Pond Boss
Posted By: ewest Trophic Continuum - natural to aquaculture - 04/21/06 01:53 AM
With the many types of ponds represented on the PB forum I thought it may be helpful to start a thread to gather in one place some of the characteristics of them and how they effect or are effected by the different ways they are managed. We see variables in size , in soil condition/productivity , intensity of management , water availability and quality and weather/temp. to name a few.

There is a continuum or scale to judge the productivity of ponds (trophic state - using the term loosely here) to mean from low to high productivity. While natural water productivity can and does vary greatly from place to place that is but one factor in the scale . The others are what we do with the water to make it more or less productive. The range goes from infertile natural waters to more fertile natural waters all the way to highly productive aquaculture operations. The amount of standing crop or carrying capacity of these different types of ponds is huge and so is the intensity of the management level and with it the knowledge needed to be successful.

So we need your help to ID the different factors and how to manage them , when to use them and the risks and rewards. This includes things like location and regional differences, fertility ranges , water quality issues , supp. feeding , aeration/water flow through/turnover , weather/temp considerations and soil types and a lot more .

The goal here is for a new pond guy/gal to have a place to find the general different types and factors of/on water productivity and the management levels and tools to use. It would be good to add links here to other posts on specific subjects. Not trying to write a book or re-invent the wheel but more of a short story with pics. (links) so one can know the basics and where to look for in-depth coverage.

I will be looking for things to add but this will take all of our efforts to be of any help. If we do a good job then maybe it can be used in the frequently asked questions area to address basic questions .
Bob Lusk once told me that one way to look at management is the "Fifteen minute" theory.

That is to say, that all of our ponds, no matter how productive or not, need to be managed first and foremost to assure that there is no fifteen minute period during any year in which the entire pond runs out of oxygen.

We all have water to varying degrees. The next need of a fish's heirarchy is oxygen. The "art", if you will, of aquaculture management is to avoid this fifteen minutes. It stands to reason that all ponds can follow this general rule.
It's hard to grow a big fish if you kill them all once every year or two. This is why we incorporate aerators, rooted plants, bacteria, wind action, fish numbers, all with the idea of never consuming more oxygen than is being produced beyond the point of creating a critical event.

I have both "regular" ponds and aquaculture ponds and this rule really doesn't change. It's true that an aquaculture pond carries more pounds of fish per gallon of water, but it's still a system of oxygen produced vs. oxygen consumed.

If you're really good and create a system where there are high levels of oxygen all the time, your fish will grow faster, have fewer diseases, live longer and fight harder. Carrying capacity is just another term for oxygen availability.

My aquaculture ponds sometimes carry 5,000 lbs/acre, but I'm managing my recreational ponds for about 15% of that. Ambitious, yes, but impossible? No way. (That is all species and year classes by the way ;\) )
Posted By: ewest Re: Trophic Continuum - natural to aquaculture - 04/21/06 02:24 AM
GREAT POST BRUCE !!! Much like the 3 rule for people -- 3 mins with no air , 3 days with no water, or 3 weeks with no food all end the same way. Which one had we better worry about first.

Since fish don't drink water ;\) can someone take the fertility/nutrition/food topic.
Granted, the most common concern for the normal fish pond is ample dissolved oxygen. Although I'm not sure that it is just primarily oxygen that we need to worry about especially in the crowded or high density fish pond. Once densities increase beyond normal carrying capacity then ammonia /and waste products become very important factors. High ammonia/nitrite levels irregardless of ample oxygen can stress fish to the point of death.
That's a great point, Bill. What are some of your recommendations to the typical pondmeister that can help him/her to avoid ammonia buildup in their ponds? And also, how do the basic oxygen management techniques, such as aeration, impact a pond's tenedency to build up unionized ammonia and other potential toxicities?
Avoid stocking too many fish or allowing the fish population to become overabundant through excessive feeding and no harvest; especially having too many fish present during winter. Nitrogenous wastes/ammonia is processed slower during cold water conditions, thus it can be a greater problem during cold water conditions.

