Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
Not a pro but I seem to remember in my warmwater fisheries class in college, high end CC for a body of water, that was not fed or aerated (extensive) was 300 lbs. per acre. At end of the spectrum I've heard of aquaculture ponds that were heavily surface aerated and fed (intensive) from 2000 to 5000 lbs. per acre.

In my semi-intensive ponds, where I hatch or grow out fish, and use bottom diffusers, I prefer not to go above 1000 lbs. per acre.

I once went above that in a small 1/10th acre pond, and although feed was not a limiting factor, my ammonia and nitrites spiked causing severe stress issues. The yellow perch exhibited similar symptoms to hypoxia (low D.O.), and were piping at the surface. That said, my Ph is high at 8.4 which means it doesn't take much for my unionized ammonia to get to dangerous levels.



Cecil, most CC farms run at least 11,000 pounds per acre foot now for open ponds, and 25,000 in raceways. automated Aeration and monitoring systems are really getting refined!!!
(and those weights are in ponds with waters exceeding 95* in the summer months)

Last edited by Rainman; 11/06/15 11:02 AM.