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and how they apply to different facets of pondmeistering.
This year one of my goals is to get a firm grasp on all the different things that affect water quality in ponds, what to test for, and what can be done to adjust those test numbers.
I have a short list so far, would someone that has a better understanding than I do chime in?
Here's where I think I need to check, and where the numbers should fall:
Dissolved Oxygen - minimum 5 ppm to saturation. Alkalinity - >50mg/L to 150mg/L Total Hardness - >20 Calcim - 25 ppm to 75 ppm Iron - <0.30 ppm Magnesium - 5 ppm to 25 ppm Phosphorous - 0.005mg/L - 0.05mg/L Copper - 0.005ppm to 0.01ppm pH - 5.5-8.5 Nitrogen - ?-? Conductivity - 250-750 Turbidity (Secchi Disk) - 18" to 24"
What else am I forgetting, and are those ranges correct?
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I've seen the maximum of 150 mg/l on alkalinity. Mine is 350 with no problems. Better to have too high of alkalinity than too low.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 02/03/13 05:57 AM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Can the time,and type of day, affect the readings? Example: After 1" of rain would I expect to wait a day or two to let the pond stabilize or just take the reading 12" below surface in the center of the pond?
My momma never accused me of being to smart....
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Time of day does make a difference especially on PH. Also if sample was a true sample of the entire water column or a top or bottom sample. A top 12 inch sample for nitrates in warm water on sunny days will test lower due to planktonic and FA uptake or bottom water may be higher with decomposition and or decayiing OM. Nitrates less than .05 ppm help keep growth to a minimum.I prefer Ortho P levels less than .01 ppm but get samples that can be as high as .34 Kevin Ripp from AquaFix has a great article on nutrient management in the Nov/Dec 2012 Pond Boss Mag starting on page 22. Check it out
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See this for hardness - https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/112/See Chapter 3 Physiochemical Characteristics of Ponds in the new book Small Impoundment Management in North America. Claude Boyd is a master of explaining the subject - the best I have read.
Last edited by ewest; 02/03/13 09:13 AM.
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Thanks guys.
Eric, I closed the cover at page 181 last night. It is a great book! Maybe Bob could add it to the store, or could you post a link to were someone could purchase it?
Is there anything else that I should be testing for during the normal pond water test?
Ted, thanks. I save my magazines and I'll go back and re-read the article.
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Dr. Claude Boud is THE MAN on water quality for ponds and for aquaculture. We were very fortunate to get him to write that chapter.
Subscribe to Pond Boss MagazineFrom Bob Lusk: Dr. Dave Willis passed away January 13, 2014. He continues to be a key part of our Pond Boss family...and always will be.
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Just wondering about the conductivity parameter. Are you measuring conductivity as a general indicator of pond health?, or are you looking for other info from conductivity, like salinity and TDS (total dissolved solids)?
Last edited by JKB; 02/03/13 10:44 AM.
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Does Boyd talk about how some parameters by themselves aren't an issue but in combination with other parameters can be a whole different story?
I do know from experience iron is nowhere as bad as "Teck Talks" in the AES/ Pentair catalog says it is and I've had other very knowledge people say so too. It's a blanket statement which rarely applies in nature.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 02/03/13 11:21 AM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Conductivity as a general statement in case the pond ever has to be shocked. I plan on keeping records of all the ponds, and the tests might show why a certain thing is happening in the pond.
Sort of like keeping track of the MPG per every tankful on my car. If it drops, there's a reason why. Could be external (snowy/icy conditions) or internal (vaccum line came loose, low air pressure in a tire, etc.)
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Does Boyd talk about how some parameters by themselves aren't an issue but in combination with other parameters can be a whole different story? Yes
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Conductivity as a general statement in case the pond ever has to be shocked. What would you be shocking the pond for? To accomplish what? Just curious.
Last edited by JKB; 02/03/13 12:30 PM.
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Fish density studies probably.. Or fish related checks??
Last edited by Bluegillerkiller; 02/03/13 12:30 PM.
I believe in catch and release. I catch then release to the grease.. BG. CSBG. LMB. HSB. RES.
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Conductivity as a general statement in case the pond ever has to be shocked. What would you be shocking the pond for? To accomplish what? Just curious. Any of the reasons why you would typically shock a pond. Population dynamics, population studies, balancing out the unbalanced fish population, etc.
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Conductivity as a general statement in case the pond ever has to be shocked. What would you be shocking the pond for? To accomplish what? Just curious. Any of the reasons why you would typically shock a pond. Population dynamics, population studies, balancing out the unbalanced fish population, etc. I kinda figured that's what you meant. I just did not know if you were getting all scientific on us and utilizing Conductivity as a water quality parameter for fish health/growth.
Last edited by JKB; 02/03/13 06:33 PM.
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JKB, I still haven't forgotten about pond monotoring equipment. A few months ago the IFM company came to work shopping for business and I need to contact them. I think the key for me, or most people, would be distance, so we would want everything in 4-20ma. With the list that Scott has came up with, I will submit that to them, and have them provide a quote for sensor parts. If someone was handy with programming, there should be a way to plug in different parameters to understand graphic relationalship changes, if applicable. I guess the more coffee I drink, the more I wake up. I need to read the book.....
My momma never accused me of being to smart....
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Scott we rarely if ever see alkalinity of those ranges in Georgia. We lime ane lime and lime to get it above 20 for fertilization to have a chance to work and for us we also try to get hardeness above 20. Your right for fish though great to have 50-250.
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Greg, do you ever test for Nitrogen and Phosphorous?
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JKB, I still haven't forgotten about pond monotoring equipment. A few months ago the IFM company came to work shopping for business and I need to contact them. I think the key for me, or most people, would be distance, so we would want everything in 4-20ma. With the list that Scott has came up with, I will submit that to them, and have them provide a quote for sensor parts. If someone was handy with programming, there should be a way to plug in different parameters to understand graphic relationalship changes, if applicable. I guess the more coffee I drink, the more I wake up. I need to read the book..... Mike, IFM won't have the sensors required for what esshup posted.
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Scott just ask Cody I have bugged him for years with that question. It is very complex thus usually a waste of money for my clients. Orthophosphate in theory might be worth it but usually best to do ortho and total. Yes we have found out the Nitrogen or really the N:P ratio was low in some cases and from this information actually added Nitrogen fertilizer rather than our high P fertilizer. Matt Rayl needs to chime in here and he had a good article in PB about this subject.
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Yep I was in on those email threads. There is some good info and more needs to be done. We have one pond that will not turn green - no matter what. Even with all the factors in the good range. It would turn a light brown (almost clear with a slight brown tint). I used all the suggested methods - no luck. Even tried adding water from the other green ponds to seed it. No help. We used several (6) pond fertilizers (all P or very high P with little to no N )at differing amounts. Nada - no luck. In a desperate attempt I tried a mix of 0-46-0 and equal parts 34-0-0 = half N and half P. The pond color turned a deeper shade of brown with obvious increase in plankton just not green. Then I called Bill and he did a plankton analysis. Lots of brown plankton very little green. So the N increased the brown plankton many fold. See this link. http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=20172&Number=259527#Post259527
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