With all due respect, Mr. Lusk, I have to disagree. The aquaculture science on the Nitrogen Cycle and toxicity of ammonia is published, accepted and peer reviewed. It is empirical and repeatable by anyone with a 5 gallon aquarium or a bait bucket.
Unionized ammonia in extremely small amounts is toxic. 0.03 mg/l or ppm, is detrimental to aquatic organisms. 0.05 mg/l or ppm, is toxic to fish (LD50). Ruth Francis-Floyd and Craig Watson at the University of Florida have over a century of Academic Research into the discipline:
https://thefishsite.com/articles/ammoniaTo quote, "Of all the water quality parameters which affect fish, ammonia is the most important after oxygen, especially in intensive systems. In small amounts, ammonia causes stress and gill damage. Fish exposed to low levels of ammonia over time are more susceptible to bacterial infections, have poor growth and will not tolerate routine handling as well as they should. Ammonia is a killer when present in higher concentrations, and many unexplained production losses have been caused by ammonia."
The "Nitrogen Cycle" is one of the most studied, published and documented interactions within the scientific community. Stocking a pond before it successfully completes a nitrogen cycle, albeit "common", is not best practice:
http://answers.seneye.com/index.php?title=en/Aquarium_help/New_tank_syndrome_%26_NH3/benficial_bacteria
I am no mathematician but Swampsnyper stated he stocked in his half acre pond, "Initial stocking in April was 500 BG, 50 SC, and 1000 FHM, lost around 200 BG, restocked 250". By my math, at Mr. Lusk's estimation of 15BG/pound, he stocked about 50lbs of BG alone.
Restocking was a bad idea. If he lost 200BG, even worse are the ones he couldn't count on the bottom of the pond. Also, Swampsnyper posted 3 water tests, the first showing ammonia concentrations, then no ammonia but a level of phosphorous. His pond was naturally cycling, but poorly.
Now with his water temps at almost 90 degrees and a pH of 7.5, he is at the precipice of NH3 toxicity.