Despite what is often preached by aeration sales people that ammonia can be dissipated, degassed or stripped by aeration and bubbling, this is NOT true. Ammonia will continue to increase at normal pH's despite lots of oxygenation of the water. Ammonia is basically processed or reduced by direct plant uptake and ammonia is broken down or reduced by nitrifying bacteria.
Posted By: ewest Re: Trophic Continuum - natural to aquaculture - 04/21/06 02:56 AM
Here is the link to water quality fact sheets from SRAC which cover what Bruce and Bill are talking about.

http://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm?catid=25

and the Fish Farmer's Guide to Understanding Water Quality from Aquanic

http://aquanic.org/publicat/state/il-in/as-503.htm

Thanks guys for a good start. \:\)
Bruce, BC has brought up the waste factor in the water. That was my first thought when you mentioned your super high stocking densities. How does this effect you and what do you do about it?

Editing here: Eric posted the info. I'll read that.
We have at least one significant difference in my arid area.

Rain is a chancy thing and, irrespective of drought, pond levels and water volume can vary by season. We rarely get summer rains and average(?) 88 inches of annual evaporation. Very little summer humidity. Theoretically, we receive about 30 inches of annual rainfall. Thus, a full pond going into summer can drop drastically by the time cool temps arrive.

This effects stocking densities and chemical manipulation. Increase of the natural carrying capacity through fertilization is an almost sure thing recipe for a DO crash. It really doesn't matter whether we have calm, cloudy days. We are mostly weather constrained.
Bill, I think your last statement shows the "Catch 22" of cold water. Rooted vegetation and bacterial action both slow down. So, what are the suggestions? To harvest by fishing or seining to sample population in the fall and adjust accordingly? Especially as water levels may have drastically decreased?
Once again something Lusk told me, in addition to comments by Bill Cody lead me to a statement that rarely seems to be addressed on this forum, in relationship to it's importance. And that is water replacement.

Lusk's one thousandth post "Wettie" talked about water being the universal solvent, but when it evaporates it leaves all dissolved substances behind in the pond. In my opinion, ponds that have water replaced by runoff events, or wells withstand higher densities much more effectively than a stagnant system.

Bill is certainly right about how the bad stuff is processed by plants and nitrifying bacteria, however in a static pond with no water replacement, plant communities can undergo significant and sudden changes that bring about the dreaded "fifteen" minutes. When I effectively replace water in my smaller ponds by runoff or well water, I never have a crash no matter how high the densities get.

Imagine how much water per fish and per pound of fish is being replaced in an aquaculture system!! In a raceway the water is replaced sometimes many dozens of times a day. That's why the high volumes of fish. If you can reproduce this even in the smallest of ways in your pond you become less at the mercy of plant community waxes and wanes.

In other words, you don't have to be as much of an expert to avoid the fifteen minutes if you have a significant and regular influx of fresh water.

Imagine if your household had to reuse the same water over and over! You'd have all sorts of headaches trying to use bacteria and sunlight to sterilize your used water to a point of reuse. Your family would be much more susceptible to disease and poor health. Ponds can be very much like this if you let them. If you're maintaining high fish densities, feeding frequently and not harvesting, then your fish need new water or almost perfect management of the plants and nitrifying bacteria. Otherwise your fish are effectively living in their own toilet.

And this is why I think discussions of "carrying capacity" of a pond can be rendered moot. The number of pounds of fish per acre maximum can probably vary by 1000% depending on water quality, nitrification, oxygenation, and water replacement factors.

Here's that great post!

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=002424;p=1#000000
Boy, this is a great thread that grew up (literally) overnight! As I read it and tried to think ahead, you guys were always there in front of me. The scary part was when Eric said
 Quote:
Since fish don't drink water can someone take the fertility/nutrition/food topic.
I thought "Bill Cody." The next post was by ... Bill Cody.

I may reread this one periodically ad infinitum. If I think of anything you guys haven't covered already, I'll let you know.
Gee you guys, I sure wish I could put this level of enthusiasm and thoughtfulness into my students!! \:\) Of course, my department head always says we can't put 35 year old brains into 20 year old bodies.
If they figure out how to do it with 47 year old brains, I volunteer! \:D

(I would kinda want to pick which body.) ;\)
Very interesting information.

If I may add my $.02 worth from a pond water volume perspective.

