I am starting here an answer to archive about fertilization , feeing and effects on carrying capacity wrt management choices. The links below are a good start if you read Bob and Bill's comments in these links. I am looking for one post where Bob posted about the life history of a plankton bloom from bright green to duller green to brown to clear water. If someone finds it let me know and link it here. Also looking for a post by Bill about what fertilization does wrt # of fish and not adding size to fish absent management (taking out fish) i.e. not bigger fish but more pounds of small fish.

Greg based on my experience and Bob's comments a fertilization program resulting in a plankton bloom is not an all or none proposition. It depends , first on the pond in question and second what you hope to achieve. What does that mean. It means you can have a limited bloom that serves its purpose and is limited in time and intensity. It would serve the purpose of feeding the new hatch fish and with them over time turn from phyto-plankton (green) to zoo ( brown) to clear as that yoy class grows. Start the bloom at the right time and let it progress with the yoy and let it die out. Every pond is different and the management can be tricky until you learn about that pond (and it may change from year to year) . The basic premise is to start the bloom just before the spawn let it run its course from bright green to dull green to brown to clear over a 3 mth period + - but don't feed it much once it starts, so that it progresses naturally to die off (clear). You noted the intensity part as reflected by visibility and it to can be managed as well.

http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=002061 *

http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=000002

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=000055#000001