Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Low Alkalinity

HI I checked my ph and it is at around 6.2 but my alkalinity is below 20, last year I added 2.5 gallons of Cal Flo liquid lime that bought my ph high at the time to 9 and alk. around 60 but now its like it didnt last, do I need to try a different process. the pond is a half acre around 8 ft. deep

Typically you want the alkalinity over 40 ppm so plants and phytoplankton can utilize the nutrients in the water. Low alkalinity is like having very low pH in soil. It locks up the nutrients, making them inaccessible to plants.

That's why it's not recommended to fertilize water to get a bloom until you can get the alkalinity up. There might already be plenty of fertilizer in the water already.

Ervin: Look into getting agriculture lime (dry) and spreading it out in the pond.