First of all there are several different types of water inflow systems out there that eventually fill all our ponds.
1. Supplemental water from wells
2. Runoff only ponds (totally dependent on storm water runoff).
3. Perennial streams
4. And of coarse a combination of the above.

From my own perspective, our ponds are fed by a perennial stream that during drought times is not so perennial (intermittent). It is at these times that we are extremely vulnerable to fish die offs (obviously).
Last year for example we experienced a severe drought, the stream stopped running and the ponds dropped from 3 – 5 ft. Not much of a drop when the ponds are 16 ft. deep anyway you say!

Check out this incremental summary table for our trout pond.

Elev. (ft.)-- Surface area in acres. -- Acre ft. summary
56.0 ------------ .0 -------------- 0
58.0 ------------ .05------------- .1
60.0------------- .15------------- .2
62.0 ------------- .35------------ .7
64.0 ------------- .68------------- 1.8
66.0 ------------- 1.1------------- 3.6
68.0 ------------- 1.6------------- 6.3
70.0 ------------- 2.1------------- 10.0
72.0 ------------- 2.8------------- 15.0


Notice we have lost about half our water volume when the pond is down only 3 ft. (elev.69 = about 8 ac. ft.)!! This can be a serious management situation that is many times overlooked by pondmeisters.

I have on several occasions had pond owners tell me “their pond is 20 ft. deep………………but its only down 10 ft.” They probably have less than 20% of their water volume left. Think about the accumulation of ammonia and other wastes not to mention DO concerns.

Ed
ED, that's very well done.
Posted By: ewest Re: Trophic Continuum - natural to aquaculture - 04/22/06 02:39 AM
This is a good link to oxygen , plankton , water quality ,thermocline (pond stratification), productivity measurement (secchi disk) and how they are related to a healthy pond.

http://www.fish.washington.edu/wrac/images/wrac-105.PDF
OK, you guys have already mentioned oxygen, water, and waste management.

Sitting here, reading through it all and trying to decide if I run the heat, the AC, or both today, I think of ...

TEMPERATURE

Each pond has ranges of temperatures it experiences on daily, seasonal, and yearly basis. Knowing the temperature extremes each pond will see tells us what fish species will be possible or impossible for us to keep there - either full time or seasonally. Knowing what the predominant or average temperature in the pond will be helps predict whether a fish species will thrive, do fair to middlin', or be so marginal as to say "Why bother?" (How short a "warm" season can you have and still have it be worthwhile to stock Tilapia? How short a cold season can you have and still feasibly stock trout in the Winter? Do I use Redears, Pumpkinseeds, or Yellow Perch for snail control?)

Other than well known, locally proven successful stocking schemes for fairly typical ponds, considering temperature may be very important. For the pond owner with a new, atypical pond, for the pondmeister wanting to push the envelope (locally, at least) with a colder or warmer than (localized) normal species, or for those of us who envy Cecil Baird (wrt fish, anyway), one piece of advice that must be at least considered is "Stock a forage species suitable to all your possible goals, and measure water temps in your pond, at different locations and especially different depths, for 6 months or a year (long enough to cover temperature crunch time) and see what options will or won't work."

Every pond manager should spend at least $5 on a submersible thermometer and a string ($20 will let you go digital and feel hi-tech!) and know what his water temps are over as many different locations, depths, and days of the year as he or she can.

All the above can be as complicated as we want to make it, and that is just reacting to the temperatures we are given. It becomes even more involved when we try to manage the water temperature. We can try to reduce the stress on our fish in the Winter and ensure a 39 degree F sanctuary zone by not supercooling. We can run cool- or cold-water species year round if we can keep our water temps low enough. For this approach, see posts by Cecil Baird on his trout pond, a small (<.1 acre IIRC) pond which he pumps about 30 gallons per minute of well water into 24/7 during the warmest months to keep the maximum water temps down to 60 degrees F or so. It is completely feasible for the pond manager of average technical ability and modest financial means to hold small but significant numbers of fish in a temperature controlled tank for months on end with the goal of overwintering a warm water species or keeping fish at a more optimum temperature during seasons of either temperture extreme to maximize growth for a number of reasons. To study the "Po' Boy RAS" way of doing this, see Cecil Envy.
Posted By: ewest Re: Trophic Continuum - natural to aquaculture - 04/22/06 11:58 AM
Temps. , weather , sun , rain they all effect the pond. Ice and snow cover not only mean it is cold but they have an effect on oxygen in the water and winter stress on fish. The wip-saw effect of temps going quickly from cold (ice) to warm especially if it is windy can cause extra stress on fish (and morts.). Please would a northern ponder post about the added effects of the temps./cold/ice/snow and how it impacts growth/fertility , trophic status and the pond calendar and any other northern factors which were not covered in the reports below. Thanks and take a gold star or two for your efforts.


