Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Fertilization Fertilizer and lime suggestions please!

Been reading this forum for months, thanks for all of the info complied here! I have a 100' X 300' backyard pond, about 3/4 acre, dug 8/2016, partially filled 10/2016, with great bottom depths, 5.5' slope all the way around, as deep as 12' for half of the pond. My dream is to be able to catch LMB in numbers, 2#'s regularly, with good numbers. My pond had a fish kill in August, no rain for 5 weeks and 97� temps, lost some Threadfin shad and some bull shad? Installed aerator and 2 diffusers, water is now crystal clear, cooler, and I can't catch a fish. PH is 6.73, Alkalinity is ZERO, Hardness is 25, will need to take more readings around the pond to confirm. I ordered Dunn's Fish Farm, Trophy Grower Liquid Fertilizer but my water temps in South Louisiana are now down to 73�. I want to add the fertilizer but I've read the PH should be higher than 6.5 to 9.0, is that correct? I will acquire soil samples and get LSU to evaluate the soil mixture as to help determine how much to lime? I really want to dump some fertilizer now and then add lime after a week or so, bad idea? Thank you in advance for helping a new pond owner!

Welcome to PBF!

Yep, you definitely need some Ag Lime. The rule of thumb I've see Bob L. recommend is a minimum of 20 for Alkalinity. With Ag Lime, more is better. IMO Sending a soil sample to LSU is a good move.

Again, welcome!

Bill D.

Here is a link from a reputable source

lime

I have never seen 0 alkalinity. I have seen some 4 and 6 s but not 0.

Did you fertilize yet ? If so describe what you did.

It is hard to resuscitate a plankton bloom in cool water with falling temps even with good alkalinity.

Soil test is a great idea !!! It may tell you that something else is going on.

Great information! Again, I can't thank you all enough for this wealth of information here in this forum. I have not limed or fertilized the pond since we moved in March 2018. The water was always a like off color, not the desired olive green but limited visibility to 18-24" until I added the big 120LL Aereator with 2 diffussors after the fish kill. Water now has 36" visibility with a black tint to it. I now have duckweed and coontail for the first time as well. I am afraid that it is too late in the year to get my bloom going but maybe after LSU does the soil and water tests I can get all the numbers headed in the right direction for a great spring spawn. No one has stocked the pond but it has a healthy population of BB, LMB and unfortunately White Crappie. I have a hump on one end that holds all the WC, so I will get them out with shiners. I plan to get my numbers right, then ASAP add 1,000 BG, 3,000 Fathead minnows, and some LMB (Spring). I have to do more research on stocking after I get my numbers right on soil and water. Thanks!

Can you describe the land around you (pine woods , crop land , oaks, dirt color etc.)? Black color often suggests a high acid content. I do think it is safe to add a few bags of yard (ag) lime to help stabilize things. Take your soil samples first. The aerator should reduce the DW but you need to get the DW out.

A subdivision pond, land was cleared in 2008 via Google Earth, appears to be mostly Oaks on the back levee of pond. Land behind pond is 60 acres of protected wetlands with oaks, willow trees and cypress trees. When I did my 16 in 1 water test strips, it did show some type of acid, cyrunic? at 400 ppm? Oak trees are losing their leaves, pretty heavy amount falling in the pond. Thank you for your input ewest!

If you have oaks or pines then the soil is likely acid (like North LA). In that case lime will be needed. Same for swamps as most are acid. I would go ahead and put in lime - after you take samples. 2 tons of ag lime per acre would be a good start pending test results.

See pg 24 of this link to the LA Pond Manual

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres...3FarmPonds2.pdf

I will get my soil samples, then lime accordingly to LSU's recommendations, then in the Spring I will be able to effectively fertilize the bloom. I have reached out to Louisiana Pond Management and I am arranging for Mr. Ken Rust to come out and do an assessment of the pond after I get my soil sample and water test results. Thanks for the insight!