Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Feeding, CC, and the 5ac Pond

OK, so the chart is a regression of the standing weight of OK ponds whose standing weight was determined by total kill. It is certain that you have a more than modest standing weight of fish. You will notice that by 50 years, the accumulation of organic matter begins to fail to increase standing weights. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that organic matter tends to migrate in pond soils and are limited to around 3% organic matter. So mobilization of nutrients stalls at what 3% organic matter contributes to annual mobilization of nutrients. The other reason, I think, is that the juice from the squeeze of organics accumulation declines as the organics increase. If I were to offer an explanation, it would be this. Eutrophication lowers quality and adds additional stress that requires metabolic investments of energy to negotiate the stress. It may also change significantly the kinds of organisms that can colonize the water. Anyways, an increase in primary production has a declining corresponding increase in fish carry capacity and there are limits. For an LMB & BG combination, the limit of natural mobilization of organic nutrients is to support no more than 500 to 600 lbs of LMB and BG. For a pond to exceed 600 lbs of fish, it has to have more species diversity than just LMB and BG. It needs fish that consume detritus and/or vegetation.

Is your standing weight of LMB and BG 500 to 600 lbs? I really can't say. Ponds don't follow that curve. They scatter all around it and for ponds limited to LMB and BG ... mostly below it. Anyways, one approach one can take is to assume something reasonable. For example, your pond will support at least around 300 lbs of an LMB/BG combination. If we were to plan around that number, we probably wouldn't fall far from the tree and if we have it wrong, it would be close enough that the growth of LMB could serve to buffer the consumption of prey keeping the balance of the prey species in your pond. Chances are that the assumption is conservative. Take a look at the spread sheet below and let me know if this looks like the LMB population structure you presently have.