From the DFW Reports :

WATER , DIRT AND LIGHT

In the beginning there was Water, Dirt and Light, but no pond.

Water , which we can never own , but only manage as it comes and goes in its different forms is often called the universal solvent . Every thing that can dissolve will do so in water. That is how water picks up oxygen and carbon dioxide from the air and nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphates from the dirt. Water also picks up some of its acid or base character from dirt and that which grows in dirt .

Dirt is the vehicle, when mixed with water, for much of the fertility of all things living and breathing both on land and in the waters. The nature of dirt is different from place to place even over short distances. Even its ability to hold water, sand vs. clay or the amount of minerals present to foster growth varies greatly. That is why different waters can be fertile or infertile, acid or base, or even clear or muddy even when only a short distance apart. The mixing of dirt and water start many chemical actions or reactions but they alone are not enough. They need light.

Light is often referred to as the source of life because it brings with it heat and photosynthesis. Heat acts as catalyst for many chemical processes. Photosynthesis is the basic process where plants use light to create food and energy which sustains life. Blue-green algae, along with single celled plants and animals called, “plankton” create the base of the food chain in the water which is dependent on light for energy. Light is the engine of our world. It brings that energy in the form of food and heat.

Water, Dirt and Light when mixed create a fascinating and dynamic process. The process is in constant need of observation and management. It brings us fertility, visibility, weeds, and even fish which we all want, but only in the correct amount. The process will only support a finite amount of life per acre – its carrying capacity or standing crop.

Water , Dirt and Light are the basics of the pond. Remember the basics. Think first about them as you manage. From the selection of your pond site through the harvesting of fish, indeed in all pond matters remember the basics. To remember them and to see them at work is pure joy , to forget them peril.

ewest
edited by Bob Lusk


The Power of F3---Fertility, Food Chain and Fish

With basics of Water, Dirt and Light in mind, pond Site Selection and construction complete and the new pond filling with water, it becomes time to contemplate the Power of F3. Fish, Food Chain and Fertility are the F powers. When properly tied together these crucial components have exponential power. They also equal fun, fascination and fulfillment for you, your family and friends with a refreshing, renewed feeling of faith that things are right with the world’s design .

Fertility decisions are based on dirt and water. Remember soil samples taken and analyzed? Look at those results and examine nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous levels. Pay attention to pH and alkalinity. What occurs in dirt often occurs in nearby water. Some adjustments could be addressed during construction, especially the addition of lime or gypsum. If these issues weren’t investigated then, now is the time. These elements provide natural fertility when mixed with water. Scientist call water the “universal solvent.” Anything which can dissolve into water, will. Our job is to know what our water needs, measure natural amounts, then add what is needed. Fertility varies from place to place. Some ponds are naturally fertile, some are not. But, fertility can be enhanced with lime and fertilizer or other elements, if necessary. For example, there are ponds in Florida in old phosphate pits where water runs through underground mineral deposits which have natural fertility. This extrapolates into hundreds, maybe thousands of pounds of fish per acre while only one hundred miles north in Georgia there are naturally infertile ponds that can only grow fish at a rate of 100 pounds per acre. The former obviously needs little help with fish production, while lime and fertilizer properly applied to the second example can help increase production by as much as three to four fold.

