FF you are correct some plants can absorb and utilize ammonia directly from the water.

I'm not sure this is completely correct: ""The perfect example is cold weather where bacteria colonies die off due to fish not creating waste due to plants dying off from reduced sunlight during winter....and a ponds natural "carrying capacity" drops in direct proportions.""

Do the bacteria really die off in winter or do they go dormant or both. If lots of bacteria are dying in winter (39F) is it because fish are not creating waste or is it because of the cold temps? I propose it is the cold temps because there is plenty of waste in the form of bottom sediment / muck. At least my pond has plenty of organic muck. Plants do not always die off in winter especially in ponds where there is little or no ice cover. Trees and many other perennials do not die in winter, they go dormant due to cold and reduced day length. In addition some forms of algae (usu planktonic setenotherms, stenothermic) thrive and actually form big blooms that color the water during winter under the ice in 39F water. Research Planktothrix rubescens for just one example.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 10/30/14 07:06 PM.
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