the red tape from the sides not the lid and pull out the anchor line and drop it in the pond. IT is supposed to only fertilize the first three or four feet of water. They reccomend using a sechi disk at 18 days so you don't overfertilize. They say it is continuous for 30 days but in my pond it is being released even slower which I think is good. The only thing I don't like is the floating white bucket.

where can one find this bucket

I got mine at mastermade feedstore in Grapevine Texas.

I am almost sure that it used to be advertised in the pondboss magazine.

Found it online at forestry-suppliers.com