Pond goals directly impact decisions how to stock and manage your food chain. Are you going to practice catch and release or have a put and take fishery? What type of fishing do you want and like, bass, bluegill or other? What size and type of pond or ponds do you have and are you going to manage them like aquaculture operations with extensive management for multiple species of fish or is fishing way down the priority list? Do you want gin clear water for swimming and recreation with fewer fish or green tinted water fertile with plankton – the base of the food chain? Visibility as measured by secchi disk should be no less than twelve inches. Eighteen to twenty four inches is recommended. Automatic fish feeders can be used to offset a reduced plankton bloom. But, be aware. Feeding fish adds nutrients to pond water, and not necessarily specific nutrients a pond lacks. The food chain {often referred to as a pyramid} starts with microscopic plankton which thrives on nutrients dissolved into the water column with sunlight as its energy source. Next are small animal organisms like zooplankton and aquatic insects which feed on phytoplankton. These, in turn, feed larger insects and small fish such as young bluegill and bass, which then supply larger predators, and so on, up the food chain. Man is then both the ultimate predator and pond manager. Whatever fertility program you choose be sure it is right for your pond and goals and stick with it for an adequate period. If you change, do so gradually, the food chain in ponds does not react well to abrupt changes.

Fish stocking can be started once the first levels of the food chain are in place. Stocking takes time and patience. There are a number of different stocking methods using different sizes of fish and timing schedules. However, first fish to be stocked are forage fish. Bluegill, redear, fathead minnows, tilapia, shad, and shiners are typical examples of forage fish. Some people also see importance of secondary species of forage such as crawfish or frogs or tadpoles or the like to add diversity to the forage base. The staple forage base for ponds managed for bass is bluegill because of this baitfish’s high reproductive rates. While some other species of forage fish may have their place in a pond management plan they are limited by their inability to reproduce in large enough numbers or by their limited life span in cold water. A diverse forage base is good and many combinations of these forage fish work well, but a successful plan involves the use of bluegill. Pond stocking plans may vary depending on goals, including the predator fish chosen. Largemouth bass {of all strains Northern, Florida or F1 crosses}, hybrid striped bass or catfish or a combination can be effectively used as the top predator fish. Each type of forage and predator fish has its pluses and minuses but a discussion of them is beyond the scope of this report. Take time to learn life histories and behavior patterns of each species of fish which interests you.

There are a multitude of different pond plans. Each can be as different as the people and ponds they represent. But, all depend on the power of F3 – Fertility, Food Chain and Fish. It is amazing to watch the power of F3 as the water becomes productive, the food chain develops, the forage fish go in and grow. Fish spawn, the food chain expands, followed by predator fish growth, then their offspring come and grow, eventually leading to a shift of balance of the pond. It is up to you to manage the process and keep it in balance doing what is required from testing and adjusting the water and dirt to adding or taking out fish both forage and/or predator . Fun, fascinating and fulfilling – you bet it is. Such is the power of F3.

by ewest
edited by Bob Lusk
Posted By: Russ Re: Trophic Continuum - natural to aquaculture - 04/27/06 11:31 AM
Good post Ed. The numbers tell the story.
Posted By: bobad Re: Trophic Continuum - natural to aquaculture - 04/27/06 03:25 PM
I was debating on whether to build a 1a pond and fertilizing/managing intensively or 1.5a pond and managing less intensively. I went with 1.5a because I'm wary of high fertility. Fertilizing has great rewards, but carries great risks. Many of the risk factors are out of my hands, so I'm taking the cowards' way out. \:\) Little to no fertilizer, little bloom, fewer fish per acre, but not so many worries about weather and associated fish kills. I will have ~30% shallows and weed beds. Ugly, but great for growing minnows and grass shrimp.
 Quote:
Originally posted by bobad:
... Many of the risk factors are out of my hands, so I'm taking the cowards' way out. \:\) Little to no fertilizer, little bloom, fewer fish per acre, but not so many worries about weather and associated fish kills. I will have ~30% shallows and weed beds. Ugly, but great for growing minnows and grass shrimp.
Bobad, I would prefer to describe your approach as the prudent approach and certainly not the cowards' way out. ;\)

Operating with adequate safety margins is just good sound management practice, IMO. Your approach also means far less time spent managing/worrying about the pond and a lot more time enjoying it, which seems like a good trade to me....but to each his own.
© Pond Boss Forum