http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=201295&page=1

Quote:
5. Feeding--This may simply be a subgroup of fertility, but experience tells me that at least for short periods of time, I can support more pounds of fish per acre in a fed pond. In the long run, however, I may be more prone to crashes. Perhaps the fed pond has a higher "carrying capacity", but implies more risk.

6. Waste removal/flow through--As nutrients build up in the form of waste products, a pond's carrying capacity decreases if it is unable to rid itself of waste. Ponds with efficient bacterial communities process waste better, thereby probably have higher "carrying capacity". Ponds with high natural flow through, such as those with a large watershed/volume ratio, have better ability to support more fish per acre.

7. Aeration--Maybe a subgroup of #6, enhance a pond's ability to rid itself of waste, thereby increasing carrying capacity. Perhaps more importantly, aeration makes "usable" water more plentiful within a pond by bringing oxygen throughout the water column. Obviously a pond that only has oxygen in the top five feet, but has seven feet of anoxic water has less net carrying capacity per acre.


How in the world can adding more waste to the ecosystem increase carrying capacity? The good bacteria colonies have to increase in size to break down more waste. This takes time. Fish waste breaking down releases ammonia, one colony of good bacteria convert the ammonia to nitrite. Both ammonia and nitrite are toxic to fish. Another colony of bacteria breaks the nitrite down into nitrate aka fertilizer. While all ponds have these colonies of bacteria they are competing with plants for the waste nutrients. Its more than likely water plants or plants growing around the pond uptake a good portion of the excess nutrients in its purest form ammonia. In my experience over stocked aquariums that are overfed are more likely to experience a crash of the good bacteria leading to fish death. These good bacteria do best in water with high levels of oxygen so aeration helps a lot. Most ponds don't have a steady overflow simply because they barely have enough incoming water to account for evaporation. Only during severe rain events do most ponds use the overflow.

Understand its a balancing act. More waste equals more plant growth. Plants plus aeration supports good bacteria and your fish. In my experience bad things happen when you push the limit by having too many fish and overfeed them.

Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank, Give a man a bank and he can rob the world.