Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,899
Posts557,082
Members18,451
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,414
ewest 21,474
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,110
Who's Online Now
9 members (Jared015, Freg, Justin W, LeighAnn, Donatello, Theo Gallus, Sunil, homewardbound, DenaTroyer), 778 guests, and 224 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,892
Likes: 144
C
OP Offline
C
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,892
Likes: 144
Can someone review this basic explanation of water alkalinity vs hardness and tell me if this is correctly applied to our pond management?

I found it interesting to try to understand how hardness and alkalinity measure different things, and importantly how hardness doesn't tell you which element is actually making up your hardness. Acid/base balance comes in to the equation as well.

Some of the tips (like testing your soil as well as your water) is new to me.

is the advice/rule of thumb to add 5lb of ag gypsum per acre foot to bring the hardness up 1 unit (ppm) still a good rule of thumb?

I'm researching if crayfish, scuds, and shrimp (crusty critters) would do better if I raised the calcium content (hardness) of my pond and then how that relates to alkalinity. I need to figure out an easy to use test kit for water quality tests.

I just fertilized my lawn on Saturday with a zero phosphorous, slow release nitrogen, and low percent potash fertilizer. It comes preformulated with biosolids taken from reprocessed chicken manure to help with the 'micro-nutrients'. But we had a much needed but rather heavy rain today that sent a deluge of street and lawn run off into the pond. I now have a very turbid pond and assume had more than usual nitrogen load run into the pond. I expect a massive bloom and want to stay ahead of water quality if I can. I already have more than normal floating FA mats covering about 10% of the pond ready to be raked out.

Here is the link to the short article that I found even me the novice could read.

Alkalinity and Hardness in Production Ponds

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,474
Likes: 264
E
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
E
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,474
Likes: 264
The article is good. See these 2.

https://srac.tamu.edu/fact-sheets/serve/262

https://srac.tamu.edu/fact-sheets/serve/112

Most times it is not good to add N (other than in small amount after testing) to ponds.

Last edited by ewest; 06/08/21 10:30 AM.















1 member likes this: Stressless
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,892
Likes: 144
C
OP Offline
C
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,892
Likes: 144
Thanks for those articles!
Is there a test kit (maybe on Amazon) that will better spell out the alkalinity and hardness than a standard pool test kit?

Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,284
Likes: 288
Moderator
Offline
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,284
Likes: 288
CC, look at the LaMotte test kits, as they have lots of very accurate options. I'm slowly replacing all my existing water testing stuff with LaMotte products.


AL


Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
Bob Lusk, GaryK, GrizzFan, PhotographerDave
Recent Posts
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by Sunil - 03/28/24 12:39 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by Sunil - 03/28/24 12:39 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/28/24 11:01 AM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by esshup - 03/28/24 10:39 AM
Brooder Shiners and Fry, What to do??
by Freg - 03/28/24 09:42 AM
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by esshup - 03/28/24 08:36 AM
Dewatering bags seeded to form berms?
by Justin W - 03/28/24 08:19 AM
Reducing fish biomass
by FishinRod - 03/28/24 08:18 AM
Questions and Feedback on SMB
by Donatello - 03/27/24 03:10 PM
2024 North Texas Optimal BG food Group Buy
by Dave Davidson1 - 03/27/24 08:15 AM
Freeze Danger? - Electric Diaphragm Pump
by esshup - 03/26/24 09:47 PM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5